Musipedia Of Metal

Tiles: Pretending 2 Run (The Laser's Edge)

If you've never heard of Detroit natives Tiles before then get your head around these figures, Pretending 2 Run is their first studio album in 8 years, their sixth overall, it clocks in at massive 92 minutes over two discs, it was produced by long-time Rush producer Terry Brown and has the artwork designed by Hugh Syme who has also worked with the legendary Canadian band. Now if all of this doesn't scream prog then I'm afraid you are reading the wrong blog, Tiles are most definitely a prog band and one that I first was aware of on their last album Fly Paper (which had Alex Lifeson playing on it) since then I have worked retrospectively through their discography and I have gained a higher appreciation for their talent as a band. So it was with a lot of excitement that found out that they were finally releasing their follow up to Fly Paper. Tiles have always struck me as a mixture of Rush and Dream Theater, so they are following the age old tradition of prog double albums, due to the records length and varying styles there is always room for guests and Pretending 2 Run is no different with Jethro Tull mainman Ian Anderson, ex-Dream Theater/Winery Dog/Flying Colours man Mike Portnoy and his son Max, jazz guitarist Mike Stern, vocals from long term contributor Matthew Parmenter, bass from former Tiles and Artension man Kevin Chown, extra synths and programming from Steven Wilson alumni Colin Edwin and Adam Holzman as well as a string section and a choir to really add to the bombastic nature of this record.

Still with all the additional help on this record to give it the huge sound it needs to really create a soundscape, it's the four members of the band that work the hardest with Jeff Whittle and Chris Herin the major factors to the sound Whittle providing the intricate, jazz infected bass work, Herin the soaring guitar melodies, deft acoustics and towering solos with both of them sharing the keys (Herin also gives us a blast of trumpet too). Accompanying the two guitars is the impressive percussive talent of Mike Evans who is every song's anchor playing in such a way that when Portnoy takes over on Stonewall and Fait Accompli unless you know that it is him playing you wouldn't be aware, Evans is great drummer in his own right channeling Jazz and rock into his playing as well as the obvious nods to Peart. Finally once again Tiles' vocalist Paul Rarick gets to impress with his vocal power and his wide range that has elements of James La Brie but with a broader scope to it.

The first disc doesn't ease you in, immediately you are confronted by complex instrumental pieces, rapid stylistic changes, dense levels of instrumentation, with the slow burning title track building up into the more Eastern influenced Shelter In Place and the classic rock of Stonewall. There are French inserts throughout linking things together meaning you really have to listen to the album to appreciate it, Drops Of Rain has a Beatles/Cheap Trick sound with a lot of cymbals, walking bassline and poppy guitars, this is juxtaposed with the previous instrumental the rougher Voir Dire and leads into the impressive 10 minute plus Taken By Surprise which is followed Refugium which can only be described as Chamber Music, then the first disc ends with Small Fire Burning and the listener has already run a gamut of sounds before even getting to the more free flowing second album.

With the first being more like a classic Tiles record, the second has more tracks at shorter lengths, meaning there is more of collective sound as one song segues into the next, with intermezzos and transitions the order of the day. It starts with the Afro-beat Midwinter which builds traditional wind instruments on top of dark electro, much like the pre and post So Peter Gabriel sound, second song Weightless is the longest song on the second disc and brings the King Crimson-like prog vibe with the liberal use of sax abound and a huge chorus, while Battle Weary is a more laid back folky affair, Meditatio is another chamber song that moves into a bubbling synth track that explodes into the ELP-style The Disappearing Floor. Pretending 2 Run is a progressive masterpiece, it may be overwhelming for some but after a few listens the 90 plus minute album drip feeds you it's secrets meaning that every time you listen you hear something new and interesting, with so many great prog albums this year already, Pretending 2 Run could possibly be the best. 10/10

Eradication Festival Day 1 Friday, Fuel Rock Club

Eradication Festival has become a bit of a staple event in the Cardiff metal calendar, it tends to attract high caliber bands that are from the more extreme side of the metalsphere, this year their line up was the biggest ever with the Friday thrash dominated line up having the most well known bands. Headlined by Shrapnel and featuring Reign Of Fury, Divine Chaos and Incinery, it was perfect introduction to some of the most exciting bands on the thrash/death scene, all in one place.

