Musipedia Of Metal

Killing Joke: Pylon (Spinefarm)

Pylon is the 16th album by Killing Joke, a band that shows absolutely no sign of slowing down. In fact, if anything the band have upped the intensity of their performance and built on the foundations of their two previous releases, the fine Absolute Dissent (2010) and 2012’s tremendous MMXII. Pylon features the original Joke line-up with ringmaster and enigmatic frontman Jaz Coleman in stunning form. The industrial tinge remains, fused with the punk and synth sound that is a characteristic of their key works but as with most of their works since 1994's Pandemonium, a harder, rockier edge is now part of the staple KJ sound. The cutting riffage of guitarist Kevin “Geordie” Walker combined with the ever reliable engine room of Martin “Youth” Glover and “Big” Paul Ferguson powering the band forward.

Coleman’s vocal performance has always been one of the key features of the band; his Gothic style delivery combined with the anger and frustration of the lyrical content continues to provide an intimidating, original and unique delivery. From the haunting Dawn Of The Hive, the apocalyptic foreboding contained in New Cold War and War Of Freedom to the almost all out thrash assault of first release, I Am The Virus, Pylon contains everything you could ask and much more. Killing Joke has been around since 1978 remaining true to their beliefs, roots and vision. In recent years Coleman’s eccentricity has become more focused and his focus on a world going to hell in a handcart has become quite prophetic. If you have never heard Killing Joke, all I can say is that Pylon is a worthy entrance point and one album that in 2015 should not be missed. Oh and where the hell have you been? 10/10

Graveyard: Innocence And Decadence (Nuclear Blast)

Whilst Killing Joke are focused in the here and now, Swedish hard rockers Graveyard sit firmly in the 1970s with their blues and psychedelic mix of rock. Innocence And Decadence puts Graveyard firmly back into public view after a quieter period since their last release, Lights Out in 2012. Although their fourth release continues in a similar vein to their previous offerings, Innocence And Decadence also contains some real gems to illustrate that the three years between albums has not been wasted. The vocal delivery of Joakim Nilsson and Jonatan Larocca-Ramm is gritty, bluesy and filled with soul. From the real Uriah Heep/Groundhogs feel of The Apple And The Tree, complete with some grungy bass courtesy of Truls Morck, to the straightforward rocker Can’t Walk Out which contains elements of The Stooges, this album leads you on a merry dance of colours and sounds which feel fresh and vibrant despite the deep rooted sound of a bygone era. Nilsson and Larocca-Ramm provide sensitive and heartfelt guitar work throughout, with the laid back blues filled Far Too Close a particular highlight. 8/10

Ozone: Self Defence (Escape Music)

The first release from melodic rockers Ozone features two of the really heavy weights of the AOR world and really should be served up as a dessert, complete with crackers, celery and a fine glass of port. Yes, this contains more cheese than the deli counter at Tescos (other supermarkets also available). The production expertise of Mike Slammer, who contributes sterling guitar and bass work throughout, ensures that this is as smooth as silk and crystal clear. Christian Wolff, now sadly deceased, also adds to the crunching guitar sound. The whole album is underpinned by solid drum work from Kerry Denton and the layered keys and organ of Eric Sabo. However, as with any top quality AOR, it is the vocals that allow the cream to rise to the top. Ozone must be the cat in that case as they possess two of the best vocalists in the genre; first up the stylish voice of Chris Ousey, most recently seen in the blues based (and bloody good) Snakecharmer alongside the dulcet tones of Steve Overland, yes that Steve Overland from UK’s premier AOR giants FM.

Ably supported by excellent harmonies of Ronnie Platt and Billy Gleer on backing vocals, Self Defence is a definitive blue print for top quality melodic rock. As I listened to it, my mind was drawn back to the brief encounter with the main stage at HRH AOR earlier this year, when I happened to observe a packed crowd rocking out to H.E.A.T. Ozone possess sufficient quality to headline an event like that. Full of radio friendly (is that still a term because it probably doesn't apply these days) anthems, mix in the best of FM, Def Leppard (difficult I know) and a large helping of Thunder and you get the picture. Tracks like Visionary Man, Practice What You Preach and Save My Soul all contain a steely rock frame, whilst the saccharine filled ballad So Blind might put you into a diabetic coma; it’s that sickly. If you like your rock served with a large slice of melody and velvet harmonised vocals, this is right up your avenue. 8/10

Lucifer's Child: The Wiccan (Dark Essence Records)

Lucifer's Child hail from Athens Greece, they were formed by guitarist George Emmanuel who normally wields his axe in Greece's premier extreme music merchants Rotting Christ and Bassist Stathis Ridis who fields the bottom end in Greekl Gothic doomsters Nightfall. So with the band founders day job being in the more underground realms you will get a good idea what Lucifer's Child sound like (as if the band name didn't give it away), this is occult influenced, evil summoning black metal riffs with deathy vocals from new boy Mario Dupont who has a scream from the bowels of hell as witnessed on the propulsive A True Mayhem on which he growls like a demon while Emmanuel supplies down-tuned riff after down-tuned riff and Ridis and drummer Nick Vell apply a heavyweight rhythm section that brings the doom to Spirits Of Amenta and some thrash-like Behemoth blasting to He Who Punishes And Slays, in fact the band have a sound that is part Rotting Christ (obviously) and part Behemoth as they play the same kind of unrelenting blackened death metal with some orchestral filling on a few tracks, the best evidence for this comparison is the the track Lucifer's Child which is a huge fear laden track that has a that has keen guitar melody over the barrage of a rhythm section that chugs along, before the aptly named Doom is a track so slow that I was afraid it was going to go backwards. With ominous riffs, powerful bottom end and guttural vocals Lucifer's Child are good side-project that takes enough from their respective day jobs to win over long time fans but also adds enough influence from other bands that they stay fresh and interesting. If you like your metal with a side order of evil then Lucifer's Child will conjure up magic for you! 8/10

Sebastien: Dark Chambers Of Deja Vu (Pride And Joy Music)

I picked up Sebastien's debut album Tears Of White Roses from a second hand store, purely due to the awesome looking cover and that it had some huge guests on it; these included enchantress Amanda Somerville, former Firewind man Apollo Papathanasio, Temple Of Rock's Doogie White, Rhapsody Of Fire's Fabio Lione, Riot vocalist Mike DiMeo, Ex-Helloween and current Masterplan axeman Roland Grapow and guitarist Tore Moren. Although theses were the reasons I initially parted with my money the reason why I loved Sebastien, was that the album was filled with intelligent, tough, classy power metal with excellent symphonic elements giving the band a similar sound to Kamelot, Serenity, Sonata Arctica and Blind Guardian all rolled into one. The band are all great musicians with founder member vocalist/guitarist George Rain creating some superb power metal that allowed the guests to contribute and duet with Rain's voice, fleshing out the songs but not overshadow the songs. Tears Of White Roses became one of my most played albums, so I waited with growing anticipation as they announced they were working on the follow up.

So five years later Dark Chambers Of Deja Vu is that follow up and my god was it worth the wait, the songs are just as song, with a collection of darker themed song, Sebastien have stepped up their game from their debut meaning that this album whizzes past with some excellent power metal anthems that Rain and Andy Mons trading riffs and solos like the well versed tandem they are duelling with each other on the Kamelot flavoured Stranger At The Door, as well as each other they fight with keyboardist Victor Mazanek who has his fair share of solos too. In the engine room Cradle Of Filth's Martin Skaroupka's (replaced by Lucas R) drumming thunders like a storm in full flight, while Petri Skalainen's basslines gallop, rumble and rampage with the guitar riffs and finally on top of everything Rain shows off his potent vocals that have air of Jon Oliva about them, crooning with rasp that just fits the bands harder edged power metal. One thing that is noticeable is that the guests have been reduced on this record with only Roland Grapow returning from the debut, he adds his vocals to the thrashy My Deepest Winter.

As well as Grapow the band have recruited other guests including Sirenia's Ailyn Gimenez adding her haunting soprano to the wistful final track Last Dance At Rosslyn Chapel, while the chugging Lamb Of God features the (in my opinion underrated) vocals of Tony Martin Black Sabbath's longest serving vocalist, Circle II Circle and Savatage vocalist Zak Stevens on the symphonic The Ocean which is one of the heaviest tracks on the record. So the guest appearances have been reigned in but this is for the better as it let's Sebastien show off their talent on this great sophomore album that really is a masterclass of symphonic power metal. Don't leave it too late like I did, find this album now and discover Sebastien doing what they do so very well. 9/10

Violent Divine: Hyperactivity Disorder (Self Released)

Swedish hard rock with modern twist on Violent Divine's fourth album with influences drawn from the 80's hard rock of sleaze merchants Motley Crue on Restart My Heart (yes it is close to Crue's own song), gritty punk on Temple Of Love but also a bit of that decades Goth styling on Heartbroken but they also bring things right up to date on tracks like Incubus, For I Am Sin, Beautiful Disaster all having the same radio bothering metal crunch as Shinedown and Alter Bridge, this is most evident in the crooning vocals of Mike who is a dead ringer for Shinedown's Brent Smith vocally will adding some Myle Kennedy on Worms Beneath. Violent Divine are a clearly very experienced band with a lot of style shown on this record the guitar stab and shimmer, the bass rumbles and roll and the drums smash and bang with power and persistence, unlike a lot of the more modern bands I've mentioned the band are focussed on the faster more rocking songs than the heart tugging ballads that Shinedown have favoured recently, the pace rarely shows up with nearly every song supplying fast and furious metallic hard rock keeping the energy high and the attention piqued. At thirteen tracks this album could a be a slog but with the right mix of fast and slow all played with passion and style Hyperactivity Disorder which keeps up Violent Divine's faultless record for supplying great quality modern hard rock. 8/10

An Evening With Opeth: Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London

Sunday trips to London for gigs are never particularly enjoyable but when Opeth announced that they would be playing a special 25th anniversary show, combined with a performance of 2005’s masterpiece Ghost Reveries all thoughts of discomfort and lack of sleep were put to one side and tickets were quickly purchased. A last minute change of venue moved the gig from the Palladium to the opulence of the Theatre Royal but tickets arrived in good time and we headed to London filled with expectation, not hope. This is Opeth after all; supreme musicians and consummate professionals. My 12th viewing of the Swedish maestros and very few duds in that list. Following Opeth is an enjoyable experience, and has taken me (and son Ant) across the country; Bristol, Birmingham, Prestatyn, Nottingham, Bloodstock, Sonisphere, Download and the Albert Hall to be precise. Not once have they played in Wales but that is the cross you are happy to carry when it comes to this innovative, classical and heavy as lead band.

We arrived in the Capital with a couple of hours to kill and having smirked at the display of Motörhead dildos proudly displayed outside a ‘private’ shop on Oxford Street, proceeded to get a couple of pre-gig ales and a bit of supper before heading to the venue. Unsurprisingly, given the proximity to Covent Garden, the area was packed and the local pubs full of black t-shirts and long haired metallers. According to the tickets, doors opened at 7:00 pm but disappointingly they appeared to have been opened much earlier and as we studied the scrum around the merchandise table it was clear that we had been far too slow to grab a souvenir t-shirt; only XXL available at 6:55 pm. Obviously the band only carry a limited amount of stock on the road so hopefully the on-line store may stock some at a later date. Never mind. It was the music we had travelled for.

Entering the theatre, one was immediately impressed with the splendour of the venue along with the height of the theatre with three circles rising to the gods, flanked on either side by several boxes. We quickly found our seats, guided by the very helpful theatre staff who were clearly taking the invasion of two thousand mainly beery, hairy white males in their stride. Plenty of leg room and a great view of the stage, although the overhang of the lower circle slightly clipped the sight lines for the top of the three screens which had been positioned at the back of the stage.

The stage was ornately decorated with candelabras and the lighting enhanced the atmosphere, one of death and foreboding and totally in keeping with the atmosphere of the album. The screens eased into life, the ghostly mist of the album cover drifting around flickering candles and the house lights dimmed as Opeth took to the stage. What followed was 90 minutes of sheer breath-taking music as the band played Ghost Reveries from start to finish. Opening with Ghost Of Perdition, a blisteringly heavy track laced with some typical classic Opeth harmonies and quieter parts, the band were clearly hitting their stride as they neared the end of this particular run of shows. The sound was astonishingly clear, possibly the best I’ve ever heard at a gig and this really enhanced the delivery, with the interplay of guitars, bass and keyboards all crystal clear. As Ghost... came to an end it was clear that Mikael was in a good mood, willing to take the time to engage with the audience with his dry wit and coping well with the more boisterous elements heckling incredibly well. (More of this later). Into The Baying Of The Hounds, visceral death vocals, crushingly heavy riffs and pure Opeth brutality; possibly the most evil thing ever heard within the grandiose setting, more used to the sound of Willy Wonka than death metal.

And so it continued as the band eased through the track listing; Beneath The Mire played for the first time on UK soil, the eastern promise of the beautiful Atonement, complete with integrated keyboard and guitar solos which fitted perfectly with the mood of this track and then the more recognisable Reverie/Harlequin Forest ramped the volume back up again. Meanwhile the screens displayed various images which fitted perfectly. Unfortunately, it was as the band began the delicate Hours Of Wealth that a few of the more boorish elements of the audience decided that a “quiet bit” was a good time to a)head for the toilet/bar and b)have a little chat at top volume. Honestly, there were some right fuckwits amongst the audience. As distracting as this was, the band maintained their professionalism and delivered it perfectly, with the interplay between Mikael's guitar work and keyboard player Joakim Svalberg on what is essentially a duet stunning. The demonic and pulverising Grand Conjuration increased the temperature again before a further oafish element heckled once more as a beautiful Isolation Years brought part one of the evening to a close.

After a short interval, and the set stripped back to the basics, Opeth returned to the stage and ripped through the now familiar opening duo from Pale Communion, Eternal Rains Will Come and Cusp Of Eternity. The clarity of the sound was helping to really pick up on the intricate musical interplay and allowed you to establish the different lines of each instrument. The guitar work of Mikael and Frederik Akesson particularly impressive. The Leper Affinity, a staple from Blackwater Park followed, the driving bass of Martin Mendez and the power of Martin ‘Axe’ Axenrot especially impressive. A calmer middle part of the set followed, with some humorous interaction with the crowd. Of course, even an intelligent band like Opeth attract the stupid and the moronic, and as Mikael referred to Damnation, the oafs in front shouted, nay, bellowed for The Moor (which is from Still Life you tools!). A snippet of Face Of Melinda and Closure led to a perfect To Rid The Disease before a rare outing for I Feel The Dark from the much maligned Heritage album.

On the home strait, and it was all too much for one punter, who managed to fall over a number of other patrons as he staggered down his row, completely trolleyed. This was the cue for an exchange of pleasantries which included a classic “Why don’t you fuck off and die … and then fuck off and die some more you cock weed” from a particularly unimpressed young lady. Said drunken punter was by now on his hands and knees at the end of the row and crawled to the door where the staff quickly removed him. Meanwhile shouts for old school tracks such as Black Rose Immortal and obviously further calls for The Moor continued. One classic put down came after a cry for Slayer (how original). “Fuck off, we want to play our own songs!” Despite all of this diatribe, Opeth then delivered a superb version of Voice Of Treason, which confused the old school brigade as it is from Pale Communion. Moving back to the Deliverance release, a crushing version of Master's Apprentice brought the set to a close before the band returned for an encore.

Although the second set was a little disjointed one of the highlights of seeing Opeth is always how Mikael deals with the crowd and his humour has become legendary. My favourite heckle of the evening came as he introduced the rest of the band, to which one wag shouted “what’s your name?” One of the few times Mikael Akerfeldt had no response. A protracted opportunity for the audience to shout out requests (which encouraged the dullards once more) was rewarded with A Lynyrd Skynyrd style snippet of Bleak, the first verse of A Fair Judgement, a blast of The Moor and a smidgeon of Credence before the band launched into The Lotus Eater from Watershed to complete a triumphant evening which was brilliant in so many ways.

It defies logic to me that you would pay £40 to see a band in a seated venue, and then spend most of your evening back and fore to the toilet and bar, drinking cans of Budweiser (yuk) and no doubt waking up the following day having no recollection of a spectacular evening of music. If it just me that feels like this, then I’m glad. Opeth 10/10 Certain members of the audience 1/10

Queensryche: Condition Human (Century Media)

Having been a big Queensryche fan for about eight years or so, it was needless to say that when all the hooha and kerfuffle broke out around the band three years back I was both gutted and concerned. Thankfully the band found the perfect replacement in Todd LaTorre, who on first listening live last year, I found him to sound almost exactly like Tate, but with that little more edge. He is easily able to roll off all of the bands greatest hits and quite frankly I was blown away by his voice. However now is the time to see what LaTorre and the gang are really made of with their new offering Condition Human.

In this case I'm not going to go through the album track by track as I'm sad to say it would be a bit of waste of time. After a few listens this album has one big downfall, and it’s a damn shame. The majority of the songs served up on Condition Human all have the same theme... Revolution is coming my friends, yup you better believe it. At least eight of the tracks on this twelve song album continue with this theme and no matter how good you are, this just isn't sustainable. I'm pretty sure this theme rings a few bells from previous offerings too? What's more annoying about this album is that the track Just Us offers us a beautiful ballad that pulls together everything that is good about Queensryche old and new, similarly Hourglass in a more rocky manner. This just left me thinking... why can't we have more of this?

Don’t get me wrong, the musicianship on this album is brilliant as always and I'd expect nothing less from such experienced pro's. Throw LaTorre's spine tingly good voice into the mix and if you're not paying too much attention to the foundation of the songs, it sounds just great. Rockenfield's drums at times are simply majestic and Wilton and Lundgren throw out the sharp high pitched riffs we have come to know and love from Queensryche. Ironically this album is the opposite to Tate's new offering with Mindcrime: throw it on in the background and you'll no doubt find yourself walking around the room air banding with a little smile on your face, but, sit down and listen to it properly, and the cracks in the albums foundation are clear to hear. I'm unsure as to the reasoning for this, either the band got a little lazy and were keen to get a release out at the same time as Mindcrime (understandable) or are they hanging on too tightly to the past of Queensryche? Either way, to make your "new project" stand out, something a lot more stronger and dare I say brave was needed here. It’s a good listen, but it could have been so much better 7/10.

Operation:Mindcrime: The Key (Frontiers Music)

So as you people may or not know, me... I'm a BIG Queensryche fan, and possibly an even bigger Tate fan. For me there are few better voices out there, past present and hopefully future! So, needless to say this album has been eagerly awaited by myself. Since its announcement of production Tate has stated from the off that The Key is to be the first of a trilogy. A concept piece, The Key ushers in work that Tate has been sitting on for a few years now. It will be difficult not to compare this against Tate's outstanding work with Queensryche, but I'll do my best. We'll see if it's all been worth the wait! Without any spoilers the concept of the album in its most basic is; A man discovers "something", realizes that this "thing" could change the world for both good or bad, man wrestles with his conscious to decide if he should destroy said "thing", sell said "thing" or release said thing himself for free. Okay, got it?

Opening track Choices immediately throws back to late 80s/90s Queensryche with an audio cut, reminiscent of album Empires and Mindcrime itself. However what follows is more of an atmospheric narrated opening which sets the scene of the story nicely. The next track and second single Burn again kicks in with another audio cut, which is interrupted by a a heavy thudding grungy riff filled with bass and deep melody. Throughout Burn the tone remains dark and almost melancholic, with very proggy solos thrown in by guitarist Kelly Gray. ReinventingThe Future is the first single from The Key and is probably the most anthemic track on the album. Probably the closest thing we get to Queensryche on The Key, this track picks up the pace with a lot bouncier riff and faster paced drums, the prog theme stays firmly put however, with stronger vocals from Tate here and a brief but succulent solo again, supported by a Nick favourite emphasized bass line, kindly donated by Disturbed's John Moyer.

Ready To Fly and Discussions In A Smoke Filled Room return to the slower atmospheric stylings of Choices, the synthesized voice of Tate adds to the futuristic theme that The Key tries to convey. The stand out element during these two tracks however, is the precise and almost dramatic drumming of Simon Wright. At this point the story that Mindecrime are trying to convey is starting to well and truly take shape, that is until track six; Life or Death? which has a very random appearance from Mark Daly (The Voodoos) on vocals. This really threw me initially as his voice, although good, deep and gravely... just doesn't fit into the atmosphere or character of the album, the song itself is also very different to what has been offered thus far in the album. Very rocky, bouncy and lively and upbeat, contrary to the previous five tracks. As a stand alone the track is solid, but it really does halt the charade of the album and stick out like a sore thumb.

The Stranger and Hearing Voice really hit you in the face with more deep bass filled grunge. They are angry emotive songs, both musically and lyrically, also chocked with scurrying tight riffs. Tate is really able to highlight the franticness in the characters decisions across these tracks. The smashing percussion adds another futuristic twist to the story with the industrial edge of its sound, which is immediately halted in its tracks with some sophistication by On Queue and the interlude An Ambush Of Sadness. On Queue builds up beautifully to a great vocal and solo crescendo courtesy of Tate and Gray. Kicking In The Door and The Fall return the album to back where it started musically. Atmospheric proggy music laced with Tate's voice as he brings the first part of his tale to an end. The Fall does this nicely by finishing with a musical wall of sound that builds and builds with well placed layers slowly drowning out Tate's vocals in an almost mystical way, leaving us waiting for the next album to see what becomes of him... it really is a nice touch.

The Key is a very much new direction for Tate and his crew, on one hand, unlike their previous offering this feels as if it has been thought through and some care and love has been put into it. However on the other, the fact that the stand out track is very much that of a Queensryche song suggests that there is probably something missing from The Key that makes this album Mindcrime's own. A concept album, although a concept album, needs an identity musically as well as the story it tries to convey... The Key hops about in its stylings, a little lost at times. After listening a few times, I have come to the decision that I really do like this album, its different, filled with grungy bass and a new sort of prog I've not quite heard before, so I do look forward to the following two parts to accompany it. Hopefully Mindcrime will have found their identity by then. Nonetheless, I feel this is not an album you can just throw on and listen to in the background (unlike Queensryche for instance), it's an album you have to understand and give your time to and work at, which I feel may be difficult to convey live. As a result I can see The Key taking a bit of a hit by critics, probably for all the wrong reasons, which is a shame 8/10

Riverside: The Marble Factory

Arriving half way through the opening set, we were immediately taken by the sight of a lute at the side of the stage. This later came into play during the latter part of the set. Lion Shepherd (8), Polish associates of the headliners, played with aplomb and panache, their progressive tones fused with lush Oriental and Eastern sounds very appealing. A combination of Orphaned Land, Messenger, Porcupine Tree and many others, Kamil Haidar cuts a fine figure at the front of the stage, with a strong and imposing vocal range, demonstrated in fine style on set closer Smell Of War. Sufficiently impressive to prompt me to purchase their debut release Hiraeth (full review to follow but it is excellent).

The Sixxis (6) are confused. The Atlanta outfit are a confusion of influences although Dream Theater stand head and shoulders above everyone else (add in anything from Muse, Alice in Chains and even a smattering of Rush). They certainly put in the effort but a lot of huff and puff doesn't always work if your songs are a bit disjointed. Vocalist Vladdy Iskhakov combined his lyrical duties with synth work at the front of the stage and at one point comically introduced an electric violin which provided Spinal Tap flashbacks. Unfortunately he isn’t blessed with the most powerful of voices and was often smothered by the guitar riffs of Paul Sorah and Cameron Allen. The band appear unclear which direction they want their sound to develop and as a result their songs suffered somewhat. A reasonable response from the crowd indicated that they hit a few of the right notes but it was noticeable that Lion Shepherd attracted more attention at the merchandise table.