The festival itself started around 1pm on the Friday but due to work constraints myself and my heavy loving buddy Lee managed to turn up just after Oakhaart (7) had kicked off, the bands progressive/techincal style metal was a breath of fresh air for those expecting thrash all day as the songs were proggy and had a clinical precision about them, their vocalist too had the best vocal of the entire night effortlessly moving from pained scream to an aggressive growl through to a powerful Warrell Dane-croon (he also sports a fine skullett) the Gloucester band's set was over before they could really get going (something that would repeat itself numerous times) but they were a strong opening.

Next up after a long set up were Birmingham thrashers Eradikator (6) who play thrash with a more modern edge blending Metallica with bands such as Machine Head and even Evile, as good as this sounds, they were let down massively by the sound of their set, every time frontman/bassist Pat Cox stepped up to the mic there was almighty feedback which at times actually hurt, this dampened my enjoyment of their set and meant that a few of the punters pulled back and retreated to the bar, this is a shame for Eradikator who I was looking froward to and when there was no feedback they sounded good, despite the guitars dropping out a few time making everything a bit bass heavy but I guess I'll just have to wait to see them again to really see how well they do.

Another changeover that was almost as long as the sets themselves and it was time for Nottingham's Incinery (7) now they managed to shake up the room a little bit, many of those who had gathered early were decked out in Incinery patches showing that they had a lot of support in the room, this was obvious to see when the band kicked off, they provided a relentless battery of thrash with all of the band destroying their instruments and their frontman echoing Phil Anselmo in his early days snarling and commanding the stage spitting some violent growls which proved them to be a heavier angrier prospect than the previous band. Still the sound problems had not gone away and once again there was feedback that was distracting but the band were received well by the partisan crowd and finished strong. Myself and Lee then took a bit from the battery and popped to get some food, thankful that the venue was no more than five minutes from the still bustling St Mary's street which has many fine eateries, although a Greggs was more attractive than anything else, eating on the run we came back into the venue just before the next band kicked off.

The next band in question was Wretched Soul (8) from Canterbury who's t-shirt bore the title "A Curse Upon Your Christ" which really is all you need to know, the band play incredibly technical death metal, with songs about the hypocrisy of religion delivered in a devastatingly heavy style, for a four piece the band rattle your brain with a cannon-like bottom end from drummer Andy Clifford and bassist Luke Mayall, while guitarist Steve Clifford shreds like a beast allowing the towering Viking-like frontman Chris Simmons to unleash his unbelievably wide vocal range going from the depths of hell to the thunder gods up high with his booming pipes. Wretched Soul got the ovation they truly deserved although a few down the front came out looking a bit dazed, possibly from the concussion that took place on stage.

There seemed to be a longer gap between the switch over of bands but finally everything was sorted and it was time for the first of the last three bands to hit the stage, with most of the crowd just recovering from the brutal assault of Wretched Soul it was time for more explosive death-infected thrash with Divine Chaos (7) the band took tot he stage with a lot of power and a distinctly modern edge and a hostility that befitted their politician baiting lyrics and thrash metal fury, the band were technical and melodic with more harsh vocals that were surprisingly audible considering the sound problems earlier in the night, Divine Chaos do pissed off very well and rumbled through their set at a terrifying pace before finishing to a appreciative crowd.

As the room filled with more punters you could feel the excitement grow and rightly so as the next band surely are headliners in their own right, due to the amount of t-shirts and patches visible at the front it was not just me that was looking forward to Reign Of Fury (8) the five piece from Cheltenham dove straight into their Anthrax-meets-Maiden style of classic thrash metal that brings in some traditional metal and progressive metal motifs to it. The band seemed to be having a blast shuffling and posturing around the small stage that saw bassist Paul Bielby and guitarist Jon Preistly trying to out do the other with their posturing and gurning, all while Magic Dave obliterated his kit (twice), the recent addition of guitarist Ross Lenny McLennan stood a stoic figure as he soloed for his life all while Bison Steed sang with the most melodic delivery of the night but it was the bands more traditional sound that made them stand out form the rest of the bands on the night, they were clearly having a blast on stage and even invited a lot of assembled rabble onto the stage to sing as a gang shout 'choir' for Born To Die (Dying To Live) before kicking them all back off and ending the set with the 8 minute epic World Detonation from their debut album of the same name. With the reception Reign Of Fury got they had definitively laid down a gauntlet for the headliners to take up.