No such problems for Riverside (10). A rapturous welcome greeted the band as they arrived on stage and launched into Lost (Why Should I be Frightened By A Hat?), the opening track from the stunning Love, Fear And The Time Machine. Over the next hour and forty five minutes the Poles delivered a masterclass in progressive music, with a range of tracks six of their albums (heavily based on their last two; LFATTM and Shrine Of New Generation Slaves) and a mix of styles; from the Floyd soaked Escalator Shrine and The Same River to the Depeche Mode/The Cure influences in Saturate Me. Whilst all eyes are rightly fixed on the talents and warmth of Mariusz Duda, frontman, bassist and vocalist, Riverside is truly a band where the whole is greater than the individual parts. Piotr Grudzinski’s stunning guitar work, often understated and intricate was breath taking whilst the Hammond organ and keyboards of Michal Lapaj added layered depth and substance. Underpinning the whole sound was Piotr Kozieradzki on drums. The band cleverly book ended the set with Found (The Unexpected Flow Of Searching), the final track on LFATTM and left the stage to a deserved huge ovation from the small but appreciative audience.

Spock's Beard: The Oblivion Particle (InsideOut)

American progressive merchants Spock's Beard are now into their 20th year and after all these years the band are still going strong with their third singer, Enchant frontman Ted Leonard, who replaced long term singer/drummer Nick D'Virgillio, who himself replaced founder Neal Morse. Leonard has been on board since 2013's Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep and he fits into the band perfectly, Enchant themselves have the same kind of classic progressive rock sound as Spock's Beard so he was the natural choice. On this album he once again shows off his powerful almost pop-friendly vocals that croon above the intensely technical but beautifully luscious soundscapes created by founder members Alan Morse's guitar, Ryo Okumoto's huge keys, Dave Meros' dexterous bass playing and new boy Jimmy Keegan's percussion. The album deals with the a science fiction narrative based around time travel and freedom from tyranny both funky Tides Of Time and the Yes-like Minion (which is not about those yellow buggers) deal with these issues the best, using the time signature changes of of the rhythm driven by Meros' bass to keep your interested piqued, while Morse stabs heaviness and floats above deftly as Okumoto's organs over arch everything. The Yes theme continues on the acoustic pastoral Hell's Not Enough which is a lilting ballad that builds into the fantastic Bennett Built A Time Machine which is one of my favourites on this record built upon a mandolin riff with lyrics about going back in time to change your past for a better future, this track initially sounds like a throwaway but it draws you in with it's whimsical narrative. As the album progresses the final parts get longer and heavier with trio of the atmospheric A Better Way To Fly, the jaunty classically influenced The Center Line and the guitar driven To Be Free all clocking in at over 6 minutes showing off this band's obvious talent. You don't me to tell you how good this twelfth album is, if you are a fan of 'proper' progressive rock the you' will love, those who aren't will avoid it like the plague luckily I'm in the former and I'm going to play it again! 9/10

With The Dead: With The Dead (Rise Above Records)

With The Dead are the new project from original Electric Wizard rhythm section Tim Bagshaw and Mark Greening, now that really tells you all you need to know about this EP as the British Doom legends are imprinted all over this record. Bagshaw provides the fuzzy, hissing distorted guitars and droning, buzzing bass that supply the thick as syrup riffs that boom as Greening pounds through the discord crashing cymbals and thumping the drums bringing the crushing ominous rhythm that Electric Wizard have always relied upon. The six songs on this album are blood-curdling, formidable and heavy as hell with the record building from the percussive and rumbling Crown Of Burning Stars through the Sabbath-like bounce of The Cross, the atmospheric stoner metal of Nephthys which sounds a lot like Orange Goblin at their most doom laden, before ending with the double header of the woozy I Am The Virus and the leviathan final track Screams From My Own Grave. As I've said the band features two former members of Electric Wizard but they are not the only veterans in this band as the satanic vocals are supplied by former Cathedral man (and Rise Above boss) Lee Dorrian who once again wakes the dead with his roars on Living With The Dead, which has trademark snippets of old movies to throw you off guard as the riff smashes you in the head. Yes the band sound a lot like Electric Wizard, and indeed Cathedral in moments, however can you accuse a band of plagiarism if the members have been in said band? As you mull this put on With The Dead I'm sure it'll help you think, or spin you out into a drug induced binge, but with music like this either is good! 8/10

Satan: Atom By Atom (Listenable)

After their comeback in 2013 with Life Sentence NWOBHM also-rans Satan have been in demand at festivals and have toured more than ever, they have also got around to writing and recording their fourth, yes fourth, record. Atom By Atom builds on the comeback yet again combining razor sharp proto-thrash riffs, stomping rhythms and Brain Ross's shrieking vocals, which are the first things you hear on Farewell Evolution before the shredding guitars blast along as Sean Taylors drums gallop with aplomb. Where as Life Sentence saw the band coming back after 26 years to blow away any doubts that they were doomed to languish in the what if? pile by creating a strong, accomplished record that was as modern as it was retro. On Atom By Atom the band have cemented this idea by crafting 10 strong tracks of British heavy metal, that move and twist like those dark figures Bruce sang about brining to mind fellow NWOBHM resurgents HELL, the songs are not linear pliling as many riffs as they can into every track as Steve Ramsey and Russ Tippins duelling with every melodic passage, lead break and crunchy rhythm, tracks like Fallen Saviour, The Devil's Infantry are the real neck snappers forcing you to band your head and will cause pits in the live setting, Graeme English's bass gets highlighted on the very old school Ruination and the title track does have a whiff of Anvil about it. Still this is quality British metal at it's core with superior tracks like Ahriman excellent The Fall Of Persephone being two of the best on the record. Put it on and turn it up Satan are here to stay! 8/10

Antimatter: The Judas Table (Prophecy Productions)

Melancholic moods, gothic atmosphere and delicate themes feature heavily in the sixth release by Liverpool’s Antimatter, the long term project of singer/Songwriter Mick Moss who has used a revolving door of musicians throughout the years. According to the band’s website, The Judas Table is a ‘concept album exploring the residual bad energy left in the psyche after falling in and out of a relationship with a toxic personality’ as well as examining the ‘driving force behind betrayal, lies and manipulation …’ So there you are then. No songs about Satan or hot dogs (What?-Ed)on this album.

It is a fantastic album, beautifully constructed with complex sounds, drum beats and haunting piano/keyboards underpinning Moss’s excellent song writing skills. The Roxy Music infused Killer is one of the standout tracks, along with the gentle Comrades which features a background string section and a sole acoustic guitar before slowly increasing the tempo ever so slightly. In fact, every track is crafted to the highest quality, with the musicianship superb, instruments connecting almost symbiotically. Hole is stunning, emotional and powerful but so simple in composition. The title track The Judas Table would sit comfortably on any of Anathema's recent works (and I really apologise for this as I know the Anathema connection haunts Antimatter thanks to former member Duncan Patterson’s tenure with both). The Judas Table is an album that demands repeated listens, and is clever and complex yet is also accessible at first listen. The Judas Table is another excellent release from one of rock music’s most intriguing and gifted artists. 9/10

Sadist: Hyena (Scarlet Records)

Technical death metal? Progressive metal? Yes, both of these genres pulse through the veins of Hyena, the latest release from Genoa’s death merchants Sadist. Formed in 1991, they split in 2000 and reformed in 2005. Hyena is their seventh album and it’s a pretty crazy ride. Flutes, keyboards, blast beats and death growls combine with more traditional crunching guitar riffage and 100mph pace. All kinds of influences thread through Hyena, from the Jethro Tull/Opeth fusion of opener The Lonely Mountain to the eccentric and chaotic Dream Theater on steroids track The Devil Riding the Evil Steed, complete with what sounds like Arabic narrative in the middle. Every track waxes and wanes, changing direction numerous times during each song. Gadawan Kura is a mellow, gentle instrumental, sandwiched between the much more aggressive Scavenger and the Thief And EternalEnemies before the manic African Devourers throws jazz and avant-garde breakdowns into the mix.

There is more than a dash of nu-metal thrown into the Sadist mix, providing yet another element to an already crowded and increasingly randomly constructed release. Closing with the lovingly entitled Genital Mask, complete with African drums, I've come to the conclusion that Sadist are exactly that; torturing my ears with some of the most complex, eccentric and eclectic metal I've heard for a long time. Do I like it? Well, Tommy’s vocals are an acquired taste and do little for me but I like Steve Souza and Bobby Ellsworth’s styles and this isn't a million miles away from that. The ethnic influences that run throughout the album make it quite unique and the transfers from all out death to progressive rock work quite well. An interesting release. 7/10

Lion Shepherd: Hiraeth (Self Released)

One of the great joys about live music is the odd occasion where you manage to catch a support band that absolutely demands your attention. This happened at Riverside’s recent turn at The Marble Factory where the opening band Lion Shepherd delivered an impressive set, sufficient to persuade me to purchase Hiraeth. I wasn't disappointed. Lion Shepherd is a project by Kamil Haidar and Mateusz Owczarek and their debut release contains some quite beautiful music. An eclectic mix of ethnic fused rock, Hiraeth delivers a range of tracks that take in progressive rock, trance, blues, metal and several Eastern and world music influences. Think Orphaned Land but throw in Klone, Messenger, and even Depeche Mode, all with an Iranian twist, courtesy of guest musicians Rasm Al Mashan and Jahair Azim Irani amongst others.

Highlights include the controlled aggression of Brave New World and Smell Of War, the excitement and promise of opener Fly On, and two of my favourite tracks, the Eastern sounds of Music Box Ballerina and Lights Out. Haidar's vocals are superb, whilst the acoustic and electric guitar work of Owczarek provides exactly the right shade of light and shade for each song. The percussion of Slawek Berny and the subtle bass work of Wojciech Rucinski provide a foundation which truly allows the album to develop, captivating and transporting the listener far away. For me, Lion Shepherd and Hiraeth is the discovery of 2015; inspirational and innovative. In a year when some absolutely great pieces of work have been produced, this stands proudly alongside them. 9/10

Deathcrusher Tour: Marble Factory, Bristol

Five of the heaviest bands to walk the earth in one place? It was a given that MoM ensured a presence at the Deathcrusher tour; in fact there were several members of the crew present even though we didn’t all connect during the evening. Part of the reason for that was the sheer volume of people crammed into the Marble Factory despite the larger Motion venue being available. Sir Rhod of Moose was already wedged onto the barrier by the time we arrived. Due to logistical issues and the early start we missed the sets from Herod and Voivod but I guess in a review of this tour, you can guess what they sounded like. In fact, we arrived just as Voivod finished and to a pretty impressive reception from the crowd too.

They've been around for yonks and really hold a special place in the metal fraternity; Birmingham legends Napalm Death (7) brought their unique brand of grindcore metal to Bristol and kicked the shit out for nigh on 40 minutes which meant about 300 songs! I've never been much of a fan to be honest but watching the band provoke such a faithful reaction, I can fully understand why they do appeal. Championed by the iconic John Peel many moons ago, the band line-up has remained pretty static in recent years with sizeable bassist Shane Embury and hyperactive scream machine Barney Greenway joined by touring guitarist Erik Burke (filling in for Mitch Harris) and the powerhouse drumming of Danny Herrera. Slab after slab of aggressive flat out riffage and absolutely unintelligible vocals pretty much sum up Napalm Death for me. Of course, with many of their songs incredibly short there was plenty to go round with a handful of tracks from their latest album Apex Predator – Easy Meat thrown into the mix alongside many older classics, Suffer The Children from 1990s Harmony Corruption a particular highlight. Inevitably it was still Scum that received the biggest cheer of the evening and incited one of the most ferocious pits seen for a long while. Barney’s chatter between songs is entertaining, astute social commentary aligning the majority of the crowd’s political views if nothing else. Napalm Death continue to do what they do. All power to them.