As the room cleared for the final time, there was possibly the longest set up of the entire evening before the headliners took to the stage but finally they did and we were off with the last band of the night Norwich's Shrapnel (7) now I last saw the band at Hammerfest a few years ago now and while they are entertaining I hoped that they would have expanded their sound a little since then but no apparently the band are quite content with sounding exactly like Slayer, I mean it's uncanny they stick to the Slayer sound for most of their songs except for when they sound like Kreator and Exodus, now I know thrash is not the most progressive genre, very rarely does a band come along doing something different, but Shrapnel unfortunately fall into those bands that border on pastiche, I think maybe if the roles had been reversed and Reign of Fury had come after Shrapnel then I could have been more forgiving of them, but as it stands myself and Lee left before Shrapnel concluded their set (myself having been up for nearly 20 hours by this point).

Eradication is one hell of a festival and so I've heard day 2 and 3 were equally as good (I couldn't attend due to outside factors, namely work) showcasing the best local and underground death and black metal, however personally I think the Friday line up had more recognisable bands and therefore should have taken place a day later as many of the afternoon bands attracted smaller crowds due to work constraints. Still with an Open Air festival planned for the summer this local D.I.Y festival is going from strength to strength and as a supporter of the local scene this can only be a good thing.

Diamond Head: Diamond Head (Dissonance)

It’s well-worn history about the influence that Stourbridge’s Diamond Head had on the early thrash movement. We all know the much celebrated Metallica covers of Am I Evil, The Prince and Helpless and if you’ve been to any festival over the past ten years there is a strong chance that you’ll have caught Brian Tatler’s outfit playing those songs. And therein lies the problem for Diamond Head. Forever fated to be one of the bands that influenced arguably the biggest metal band of all time. But with a catalogue of largely mediocre hard rock tunes.

Move forward 40 years from their original formation and Tatler remains the only constant from those late 1970s days. However, the core of 2016’s Diamond Head are all long serving members. Bassist Eddie Moohan and drummer Ken Wilcox had served in the band prior to their split in the mid-1990s and were both back in the fold by 2002; rhythm guitarist Andy Abberley is now in his tenth year. The one relatively new addition is vocalist Rasmus Bom Andersen, who joined the ranks in 2014.
Diamond Head is a solid slab of hard rock. It isn’t going to tear up any trees and it won’t go platinum. It does however make you feel good, with a simplistic formula for the majority of the tracks which will appeal to the band’s fan base and to the average classic rock fan. Opener Bones is a quality rocking tune, whilst See You Rise contains a catchy riff which would encourage you to break the speed limit if you were pumping it through the stereo. Tatler demonstrates what we always knew; he is an excellent guitarist, peeling off solos for pleasure. The band are solid and the production is decent and in Andersen they have a vocalist with a typically radio rock friendly voice. It’s clean, it’s strong and unfortunately it sits in the same bucket as about a million others.

All The Reasons You Live smoulders with some delicious synth work adding depth to the track; a crunching riff underpins the song and Andersen gives the performance of the album whilst Tatler’s subtle guitar work is fantastic. It’s a great hard rock song, laced with AOR flavour. Wizard Sleeve transports you back to the 1980 debut Lightning For The Nations, such is its old school feel and style. You can really hear the origins of Diamond Head in this track, with a massive nod to the power of bands of the time; think Budgie. However, as the album reaches the final furlong, the songs tire somewhat. Our Time Is Now, Speed and Diamond are pretty run of the mill staples. Album closer Silence is a different matter altogether though. Full of Egyptian promise, soaring and sweeping, it builds magnificently to a roaring crescendo.

I am in genuine awe that Diamond Head still have the energy to craft and deliver a new album, 36 years after their debut release. They won’t set the world on fire with this release. However, they are an important band in the history of our much loved style of music and deserve respect. A solid if unspectacular return. 6/10

Texas Hippie Coalition: Dark Side Of Black (Carved Records)

Back in late 2014 I reviewed Ride On, the fourth release from rednecks Texas Hippie Coalition or THC. At the time I commented “This is decent, honest, American heavy metal delivered with quality and a vocal style from Big Dad Ritch which merges the grit of Anselmo with the balls of Ryan McCombs.” Well, roll on 18 months and THC are back with a quite superb follow up. Dark Side Of Black is 40 minutes of aggressive, gritty and passionate Southern rock which once again has a massive range of influences. The Southern Skynyrd style sound remains, especially in the slightly slower Knee Deep. However, the band have merged even more styles with a huge chunk of Clutch, a splash of Monster Magnet and even the hardened edge of Hatebreed evident; take a listen to Gods Are Angry for aural confirmation. Once again the vocal delivery of Big Dad Ritch dominates. This man has a huge sound, a voice that convinces you that he walks it as he talks it. Opener Come And Get It once again has the Coombs flavour, albeit with a hint of Neil Fallon.

As on their previous release, the sound is massive, with the same line-up delivering the goods from every angle. Angel Fall erupts into a track that would cause huge pit action in the live arena before a measured chorus and hook level it out whilst Shakin’ Baby has the Godsmack edge. THC may not challenge too much with the lyrical content, sexual innuendo and straight forward sexual intent all present, but the drive and sheer addictive style allows you to immerse yourself in the driving riffs, powerhouse drumming and rampaging bass lines whilst BCH stomps a mud hole with his quite fantastic voice. It’s addictive stuff and impossible not to nod the head to. I defy you to listen to the hook on Into The Wall and sit still. Penultimate track Hit It Again screams Wyndorf, a seven-minute beat that would sit comfortably on a monster magnet release. I gave Ride On a 7/10. Well, the boys have upped their game with their latest offering. Top quality stuff. 8/10

Savage Master: With Whips and Chains (High Roller Records)

Whether it was William Booth or Charles Wesley who said “why should the Devil have all the best tunes” is open to much debate. Whoever it was, they were both fortunate not to have been around to listen to the complete antithesis of that statement in Savage Master, a female fronted occult metal outfit from Louisville, Kentucky. Amazingly this is their sophomore release, following on from their 2014 debut Mask Of The Devil and 2015’s EP Black Hooves. Now, if you want a band to demonstrate why heavy metal is still mocked in certain quarters, just take a look at their promo shots. Whilst I fully support a person’s right to dress and express themselves in whatever way they wish, singer Stacey Peak does her gender no favours at all, clad in minimal leather, all eyes front and centre on her cleavage. Much like the awful Butcher Babies, it is hard enough for female singers to be taken seriously in this male dominated genre; conforming to every stereotype does them no favours at all. I don’t see Doro or Christina dressing like this. The rest of the band wear hoods! Yes, fucking hoods. Although this was clearly intended to provide a sinister effect it actually just makes them look like total dicks

Anyway this would be a slightly academic debate if Savage Master were any good but alas, they are dreadful. I can’t work out if the band are tongue in cheek with their lyrical content but I have my doubts. Satan’s Crown, Black Hooves, Ready To Sin and the dire Path Of The Necromancer all have the typically occult themed lyrical content: mention of covens, witches, Satan and the like. The title track is a plodding dull affair, routine heavy metal at its most average. Whilst the core of the band can play their instruments perfectly well, everything is destroyed by Peak’s appalling voice. It came as no surprise to read that Savage Master had supported Grave Digger in the States. Another band with a singer who could be sued under the Trade Descriptions Act. Peak’s vocals are just awful, out of tune and screaming like a wounded cat all over a collection of pretty ponderous tracks; Burned At The Stake and Vengeance Is Steel are particularly bad. For fans of Cirith Ungol, Bitch and early Mercyful Fate says their web page. Well, they’ve certainly captured the production feel of 1984 on this release. All the acoustic quality of a Wetherspoon’s toilet. Luckily their forthcoming European tour doesn’t stop in the UK. Long may that continue. 3/10

Knifeworld: Bottled Out Of Eden (InsideOut)

Kavus Torabi is somewhat of a prog polymath having had stints in Gong, Guapo, The Mediaeval Baebes and The Cardiacs, he is also the driving force and founding member of psychedelic prog-rockers Knifeworld. Bottled Out Of Eden is the band's third album and it once again comes from left-field with a fusion of styles and melting pot of instruments coming together in another mind expanding, colourful, trip though Torabi's psychedelic journey. Bottled Out Of Eden starts off with High/Aflame which has murmuring synths from Emmett Elvin laying down the bass for Torabi's reverbed, enunciated English vocal.