A short turnaround and then it was time for Florida’s finest death metal merchants Obituary (8) to power through 45 minutes of brutality. Obituary, much like all the bands on the bill don’t give a fuck about anyone else. They have a sound, it pulverises you and then they leave. Opening with Red Neck Stomp, the twin guitars of Trevor Peres and lead axeman Kenny Andrews laid down their groove laden death over the rock solid foundation of Donald Tardy’s drumming and Terry Butler’s hammering bass lines. John Tardy, one of the most distinctive voices in death metal stalked the stage, snarling and spitting out his lines with venom. A couple of relative newbies from their most recent release Inked In Blood were interspersed with older cuts including an absolutely killing Bloodsoaked. Inevitably the set concluded with the anthemic Slowly We Rot, cue mass pit action and some of the best clawing of the sky seen this side of an Immortal gig. You know what you get with Obituary. They always deliver.

A huge bonus on this tour was the opportunity to see another of the bands vigorously supported by Peel, Liverpool’s forefathers of death metal, Carcass (8). An even bigger bonus was to discover that they had pegged their merchandise prices to £15 for a shirt and even better, a mere £10 for the Surgical Steel Complete Edition. Happy days! Once again, you pretty much know what you are getting with Carcass although it was interesting that the crowd had thinned slightly before they hit the stage. 1985, the intro track from Surgical Steel gave way to Unfit For Human Consumption as the combined guitar pile driving of Bill Steer and Ben Ash sliced the air, backed up by the blitz of Jeff Walker’s bass and Dan Wildings non-stop powerhouse drumming. Plenty of movement at the front of the stage as the band crashed through their catalogue, including a pretty gruesome Cadaver Pouch Conveyor System and a crushing The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills.

Walker’s vocal delivery is one of the best in death metal, although I'm never sure if he is just a cantankerous old bastard or incredibly dry with his between song banter. Maybe it’s somewhere in the middle. The set also contained a couple of old school monsters from Necrotism: Descanting The Insalubrious (including Corporal Jigsore Quandary) and a handful from the Heartwork album. An hour of Carcass leave you exhausted, like a really heavy circuit session. As Heartwork brought the curtain down on an evening of brutal intensity, the huge response from the incredibly healthy crowd indicated that despite what Gene Simmons thinks, the metal scene is further away from life support than we might have dared imagine. Death metal in particular appears alive and kicking … mainly right between the legs!

Dark Moor: Project X (Scarlet Records)

It never ceases to amaze me how many bands churn out album after album with little if no mainstream recognition. Such is the way the metal media is dominated by those with the big cheque books and high profiles, many bands just don’t stand a chance. So, with a big salute to the dogged determination, let me introduce Dark Moor, possibly Madrid’s finest (only?) neoclassical metal outfit, who have been kicking around in various shapes and forms for 22 years. Yes kids, these guys have been plying their trade longer than some of you have been alive. And to be honest that is quite amazing because Project X is one of the weirdest, brilliant and yet awful albums I've ever heard. Symphonic power metal merge to provide swirling synths, soaring guitars, galloping drums and absolutely bewildering songs. If this band were the Spanish entry for Eurovision 2016 I would not be at all surprised. Beyond The Stars is about as Eurovision as it gets; I've never heard anything quite so stomach curling in my life.

The emotive and ‘unique’ vocals of Alfred Romero are quite something whilst the big band sound that permeates some of the tracks is just bizarre; Bon Voyage has shades of Devin Townsend with choral backing, I Want To Believe makes me want to throw up whilst Existence includes just about everything apart from the kitchen sink. I have no idea what to make of this release, which is the band’s tenth. Imperial Earth has some lovely fast riffing courtesy of Enrik Garcia and builds dramatically but I have no clue as to what the band are intending. The riffs give way to some tinkling ivories before crashing back headlong on the charge. It’s all a bit dramatic with laser sound effects and some robotic narrative. Some of it is just rubbish; Gabriel for example is full of pomp and poppy overtures, samples from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and is cheesier than the Bernabeu filled with Manchego. This is just bat shit crazy: don’t get to the finale, There’s Something In The Skies– it is so triumphant, combing Barry Manilow, Queen and Blind Guardian. I shit you not. It sounds like a horrible rock opera. I bet they are loved in Spain and Germany. They aren’t going to dent the UK shores one iota. I can’t rate it. It lurches violently from 1/10 to 10/10.

Eldritch: Underlying Issues (Scarlet)

So after Madrid’s finest, we also had the opportunity to have a listen to Eldritch, a progressive power metal outfit from Italy who have been plying their trade since 1991. A combination of power and thrash metal, Underlying Issues kicks off in fine style with a rampaging opener, Changing Blood. Powerful drumming, technical guitar work and heavy riffs combined with the accessible vocals of Terence Holler. Danger Zone moves the band more towards the heavier side of Dream Theater, with some understated keyboards adding to the mix and the dual guitar work of Eugene Simone (Lead guitars and Rudj Ginanneschi. The band are anchored and steadied by the steady rhythm section of Raffahell Dridge (Drums) and Alessio Consani (Bass). Underlying Issues is technically consistent throughout; unfortunately it starts to merge into one track, with songs such as The Face I Wear and Bringer Of Hate merging into very similar songs. Holler’s vocals are a little bit marmite, with a little bit of Chester Benington in the mix along with the pomp of James LaBrie and at times it becomes a little too similar. Album closer Slowmotion K Us is a very thrashy number with some excellent playing but overall, the album is just a little repetitive with nothing that really stands out above the whole host of other bands plying their trade. 6/10

Joel Hoekstra’s 13: Dying To Live (Frontiers)

Current Whitesnake and former Night Ranger guitar man Joel Hoekstra’s latest solo album is a mighty slab of melodic rock features the impressive vocal power of Russell Allen (Symphony X) and the well-travelled Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey). Opener Say Goodbye To The Sun has Allen delivering his best RJD vocals in an up tempo gallop which sets the tone for the rest of the album perfectly. A huge spoon of sugar for many of the tracks, delivered in the best saccharine coated way which you’d expect given the numerous luminaries that Hoekstra has rubbed shoulders with over the years. Scream is absolutely perfect, high pitched harmonies on the chorus, a break down stacked with promise followed by the keyboard vs guitar interplay so beloved of bands like Rainbow. It’s cheese of the highest quality. Dying To Live has more balls, some crunching riffs and even the odd swear word whilst album closer What We Believe is an anthemic if slightly sickly vocal duet which goes on about a minute too long. Overall a high quality Melodic rock album which will undoubtedly go down well with those who like the genre. Not my cup of tea but a decent album nonetheless. 8/10

Hotei: Strangers (Spinefarm)

Tomoyasu Hotei is something of a legend in Japan he has released 15 albums that have sold millions of copies in his native country, he is a bona fide superstar in his homeland, having his music featuring in many films and shows, most notably in Kill Bill Vol 1. Since 2012 he has been firmly installed in London and because of this his 16th album Strangers is the first to be released in Europe, so are Europe ready for the Japanese virtuoso? Well on the evidence of this album the answer could be up in the air as there will be many who may not 'get' this record, it is a mix of guitar instrumentals and songs that feature guest vocalists, that move through a myriad of genres, from the industrial edge of Move It which features Richard Kruspe, to the jangling surf rock of Medusa, the electro punk of How The Cookie Crumbles which along with the bluesy Walking Through The Night have the unmistakeable pipes of Iggy Pop who weaves his dangerous magic on the songs. The songs are more than just three minute hits they are soundscapes created by a very talented musician however they do have a bit of a schizophrenic tendency as they move between the genres at a brisk pace, the orchestral dark ballad has Matt Tuck doing what he does best before the title track shows an 80's style solo instrumental that EVH himself would be proud of, before the thumping Texas Groove shows off her bar room whiskey vocals and comes off as the albums star because of it, the final three tracks are all instrumental but they add little to the album if I'm honest, unless you're a hardcore guitar fan. This album would be good if it was featured as a film soundtrack but as an independent album it's a little hit and miss, only Battle Without Honour Or Pride (the song from Kill Bill) Medusa, Walking Through The Night and Texas Groove lift this album up but they are good enough tracks to stand independently. 7/10

Earthside: A Dream In Static (Self-Released)

New Haven Connecticut's Earthside are primarily an instrumental band that play modern, progressive metallic rock that has nods to O.S.I, Liquid Tension Experiment and the more recent act Animals As Leaders; with polyrhythmic down-tuned riffs, thundering drums, technical fleet fingered bass playing and swathes of synths and electronics Earthside are very much in the 'cinematic rock' genre they claim to have created. This is an album that needs to be heard in it's entirety, it is a musical journey that is bolstered by the sharp, clear production from David Castillo (Opeth/Katatonia/Novembre) and Jens Borgen (Opeth/Soilwork/Symphony X/Devin Townsend) who immediately make their presence felt on the opening track The Closest I've Come which shows off the bass led opening of Ryan Griffin as the guitars of Jamie van Dyck dance on top and the song gets heavier with distorted rhythms meaning Griffin, van Dyck thunder along with Ben Shanbrom adding a jazz drum pattern beneath the heaviness as Frank Sacramone adds layer upon layer of keys that work in conjunction with the guitars in the flowing melodies that are driving the song along.

Now I've said that Earthside are an instrumental band but on this record they have found four guest vocalists meaning that the album is half vocal and half just the instrumentation, Tesseract's Dan Tompkins adds his impressive voice the title track which sound like it could have featured on an album by his day job. The Albums most cinematic track is Mob Mentality which has Sevendust's Lajon Witherspoon lending his soulful pipes to the track as well as an inspiring performance by the Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra to give the soundtrack to a movie yet to happen, Mob Mentality is a story in itself and is in parts breathtaking, an very emotive, the orchestra also leave their mark on the atmospheric Entering The Light with Crater is a the world away from the sound of Soilwork, mainly due to Björn Strid liberally employing his clean singing than the harsher tones he uses in his normal delivery. This record works on many levels it is immediate giving the satisfaction that many rock and metal fans will want after one play, but also it's a grower and after repeated listens it really opens into a jewel. This is an impressive debut from the American's that really shows that they have an incredible talent. 9/10

Gama Bomb: Untouchable Glory (AFM) [Review By Paul]

Northern Irish thrash at 150mph? Yep, it must be Gama Bomb blasting back in your face with a no holds barred half an hour of crazed aggressive thrash. Back in the race after 2013’s The Terror Tapes, Gama Bomb get through this album quicker than I can drink my first pint on a night out (and we all know the first one doesn't count). I’ve seen these guys a couple of times over the years and they really have improved. Technically Untouchable Glory is excellent, with some vicious axe work courtesy of John Roche and lead axe man Domo Dixon. The humour remains; see Drinkers Inc, which demonstrates the tightness of Joey McGuigan’s bass and Paul Caffrey’s ferocious drumming. Philly Byrne’s vocal delivery is exactly what you want with a thrash outfit. He can hit the notes but maintains a steady yet honest approach which adds in all areas. My Evil Eye is one wild ride, huge riffs and a battering assault which to be honest, never lets up. You want some stomping Anthrax thrash? Check out the serious nature of Tuck Your T-shirt In, a topic of some concern in today’s society. Gama Bomb’s blueprint is pretty straightforward. Three minutes, accelerate to break neck speed, thrash the nuts out of it, move onto the next one. Repeat. It works for me. I ♥ thrash. 8/10

Starblind: Dying Son (Pure Steel Records) [Review By Paul]

Sometimes you just have to call it as you hear it. The sophomore release from Stockholm’s classic metal outfit Starblind is decimated by two absolutely massive elephants in the room. One, Mike Stark cannot sing. His combination of Geoff Tate, Kai Hansen and Bruce Dickinson is at times just painful. Second; if you are going to absolutely plagiarise a band’s sound then pick one that is slightly more obscure than Iron fucking Maiden. The playing is absolutely fine. Unfortunately at times I actually thought it was Maiden. Of course, that’s when Starblind weren’t doing Helloween circa 1987. Oh, and thirdly, Mike Stark cannot sing. Seven minute “epic” Firestone, for example, is completely crucified by his screeching and wailing. Oh, and your cover is pretty dismal too. 3/10

Def Leppard: Def Leppard (Bludgeon Riffola/earMUSIC)

Paul is going to hate this album, I can tell you that for a fact, thus why I'm going to review it instead. Each to their own and that, but I've never hated Sheffield's big boys of rock, I think they have left an indelible mark on British rock music as they are one of the few Transatlantic successes, exploding across the ocean before hitting it big here, they were originally lumped in with the NWOBHM scene but upon the release of Hysteria they became the pomp-powered rock superstars they are today. But enough of the history lesson, better men than me have chronicled the bands history in a more interesting and detailed way than me. Back to the music and it's been a fair few years since their previous album Songs From The Sparkle Lounge, 7 to be exact, this gap may be due to guitarists Viv Campbell's battle with cancer, but also it might be due to the fact the band wanted to create the best album they can. So has their eleventh album achieved this? Well any band that releases a self titled releases this late in their career is either harking back or reinventing their sound, happily Def Leppard are doing both writing a 'greatest hits' album with all new songs.

Let's Go is deliberately familiar with Rick Allen's electronic kickdrum leading the charge as Campbell and Collen stab the guitars for the swaggering intro that has the same wrecking ball power as Pour Some Sugar On Me's including the latter's 'boom boom yeah' refrain and a shout along chorus. Def Leppard have said that they haven't really experimented on this album but drawn from all their elements, only really Energized wriggles out of the mold with it's orchestral and hip-hop-style (stylee?) electronic drumbeat. Dangerous is cut from the same Hysteria cloth as the opener with a faster, rockier sound and the bands trademark repeating melody riff. Rick Savage's big bass starts the funky Queen-like Man Enough before we get to the first ballad (yes there are a couple, it's Leppards signature) with the excellent We Belong which has the same ringing guitars as U2 have always been partial too.

Now these are just the first four tracks and already we have crossed the entire spectrum of Leppard sounds, but on these and the 10 remaining tracks shows off his great vocals, just scratchy enough to add some balls to the rockers like Sea Of Love and All Time High, acoustic showcases like the Fab Fouresque Battle Of My Own but with a croon that warms the heart on ballads such as Last Dance which is so saccharine that it could top pancakes, he even gets help on We Belong with Campbell, Collen, Savage and Allen all taking the co-lead vocals. This album has 14 tracks but it flies by at a rate of knots, now if you hate Def Leppard then this album will do nothing for you but if you love their brand of sleek, hard rock then you will love this record with a passion. This is Def Leppard distilled and all the better for it! 9/10

Skindred: Volume (Napalm) [Review By Paul]

Newport’s finest release their sixth album containing a mighty 14 tracks, hot on the heels of 2014’s slightly disappointing Kill The Power. Musically, Volume continues their crazy fusion of metal, reggae, dub step, hip hop and ska and as you’d expect from a band who are in the top one of live experiences in the world, several anthems which are guaranteed to get the sweat dripping from the walls. Opener Under Attack, the title track and Hit The Ground contain Mikey Demus’s trademark riffage with the blitzkrieg vocal assault of Benji Webb and will kill in the live arena. Shut Ya Mouth has a really aggressive punky sound with the driving attack combining with Benji’s vicious rapping and The Healing moves slightly away from the traditional Skindred sound in a really interesting way. The album also contains three parts I, II and III which are ska influenced interludes spaced through the album. Dan Sturgess’s programming and mixing has become more prominent since 2011’s Union Black (in my opinion the best Skindred album) and throughout Volume his input into the tracks is noticeable, Sound the Siren is a good example.

Whilst Skindred are at their best when at full throttle, they have sensibly paced the album with a couple of balanced tracks which demonstrates that their song writing is being taken seriously and Saying It Now provides evidence that they are evolving. A hard edge remains but this track also allows Benji to really show how well he can sing whilst the band provide an almost U2 sound track, albeit with more riffs. The final trio of songs, the protest of No Justice, the average Stand Up and the rallying cry of Three Words bring the album to a close. Volume is a pretty solid release, stronger than Kill The Power in quality and composition. Whilst their strength remains in the live arena, compiling an arsenal of potent weapons to use in that environment is crucial and Volume had ensured that Skindred will continue to expand and grow. 8/10

Avatarium: The Girl With The Raven Mask (Nuclear Blast) [Review By Paul]

There was little doubt that the self-titled debut from Leif Edling’s outfit was one of the releases of the year in 2013, introducing the stunning soulful voice of Jennie-Ann Smith and Marcus Jidell (Smith’s husband) on guitar. Avatarium contained many of the traits of Edling’s main outfit, the mighty Candlemass. The overall feel was of doom and despair, with a mournful, macabre yet refreshingly new feel. The highly anticipated follow up, The Girl In The Raven Mask continues in exactly the same vein, with Jidell’s production capturing the tone and atmosphere perfectly. The title track kicks off the album, crashing guitars and a real 1970s sound, Carl Westholm’s mellotron and organ playing adding real depth both on this track and throughout the album. The Girl With The Raven Mask is a bit of a head banger for a band whose speed is usually slightly slower but I'm not complaining. It really moves along a pace with a storming guitar solo hidden in the middle. As we discovered on the debut, Smith’s voice is just amazing, sometimes almost childlike but oh so powerful and absolutely captivating.

The January Sea is a seven minute doom laden epic, with the sound crashing around likes waves breaking on the rocks. The atmosphere is enhanced once more by the huge vibrating ivories and some outstanding guitar work. Pearls And Coffins allows Smith’s vocals to take centre stage, whilst the music has a bluesy classic rock feel. Hypnotized has shades of Big Elf in its intro, a smashing drum and bass sound combining once more with huge keyboards and repetitive guitar riff, before Ghostlight casts an even darker spell. Run Killer Run opens with one of the grungiest, infectious guitar riffs I've heard in a long time, and yet again the epic keyboard playing really gives the track substance. The drumming of Lars Sköld and bass work of Elding underpin the whole album, nowhere more evident than on this track. Iron Mule has shades of Candlemass, deep and heavy resonating as the track salutes the dawn of railways.

Final track The Master Thief begins in a gentle manner, Smith’s vocals clear and resonant, a bluesy feel running through the song as it ebbs and flows towards its conclusion. The Girl With The Raven Mask is a stunning piece of work, building on the excellent debut. I'm just gutted that a paltry one UK date is included on their current European tour. May I be bold enough to suggest a headline set in the Sophie Tent at BOA next year? 9/10

Mötley Crüe/Alice Cooper: Genting Arena Birmingham

When Mötley Crüe crashed into the hard rock scene in the early 1980s, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that over 30 years later they would be packing out arenas across the world. Bringing all the glamour of LA, the girls, the hedonistic lifestyle, the drink, the drugs, the ink and the occasional fiery rock tune, to a 15 year old finding his way in life, they were from a different galaxy, let alone planet. Mötley Crüe were the epitome of Ian Drury’s sex and drugs and rock n’ roll and it was rare for a rock magazine not to feature the latest exploits of messrs Neil, Mars, Sixx and Lee.

When the band rolled into Cardiff in 1986 on the Theatre Of Pain tour, I was among 2500 crazy metal fans who witnessed some of the most over the top action that St David’s Hall has ever seen. Yes, Vince Neil couldn’t sing but the show was so captivating that it didn’t matter. Nearly 30 years later and Mötley Crüe speed towards their much publicised conclusion. Hooking up with old pal Alice Cooper for one of their four UK dates, the evening presented good value for money with two of rock’s heavy weights shaking their stuff. Of course, the final opportunity to see Mötley Crüe was also a draw.

I've seen Alice Cooper (8) several times and each time I see him I remind myself how damn good he actually is when you remove the pantomime part of his show. Tonight, heavy as hell and stripped back to the basics with a conservative number of theatrics and props, Cooper rolled out an hour of classics from his back catalogue. Our Alice nut Brett had earlier informed us that this show was part of Alice’s Raise The Dead tour which has been on the road for some time. Cooper has assembled a formidable band to support him. Long standing members Glen Sobel and bassist Chuck Garric are currently joined by the impressive fretwork of Nita Strauss, Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen.

Opening with the eerie Vincent Price narration, the band tore into Black Widow before a triple hit of No More Mr Nice Guy, Under My Wheels and I'm Eighteen got the already pumped crowd singing along. The dollars were scattered during Billion Dollar Babies and then it was time for full sing-a-long as fan favourite Poison increased the temperature. A couple of less well known tunes followed; Dirty Diamonds and the Ballad Of Dwight Fry which contained a bass and drum solo (yawn) before Nita showed her guitar prowess.

As always, no Alice show is complete without him being killed at least once and the guillotine was brought into action to take his head off as the band segued into I Love The Dead. Feed My Frankenstein saw the appearance of the monster; hammy, corny and such great entertainment with sufficient edge from the band to keep it heavy. The inevitable School’s Out with snippet of Another Brick In The Wall Part 2 brought the set to a roaring finish and a huge ovation.

Bang on time the house lights dimmed and with that the cue for one of the most ridiculously excessive stage shows ever witnessed. For the next two hours the lighting and almost constant pyrotechnics ensured that visually at least, there was not a dull moment. Mötley Crüe (9), like Kiss, have never claimed to be brilliant song writers but bloody hell do they put on a show.

Girls Girls Girls got the arena set to boiling point and Wild Side stoked the capacity crowd to even greater heights. The first pyro pots hadn't even cooled and already Nikki Sixx was stalking the stage every inch the rock star. It was feared that the other real driving force behind the band, drummer Tommy Lee might be forced to sit out some of the gigs due to his recurrent tendonitis but happily he was there, larger than life and beating the crap out of his custom kit.

An average Primal Scream led into S.O.S. with lots of singing from the crowd, as a bloated Vince Neil, supported by the rather attractive Crüe Girls Allison Kyler and Sofia Touta, crooned his way through it. Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away) followed and then it was time for Brownsville Station’s Smokin’ In The Boys Room. Despite his dodgy voice Neil remains a captivating frontman.

A bit of real riffage next with oldie Looks That Kill, the focus on the zombie like Mick Mars who maintained his ghoulish position stage left all evening apart from his venture into the centre of the stage for a truly awful guitar solo. The set pace dropped with a pretty lousy Muthafucker Of The Year, after which we were treated to a brief monologue from Nikki Sixx, greeted with a roar from the delirious crowd. A rather pointless cover of Anarchy In The UK was at least followed by the ball shattering Shout At The Devil, a track that Neil’s voice always struggles with but hey, nothing new there.

Cue Carl Orff’s O Fortuna; time for the much anticipated Tommy Lee roller coaster. I’d say that it was a drum solo except that it really wasn't but impressive and outrageous, oh yes. Lee drummed along to various rock tracks as his platform edged its way along the rails, twisting up and down, over and under. Obviously the crowd went bat shit crazy for it. The dire Mars solo followed, but then things really improved with a trio of blistering songs. First up Live Wire, then a devastatingly good Dr Feelgood and finally set closer Kickstart My Heart, which saw Neil and Sixx propelled high about the audience on separate hydraulic platforms. The set closed with an astonishing amount of pyro and the crowd ecstatic.

The encore saw Crüe decamp to an intimate set up directly behind the sound desk and complete with Tommy Lee on piano, the band closed down the evening and their last visit to Birmingham with an emotional Home Sweet Home.

Mötley Crüe has never disappointed live. I’d rarely listen to them out of choice (although they feature regularly on the play list of Planet Rock so I get more than sufficient) and I think it is fair to say that they are not in the same league musically as many of their peers; however, this was an unforgettable evening full of the over the top histrionics you’d expect. One where I am happy to say I was there.

Evil Scarecrow, Triaxis: Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiff

So yet another Evil Scarecrow gig and as is normal it was a cavalcade of laughs and downright silliness from the get go so after meeting with two of the Musipedia's good friends for a couple of drinks and some food we entered Clwb and settled in with a pint of Mws Pws Snowdonia Ale (sorry for all the Welsh folks Cymru Am Byth I'm afraid) and readied ourself for a good rocking and riotous rib-tickling.

We arrived at the venue a little too late to catch openers Franklin Mint but what we saw was a bit of psychedelic rock with some off beat vocals but their set was over far too quickly for me to make a judgement. So then as they cleared away a wait ensued, a chat with some of the bands and then the joyous sight of one Mr Brett Perry who arrived unannounced to a huge encore (from just us). Welsh metal at is finest was the order of the day from the next band who many will know are a bit special to us here at the Musipedia, Triaxis (8) stormed the stage to the now engrained opener Liberty, which has a video now attached to it, from the onset Giles drumming and Becky's bass paved the way with a thunderous assault in the backroom, on top of this was CJ rapid riffage and Glyn's sublime soloing topped by Krissie's as usual stunning vocals as the band roared through Sand And Silver, Stand Your Ground, the still brutal double hit of Victorious and Death Machine before Black Trinity finished, it was a short set gone in a flash but as always Triaxis showed how good they are, a longer set would have been nice though (still I'm sure we will be here again soon)

So another bit of a wait and it was time for the main feature, having followed Evil Scarecrow (9) almost since the beginning I love how the band have reached the lofty heights of drawing a huge crowd at Bloodstock but you are still able to see them in smaller venues like where we were tonight. With the new intro theme kicking in the band came on from the back of the crowd and with the usual fooling around at the beginning the band finally settled down and jumped straight into Rise. Now Evil Scarecrow are a parody band but musically they are always on top form even with two replacement members they didn't miss a trick. Now the replacement members were taking over guitar and keyboards for Brother Pain and Princess Luxury respectively who are on maternity leave from the band, these 'new' members were the towering undertaker Meister Klaus Von Unterschlafen who hails from Germany via Nottingham and their ivory tickler is Chucky The Bastard who must have been knackered at school the next day (joke guys). They slotted right in with Dr Hell, Kraven Moredeth and Monty Blitzfist's madness before we got the first of the bands well known fan partcipation songs with the zero gravity mosh pit in Space Dementia, which ended with some our number chanting 'sheep' as a dirty word (it's Wales folks) which led to the band unveiling new song Sheep which was just the word repeated at speed but got the loudest cheer of the night.

More crowd interaction with Dance Of The Cyclops which got us all waltzing on the beer drenched floor, yummy. Much of the set was drawn from their last album but they did throw in the odd classic in the shape of Morbid Witch (one of my favourites) and their self confessed third best song, below Sheep and the crustacean one, Robototron where the perfect robot squares were impressive. The self depreciating humour of the band is why they are endearing Dr Hell especially complaining that he was going to get the giggles and telling us to watch as he fucks up Brother Pain's solos on Galacticus. Things descended into farce at the finale of War And Seek as most the mentions of war were changed to 'sheep' which caused Dr Hell to totally and utterly fall apart on stage. After we marched during the end of the song things finished in there normal way with the band bemoaning a lack of curtain to hide behind for the encore which was the now legendary Crabulon which featured the crab himself, sans claws I might add, they were left in the van adding to the ridiculousness of the bands set. As we scuttled left and right the end finally came and yet again we were all elated, ecstatic and totally exhausted at the end but we wouldn't have it any other way. They are a superb band so go and see Evil Scarecrow if you can they are guaranteed to cure what ails you!!

Howlin' Rain & Ulysses: The Louisiana, Bristol

This was my first time in the Louisiana and it was to see a band I've always admired but I've never seen live Californian's Howlin' Rain were the band and I took two of my oldest friends for a night out in one of my favourite cities with some great bands.

Missing the first band we went upstairs for second band Ulysses (8) who I've seen before and enjoyed immensely the band merge late 60's Sgt Pepper's with the infectiousness of pop rock superstars Roy Wood, The Sweet, T-Rex all with the sublime silliness of Cheap Trick, now this isn't to say they are throwaway far from it they have enough chunky rock riffs to keep even the biggest metalhead entertained, the garish colours of the bands outfits merged perfectly with their musical influences and they took us all away on a yellow submarine of glam rock riffs. The Bath band are one that I would love to see again although I'll bring my sunglasses next time there as there is only so much retro fashion one man's eyes can take. With Ulysses getting us all feeling groovy, especially one man down the front who was smelling colours it was time for the Californians to take the stage.

Howlin Rain (10) are a band that truly embody the spirit of California they are wild free and without boundaries, musically they walk the line between freak out jam rock, Californian soft rock, hard core blues and everything in between. Frontman Ethan Miller is part Jerry Garcia, part Bruce Springsteen part Nick Cave, with Chris Cornell's vocals. Add a dash of some well travelled bluesman thrown in he is the epitome of the wild eyed mountain man bearded and slinging a guitar like a weapon before just taking the mic and becoming the minister of a rock n roll church. He is aided in his rock and roll adventure by swaggering bassist Jeff Mcelroy who wouldn't look out of place in the Allman Brothers band all flowing hair and double neck bass/guitar, he also had boundless energy jumping and flailing like man possessed by the music Miller's six string foil is the more stationary Dan Cervantes who adds the grit to Miller's gliding guitar lines. For the most part the band played loud, very very loud indeed rumbling the walls of the room and proceeded to create a cacophony of noise with lots of jamming in between, there was few kinks here and there but they were

Meet Me In The Wheat was the first song and it set the tone it is country rock to its core with the sing along chorus of "Hallelujah" turning the small room into a revivalist sermon, then they moved into a harder edged following track that rocked things up with the a slower intro that built into a wall of sound. Slowed things down with the smoky Coliseum which had a searing reverbed guitar solo from Miller who lost himself in the moment before putting down the guitar to wrap himself in the mic on the full on blues mode of Dark Side which saw him in preacher man form shouting down the mic about losing himself to a woman, before blowing his blues harp in the end of the track, from the bayou to Paris with the stream of conciousness and dreamlike Ceiling Fan that has the lyrical dexterity not seen in your usual rock band, this is a poem set to music and kudos to Miller for remembering those lyrics an reciting them verbatim.

They rocked things up with the excellent Self Made Man, which is one of the bands showcase songs on which drummer Brian "Nucci" Cantrell shows off his chops on the trippy middle section that segues into a Latin jazz part too, while the Cervantes swelled the spiralling guitar as the song reached it impressive climax, this song was as forceful as the band and get with huge riffs and enough noise to make you deaf, after Self Made Man we were told that the drum head was broken, (on the first night of the tour no less) if you saw how hard Cantrell was hitting then it was no surprise the band had to curtail their set and we were given a choice: Roll On Rusted Days or Big Red Moon to close and the hardcore fraternity in the audience chose the former which did it in fine style Roll On... rocked, rolled and jived throwing in some The Who style wig outs at the end bringing the set to a close with a bang and showing that this band are truly fantastic. This gig is not just likely to be my gig of the year, it maybe one of my top gigs ever, magnificent, come back soon!! 10/10

Gentleman's Pistols: Hustler's Row (Nuclear Blast)

After a few years away the Leeds based retro rockers come back in glorious form with yet another album of their 70's boogie rock, from a time where rockers were clad in string vests and corduroy flared trousers. With nods to Wishbone Ash, Humble Pie, Atomic Rooster and even to the proto-NWOBHM of bands such as Budgie, Gentleman's Pistols started out with a rocking and rolling debut fit for the pub scene, getting down and dirty in small venues, it was a short sharp shock to the system chock full of dual guitar melodies, boogie riffs and sweet hip shaking solos. On their second album and with a bit of shifting they managed to bring the Carcass, Napalm Death and a man who is no stranger to the sounds of the 70's with his band Firebird; Bill Steer, Steer made them a heavier prospect taking them nearer to NWOBHM sound that has infected their sound since. Since then there has been much maligned problems with the band, James Atkinson has had personal issues that have taken him away from the music scene.

However after four years they have come back with a new album and a new bassist, in the shape of man mountain Rob Threapleton (who doesn't actually play on the record, as the bass work is done by Martyn Roper) however it is only the line up that has changed as the music itself starts where the last record ended. The Searcher kicks off with a big slamming riff to get things moving at pace, in in an almost The Who-like rattle and hum and a power chord attack. The two guitars working in unison to weave some magic on the first track onwards, they are at their most evident on the Wishbone Ash style Devil's Advocate On Call, before the punky Lizzy-like Private Rendezvous keeps things filthy and flirty something that also happens on Lady Teaser and Personal Fantasy Wonderland both of which keep the tongue in cheek lady killer attitude the band have adopted since the beginning of their career. The album flies by at a killer pace with only the final title track slowing things down enough to really stop the flow but this is lazy stoner track that adds a dash of psychedelia to things in the dying throes of the record. Gentleman's Pistols are a band that are still in their infancy but with Hustler's Row they have really taken a leap forward, can't wait to see them supporting Orange Goblin next month. 8/10

RAM: Svbversvm (Metal Blade Records)

RAM are a traditional metal band from Sweden and as such they sound like loads of other traditional metal bands from Sweden, I'm talking denim and leather covered NWOBHM-aping with screeching vocals, scything guitars and chest beating anthems about metal and it's wonder. Svbversvm is their fourth album and yet again they haven't strayed from their previous album's sound, most of this album is in the Judas Priest, Accept, Exciter, Mercyful Fate mold with with similarities to fellow countrymen Wolf, Enforcer and Portrait (who RAM released a split with in 2006). The first two tracks on this album speed by in flash of guitar heroics and thrashing riffage before The Usurper has a chunky, slower feel that sounds like The Scorpions at their rockiest. This is the slowest track on the album, with the bouncy Holy Death having a Slayer vibe to it due to the doom laden style, frequent changes of pace and the explosive solo that comes out of nowhere has Kerry King written all over it. Enslaver speeds things back up, the intro Terminus moves into 80's tastic The Omega Device which could have come off Turbo Lover. RAM do what they do very well with a classic NWOBHM sound coupled with modern productions and a little bit thrash and hard rock thrown in. They've managed to make their best album yet, so if you like your metal with a nod to the past then RAM will definitely do it for you, get your high tops and bullet belts and rock out folks. 8/10

Fuel Eater: Centralia (Self Released)

The sheer wealth of metal from Greece is enough to fill a blog of it's own, much like the metal output of Sweden it seems every week another Greek band comes onto our radar here at the musipedia. Greek metal tends to come in three very distinct categories, power/traditional metal, black/death metal and stoner/doom metal, it's this last genre that Fuel Eater falls into, in fact so much so that when you listen to the crunching, crawling, sludgy King Of The Desert Utopia you'd be forgiven if you thought it was the new Down record, the four instrumental members of the band Thanos Dritsas (guitar/vocals), Vasilis Koutsompinas (drums), Marios Sen (bass) like it low, slung and heavy worshipping at the altar of Sabbath, Clutch, Kyuss, Sleep etc while the singer Gordon Kansas is doing his best Anselmo with the NOLA bile in full effect. The songs on this record are not the fastest of numbers, so thrashers may want to look away, neither are they particularly groundbreaking but his isn't the point. This album is for the riff worshipping heshers and the record is chocked full of big riffs and noodling basslines that will go very well with 'special cigarettes' of your choice. Fuel Eater couple traditional stoner rock licks with warm production and because of this they are more than worth you time Centralia is nine tracks of thunderous stoner groove with 9 minute spacey Rainfall Redemption splitting the album well. Fuel Eater are yet another quality band from Greece if you love your riffs then you'll love this!! 7/10

Blackberry Smoke: 02 Forum, Kentish Town, London

Our recent gigs have thrown up some pretty impressive supporting acts that have enhanced the experience and generally made the overall experience even more entertaining. The challenge for any support act is to win over an often partisan crowd. During AC/DC’s epic show at Wembley stadium in July, Vintage Trouble, a band who has scored notable conversions throughout the world had to work incredibly hard to garner a reaction from the diehards who were there for just one band. The Record Company (9) from California had no such trouble in their opening role for Blackberry Smoke. Hitting the stage to an already packed Forum, the three piece packed incredible energy into their 40 minutes with some of the most enthusiastic blues based rock ‘n’ roll seen for a long time. The crowd reaction said it all with increasingly vociferous responses as their short set progressed. Led by the hyperactive Chris Vos on vocals, guitar, slide guitar and incredible lap steel, the band powered through some of their raw almost punk infused numbers from their early EPs and a couple of tunes from their forthcoming debut album, out in February 2016. Alongside Vos, Alex Stiff with his dirty distorted bass and drummer Marc Cazorla maintained a steady rhythm which allowed Vos to shine. Some of his playing was quite stunning and the man is no slouch on the harmonica either. When he wasn’t sat on his stool he was running around the stage, cajoling and spinning like a man possessed. At times the band looked slightly overwhelmed by the massive response, with Vos continually expressing genuine gratitude to the sold out crowd. As the crowd rushed to snap up the final copies of their releases at the merchandise tables, it is clear that The Record Company are a band that will definitely require further watching in 2016.

Few bands seem to be on tour as often as Blackberry Smoke (10). (In fact, only Vintage Trouble appears on the road with more regularity). Our first sighting of the Southern Country Rock outfit came almost exactly a year ago in the cramped confines of the Institute in Birmingham where the band provided an exhibition in top drawer rock ‘n’ roll. A year later, with February’s excellent Holding All The Roses no longer considered a new album, the band looked confident, relaxed and polished in the much bigger surroundings of The Forum as they smoothly manoeuvred through a 22 song set. They have clearly reaped the benefits of their road time, particularly their recent US tour with the mighty ZZ Top. With five albums behind them, the band chose to focus more on their recent music with 15 of the tracks featured coming from Holding All The Roses and 2012’s The Whippoorwill. Opening with the foot stomping Leave A Scar, the incidental chatter was kept to a minimum as the ‘Smoke let their music do the talking. In fact, I think it wasn't until the beautifully crafted Pretty Little Lie had concluded that front man and main focus Charlie Starr even said “hello”. To be honest, this didn't bother the ecstatic crowd in the slightest, as Blackberry Smoke in full flow is an absolute delight to watch. The interaction between the band is noticeable with huge smiles from guitarist Paul Jackson and keyboardist Brandon Still particularly warming. Elsewhere the ‘Smoke sound is underpinned by the bass and drumming of Richard and Brit Turner which allows Starr to humbly demonstrate that not only is he a superb singer but also a smoking hot axe man.

The band has an affinity with Led Zeppelin and Sleeping Dogs contained a smart segue into Your Time Is Gonna Come. It’s not all heads down rock ‘n’ roll though and as the pace slowed the beautifully crafted title track from 2012’s The Whippoorwill and the sentimental One Horse Town demonstrated that this band is not a one trick pony (What you did there...I see it - Ed). Finishing their main set with Holding All The Roses and the infectious Shake Your Magnolia, the crowd was baying for more. The band duly obliged, with Too High followed by a fine version of The Rover (their cover for the Mojo CD earlier this year) before Ain't Much Left Of Me brought an excellent evening to an end. I looked at my review from last year before writing this. My concluding remarks then were “Blackberry Smoke has the confidence and ability to be headlining much bigger venues that this in years to come”. I rest my case.

Snakecharmer The Globe

Decisions made on impulse can often turn into a disaster. A bad food choice, the wrong turn on a road trip, you get the picture. However, occasionally they turn out to be absolute genius. The cancellation of a business trip allowed me to head for one of our favourite venues, The Globe in Cardiff for a night of bluesy rock ‘n’ roll. A quick pint and catch up with Matt and we headed into the venue at 7:45 pm, and not a minute too late as support act Bad Touch from Dereham, Norfolk, were already into their stride. I’d seen these guys at Download last year and their classic hard rock fused with a blues undertone really was enjoyable then. Well, the band have improved beyond recognition and despite the cramped stage (mainly Harry James’ drum kit) they put in a most excellent shift. Bad Touch have released their debut album (Half Way Home) this year (damn good it is too) and they treated us to a selection of tracks over the 45 minute set. Chunky riffs, catchy hooks and visually stimulating, their combination of Black Crowes, Zeppelin, The Answer and a pinch of Aerosmith proved a hit with the growing crowd. The bizarre dancing of one member of the audience provided much amusement but also some trepidation and as a result there was a wide space around said whirling fan, leaving the majority of the audience somewhat penned towards the middle and back of the floor. Bad Touch paced their set well, with the rockier Wise Water mixing with the bluesy soulful numbers such as Half Way Home and No Excuse. The tongue in cheek Good On Me (The Jeans Song) showed the band’s humorous side but these guys are no joke with some superb guitar work from Rob Glendinning on display throughout the evening. Drummer George Drewery not only laid down the backbeat with bassist Bailey but also had the voice to provide supporting backing vocals. Stage right Seeks provided the rhythm whilst front and centre the captivating voice of front man Stevie, also displaying quality skills on the harmonica and tambourine, demonstrated that Bad Touch are a band with strength in every department. 8/10

For those of us around in the late 1970s and early 1980s, there was no band who could touch the combined power of David Coverdale and Whitesnake. Their blues based, soulful hard rock provided some of rock’s most enduring anthems and their 1981 headline set at Donington was legendary. Over 30 years on, and whilst Coverdale is a shadow of his former self, surrounded by overrated American musicians, two of the original members of THAT incredible Whitesnake line up are linked once more in the superb Snakecharmer. The self-titled debut album released three years ago skilfully meshed the qualities of all involved; the stunning voice of Chris Ousey, the powerhouse drumming of Harry James, the fabulous keyboards of Adam Wakeman, understated but vital bass lines of Neil Murray and the double guitar of Laurie Wisefield and Micky Moody. Having seen the band at the Steehouse Festival in 2013, I was keen to see them again and they did not disappoint.

Opening with a couple of tracks from the album, Guilty As Charged and Nothing To Lose, the band were clearly on good form as they neared the end of their UK tour. The interplay between all members was a joy to watch, true professionals going about their craft with real love and enjoyment. Murray has always maintained a low stage presence, but his occasional invitation to the crowd to clap or sing along was always received positively. Of course, the man is a master of the bass guitar and he made it look pretty simple as he kept time with the quite awesome Thunder sticksman Harry James. The set was liberally sprinkled with some of Whitesnake’s classic tracks, the highlight for me a beautiful Ain’t Gonna Cry No More. A rousing Ready An’ Willing got the crowd singing along before a couple more tracks from the album including the tender Falling Leaves slowed the pace. This really is a super group of a band and although the spot light often falls on Moody’s incredible slide guitar work (magnificent solo included) he is matched note for note by the former Wishbone Ash man Wisefield. The spotlight doesn't stay in one place for long with Snakecharmer, and Ousey’s powerful and soulful vocals really does add to all the material. A sing-a-long of Here I Go Again in particular allowed him to demonstrate his quality as a frontman whilst there were several opportunities for Adam Wakeman, son of Rick but more formidably Ozzy Ozbourne’s keyboard player for the past seven years to really show what a gifted musician he is. The band closed with My Angel, the first track on the album and Here I Go Again before a deserved encore of Fool For Your Lovin’ brought an excellent evening to a close at the civilised time of 10:30pm, which judging by the demographic was about right. If you like your rock with a large dose of proper blues, then catch Snakecharmer. They won’t disappoint you. 9/10

Devil You Know: They Bleed Red (Nuclear Blast)

Howard Jones was always the part of Killswitch Engage that I could tolerate both on record and live, he always seemed a little out of place, almost like he was filling in for Jesse Leach, until his eventual return. He always seemed at odds with Adam D's more irreverent style and the bands metalcore by numbers shtick. Jones' excellent vocals were meant for so much more than this and when the first Devil You Know album came out the it wasn't the break away it should have been, however on this second record the gloves are well an truly off, the band have branched out a bit expanding their sound from the metalcore styling of the debut, with thrash, djent and even hard rock, but its the brutal blast beats that kick this album off with Consume The Dead having the super fast introduction to the album before the shout along breakdown stomp of The Way We Die and Your Last Breath takes things back to the debut.

Stay Of Execution is a modern technical track with some searing guitar work from Francesco Artusato and the impressive vocal range of Jones crooning and screaming in equal measure, with some great metal on show throughout the band expertly blend heaviness, aggression and melody, the thrash-like Shattered Silence will incite mighty pits with its furious explosive delivery, a track that is at odds to the following song Let The Pain Take Hold which is a ballad of epic proportions that has Jones singing his heart out. In fact you get a lot of bang for your buck on this record as it clocks in at a hefty 14 tracks, including a cover of Survivor's Eye Of The Tiger which as you might imagine is as madcap as his previous band's famous cover of Holy Diver. This is an album that will hopefully win people over, but there will still be some that don't like the American metal style but for fans of Jones and especially fans of Killswitch this album will tick all the boxes, in fact it's better than the last few Killswitch albums. 8/10

Waken Eyes: Exodus (Ulterium Music)

Many of you may be unaware of Tom Frelek and yes he is a relative unknown but he is the brains behind Waken Eyes writing the bulk of it and also contributing guitars and keys to this the bands debut record. Now let's get this out of the way now Frelek is a superb musician and one that can perfectly supply top quality progressive metal his guitar playing is classically influenced and virtuoso at times with Michael Romeo, John Petrucci, Paul Gilbert all springing to mind as Frelek melts the fretboard with sensational precision riffage and explosive soloing. Now obviously Frelek needed a band for this album so he recruited a rhythm section that are as musically gifted as he is; on bass he has Michael Romeo's foil in Symphony X Mike LePond and on drums he has Paul Gilbert and Steven Wilson sticksman Marco Minnemann, so with the instrumental section so strong the pressure was on to find a vocalist that could stand up with the best in the progressive metal, well Frelek has done brilliantly with Henrik Båth who sings in his own prog/power metal band Darkwater, now I love Darkwater and a lot of this love comes due to Båth's incredible booming croon.

He sings with real passion and power and suits this albums progressive and conceptual nature, Frelek says the album is about "being fearless and every song has something to do about fearlessness. The theme came from the struggles of everyday life that everyone deals with. How people, emotions, media, governments can enforce fear upon you to make you think a certain way to more or less control you." which leads to intelligent, emotive lyricism as well as impressive, stirring musical pieces, that pack as much intelligent playing into them as possible as only the album ending title track clocks in at over 10 minutes. Cognition starts things off with just a simple piano and Minnemann's drums before Abberation weaves it's magic as Båth gives breathy delivery and the instrumentation builds as it speeds up in the middle section, the doomy Deafening Thoughts comes next and Back To Life has classical acoustics that are prime Dream Theater. This album was sold to me as prog metal but it's not really, yes the guitars crunch when need to but for the most part this is prog rock, the metal does come thick and fast with jazz-like bass rhythms on Palisades which bursts into a Maiden style gallop, however for the most part it's prime prog rock with metallic touches throughout. With brilliant album stuffed full of songs that will take you on a journey into sublime musicianship Waken Eyes are a great progressive band that should be at the top of the list for all fans of intricate progressive music. 9/10

Stormbringer: Blood & Rust (Transcend Music)

Northamptonshire rockers Stormbringer were formed in 2011 by ex Viking Skull and DeadEye guitarist Dom Wallace and Ash Smith guitarist of Nekkrosis they set about recruiting Jon Paul Quantrill on drums and Darren McCullagh on bass and releasing their debut MMXIII (in 2012 surprisingly) which went on to get them numerous tours plus performances at Download and Bloodstock. Since the debut though they lost their original singer but have found replacement for this sophomore album in the shape of Jimi Brown. Now Stormbringer play metallic hard rock, so all the hooks and fist pumping of a hard rock band like Buckcherry and Slash but with the metallic edge of Metallica. This means that the band sound a lot like Bullet For My Valentine and even one of my favourites New Device mainly due to Brown's vocal delivery. The instrumental title track starts things off before No Redemption mixes Maiden with KISS and Rise is deep in the realms of Matt Tuck and co with a thundering riff and the dark/light balance that BFMV have always struck well.

This album is very, very good the band all play their instruments with passion and fire, the rollicking Bad Blood is for this as it evokes the sleaze style of Josh Todd and co, while Unto Me is chugging dirty rocker with some bile stored up before Ashamed shows Quantrill and McCullagh's destructive rhythm section, while joining it with rumbling groove. As I said the band are metallic hard rock with the guts of rock band and the aggression of a metal band, with radio bothering tunes like the powerful No Return which could have come off any of the four Alter Bridge albums with it's huge riff, concise soaring solo and Brown's Kennedy-like vocals. This is modern hard rock at it's best and Stormbringer could become the British heirs to the American's radio-rock throne and to be honest any band that ends an album with a supercharged cover of Talking Heads'Psychokiller is all right in my book. Lets hope this album will break them as it draws from a wide range of influences and shows exactly what the band can do on record and hints to their live arena power! Almost guaranteed to be on many year end lists! 10/10

Scorpions & Europe: Zenith Arena, Lille, France 21 November 2015

Due in part to the frustrating lack of shows in the UK, the rare opportunity to attend a European gig combined with the venue being a mere 1.5 hours from Brett’s super flat in Hesdin meant that several months ago we purchased tickets to see the Scorpions in Lille, France. Little did we know at that time how poignant any rock gig in France was going to turn out to be as a result of the tragic events in Paris only a week earlier.

It was freezing and very wet in Lille when we arrived, traffic was typically French, i.e. utter carnage and so we dumped the car on the side of the road opposite the venue and spent a couple of hours ducking the showers in the better than expected city centre before heading for the Arena about 40 minutes before show time. A sell-out crowd was already patiently filling the 4500 capacity venue, and we warmed ourselves whilst waiting for Europe to arrive. Although the crowd provided the Swedes with an ecstatic welcome, I found myself wondering if this was more to do with the limited opportunity to see bands in Lille or just the demographic of the audience. Opening with a ponderous War Of Kings, Europe (5) plodded through a 40 minute eight song set which was just plain dull. Front man Joey Tempest may be well preserved, with a set of teeth to rival Jon Bon Jovi but if there was ever a rock equivalent to Cliff Richard, then boy is he it. Hole In My Pocket, Superstitious and a slight increased pace with Scream Of Anger came and went, the French crowd loving it whilst the band appeared to be going through the motions. Tempest wandered around the stage, waving to the crowd when not singing. A cringe worthy Carrie was followed by Rock The Night which at least got the tempo moving. The rockier Days Of Rock ‘n’ Roll, which has received a large amount of air time on Planet Rock pricked the interest before the inevitable karaoke moment and 'that' bloody song. Leaving to a rapturous reception, I was less than enthused and left pondering what all the fuss was about. How this lot headlined BOA in 2009 is beyond me.

However the evening got a damn sight better shortly after 9:30pm as the huge curtain with the Return To Forever album cover on it dropped to the floor and the Germanic assault of the Scorpions (9) commenced. Hitting the stage running and not stopping for most of the evening, the band belied their age with a 17 song set that lasted over an hour and a half. Going Out With a Bang segued into one of my favourite tracks, the riff laden Make It Real. Rudy Schenker was already running all over the place whilst Klaus Meine's vocals were on top form. A broody The Zoo maintained the momentum, with lead guitarist Mathias Jabs using the talkbox to great effect. Coast To Coast allowed the band to demonstrate its musical muscle, with Jabs showcasing some excellent lead work. Perched high above the stage, the mental James Kottack hammered the shit out of his kit whilst Paweł Mąciwoda laid the bass lines. Although only three of the band are German, it was typical Teutonic efficiency which underpinned the show. Polished, crafted and self –indulgent, the Scorpions really enjoy their work with massive grins throughout the evening.

I've seen this band a couple of times before, notably at 1986’s Monsters Of Rock and they never fail to put on a tremendous show. An impressive light show, changing back screens which also provided some close up focus on each member of the band, but mostly some classic tunes. A montage of tracks from the 1970s made me very happy, with a run through of Top Of The Bill/Steamrock Fever/Speedy’s Coming/Catch Your Train before the recent single We Built This House steered the band towards the emotional part of the evening.

Obviously events in Paris were on the lips of everyone present, and the Scorpions played it sublimely with a sensitive tricolour backdrop earlier in the set and then, during the acoustic set, a silhouette of the Eiffel Tower again with the blue, white and red on the screen as they played Always Somewhere, Eye Of The Storm and a beautiful Send Me An Angel which brought a lump to the throat. Although I hate Wind Of Change, the audience participation was moving and not a person in the house failed to join in (yes, even I hummed along folks). After that it was heads down rock all the way, with Rock ‘n’ Roll Band and a ball breaking Dynamite leading the charge. Kottack’s drum solo was reasonably entertaining, being conducted from high above the stage with his platform suspended by cables. Much more entertaining was a blistering Blackout before Big City Nights closed the main set and saw the band take their time to leave the stage, milking the applause. A deep breath was required for the encore; first up the delicious Still Loving You before the inevitable Rock You Like a Hurricane concluded a fantastic evening. The crowd were respectful, engaged and interestingly for an old fart like me, more interested in watching and listening than heading to the bar every ten minutes. A pleasant change, an incredible performance from the Scorpions and if this is their final tour, a fitting conclusion to a brilliant band.

Triaxis, One Machine, Krysthla, Bull Riff Stampede, The Tunnels Bristol

Now here's a novel idea, get four of the best bands in the UK scene, give them 45 minutes to play each and charge the punter £10. This was the idea of this event in The Tunnels in Bristol, essentially you get four headlining sets from the bands, running order was decided on the night, meaning that there was less a headliner more closer. I intrepidly made my way solo to the venue, that is under Bristol Temple Meads station, for what would turn out to be the best entertainment of the night (the WWE Survivor Series PPV that I rushed post gig to watch left much to be desired). A D.I.Y mini-fest that showed how talented and indeed diverse the current underground metal scene is.

So into the venue just as Bull Riff Stampede (8) were kicking off with maelstrom of riffs, their blackend death/thrash assault was enough to get your head banging vigorously, letting you forget about the cold outside. The kick drums of James furiously blitzkreiged behind the insanely speedy riffs of Rod (bass), Jay (Guitar) and Dave (Guitar) and as the sped up and down the fretboards soloing and riffing wildly Dave also screamed his head off giving the band a sound akin to Kreator, Carcass, and Sepultura. This is dark violent thrash that is made to cause circle pits and it was a hell of way to kick off the night as Bull Riff Stampede didn't let up once constantly bombarding the crowd with riff after thrash metal riff. As their set drew to an end those that were in attendance were breathless as BRS set about destroying the stage one more time before they said their final goodbye.

As BRS finished we come to the one point that was the major bone of contention for me, this was the crowd size. I was disappointed with it to be honest, yes I know it was a school night and by the time the night was coming to a close the number had increased but for most of the night the venue was half empty and although it was heartening to see that there were a few hardcore punters (most of whom were young) that were around from the very beginning, in my opinion there could have been more with quality of the bands on offer, still no need to dwell on this as the whole night was bit D.I.Y which gave it it's charm and for any band to draw a crowd through self-promotion of the gig is good in these days of wallet watching.

With the changeover complete it was time for band number 2, this time it was Northamptonshire based brutality, I reviewed this bands debut earlier this year and it blew me away with it's sheer force, so I was excited to see how these songs translated live. Well Krysthla (8) managed to live up to my expectations, in fact I'm pretty sure I could have the band on an assault and battery charge as from the first note the band beat the hell out of the gathered meat bags in the room. The band contains former members of Gutworm and they retain the previous bands spleen rumbling heaviness based around the low and heavy rhythm section of Wayne and Carl (drums and bass), Krysthla are a band reliant on their ear-splitting rhythm section in their extreme groove laden death thrash, On top of the dulcet backline Noel Davis riffs like a mutha...while remaining perfectly still throughout, transfixed on trying to make ear drums bleed as Neil Hudson adds the extra riffs and squealing lead breaks. With all the music being so uncompromising the band need a vocalist that is no wallflower luckily Adi is no such thing he's wild mountain of front man with voice from the bowels of the deepest hell, his roar will give you a stomach-ache it's so low and visceral. Krysthla managed to step things up after BRS warmed everyone up by, beating everyone down with their Gojira meets LOG style of metal.

Another changeover and the part organizers One Machine (8) took to the stage, now One Machine features Steve Smyth who formally played the riffs in Forbidden and Testament so you can probably guess what they sound like this is thrash metal played with a modern technical edge think latter Forbidden or even Nevermore, especially due to Chris Hawkins expansive vocals that move from a growl to a shriek effortlessly. The bands syncopated riffage is fantastic with Jamie Hunt working in tandem with Smyth perfectly, while the boiler room of Stefano Selvatico's basslines and the drummers (who's name escapes me I'm afraid) lay down a heavy thrash groove with loads of technicality. Smyth looked like he was having a ball on stage as he rocked out on the left side of stage while Hunt mirrored him on the right and Hawkins stomped around in the middle, there was a few gaps for tuning etc but that just meant Chris could talk bollocks (something he is good at) before they ploughed into another great song. If you like your metal thrashy with a modern edge One Machine will be right up your alley, check them out supporting Overkill in Bristol next year, you won't be disappointed.

So finally the last changeover and while the set up was taking place (things were running late not like anyone cared) One Machine's Chris was acting as compare talking yet more bollocks before a slice of Welsh metal started with the melodic build of Liberty and once again I was deep in the realms of Triaxis (8) this new track is the perfect opener with all the power of Maiden and the heads down riffage of Megadeth, the set list was a tried an tested one with Sand & Silver coming next speeding up things even more as CJ and Glyn traded riffs Becky galloped (and howled on Stand Your Ground, the wolf impression gets better every time) meanwhile Giles once again obliterated his kit, Stand Your Ground came next and it's rockier feel showed off Krissie's amazing vocals. I've reviewed Triaxis a lot now but they maintain a quality at every gig they (and all the bands at this gig) exude a confidence that seems to seep out of every pore. Victorious/Death Machine came again towards the end of the set and even after being played at every gig for nearly a year they still sound fresh and powerful with Krissie going full Imperator on the historical themed tracks. Triaxis ended the set with the debut single Black Trinity which got all the heads nodding fiercely. So that was that and they wrapped up, however they had one more surprise in store, the final song was cover but not Maiden as anyone who has followed the band knows they are fond of, no this was a shot at the Man On The Silver Mountain himself with an excellent version of Rainbow's Stargazer which engaged the mass sing along.

A perfect end to a fantastic night supporting the underground and local metal scene in the UK, it also went forward to proving a theory I've had for a while, the bands are out there, it's the audience that just need to reciprocate. Don't moan that no one plays your town, go to the bands where they play, you'll be helping them out, you might discover a new favourite and you'll have a damn good time. well done on everyone involved for this event, let's do it again yeah?

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A View From The Back Of The Room: Triaxis, One Machine, Krysthla, Bull Riff Stampede