When the rest of the band kicks in it's the mixture of instruments that immediately grabs you yes there is bass and drums from Charlie Cawood and Ben Woollacott, as well as guitar from Torabi but the band are known for their use of wind instruments with Chole Herrington's bassoon a lead instrument on the opening track and throughout while she also contributes alto sax with Josh Pearl as Oliver Sellwood gives the baritone sax. With the use of wind instruments it gives Knifeworld a very unique sound indeed pitching it somewhere between Syd Barett's Pink Floyd, Anathema and modern proggers like Von Hertzen Bros, the songs are shorter than many prog bands meaning that there is no suffering with the elongated instrumental sections but the album still packs in lots of virtuoso performances.

The pacey piano and sax driven The Germ Inside is the song that sound most like the Von Hertzen Bros with it's hard rock drive and hand claps which leads into leads into I Am Lost which moves between Latin jazz, more classical influences and haunting ambiance, it also shows off the dual vocal harmonising of Torabi and Melanie Woods which is employed to great effect throughout, this jazzier number is followed by the percussive chant of The Deathless before Foul Temple slows everything as an acoustically led number that works as break from the dense musical palette created on the rest of the record. Everyone involved in this record comes from various backgrounds and styles and it shows especially on the beautiful Lowered Into Necromancy which just bubbles away like a brook before A Dream About A Dream is a track that brings everything neatly together switching time signatures and styles throughout.

Knifeworld are ethereal, pastoral and technicolor in their approach to music with almost boundless creativity, Secret Worlds adds an element of Simon & Garfunkel to the album before Feel The Sorcery ends the album with an upbeat style that mirrors the album's opening and ends the record in very impressive style injecting just that last shot of innovation at the end. Bottled Out Of Eden is yet another superb album from Knifeworld and one that reinforces their stake as one of prog's most intriguing bands. 9/10

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard: Nonagon Infinity (ATO Records)

Are King Gizzard the most prolific band of recent years? Well it seems like it as since 2012 the band have released two albums every year with Nonagon Infinity being their eighth release in total, the seven piece band have a huge amount of influences on show and these are distilled into every single psychedelic drop of this record. Frontman Stu MacKenzie describes it as "never-ending album" suggesting that the nine songs on the record are "connected by musical motifs which flow 'seamlessly' into each other" MacKenzie says that final track Road Train links "straight back into the top of the opener like a sonic mobius strip".

It's hard to argue with him as that is exactly what happens with this record that can be seen as one long track with every single part linking into the next one like on long journey into the madness of the Lizard Wizard. What I've always liked about the band is their frantic almost impatient way of playing meaning that their records are very true to their explosive live show. Robot Stop starts the record with their trademark rapid delivery driven by bass, drums and grungy fuzzy guitars, the pace quickens again on the melodic surf style Big Fat Wasp. With four guitars working with flute, synth, harmonica and theremin to give the band it's spacey, Hawkwind style sound.

First single Gamma Knife maintains the immediacy of the record as does People-Vultures which has some Indian flavours to it while Mr Beat finally slows down with some 60's psychedelia, which actually goes through this entire album including on the production. Nonagon Infinity is yet another quality addition to this band's repertoire that works completely as an album but when the songs are hand picked for the live shows they will be able to stand on their own. 7/10

Red Handed Denial: Wanderer (Self Released)

Toronto band Red Handed Denial are something a little different as well as a little interesting, Manipulator starts the record with a djent style palm-muted riff and some heavy groove but it's Lauren Babic's soaring, angsty vocals that bring to mind Hayley Williams of Paramore fame that on this record work as the perfect counterpoint to the heavyweight rhythm section behind it. With odd time signatures on Widowmaker the band flex their prog credentials working along the same lines as Tesseract or indeed old-school math rockers InMe with the frantic flowing lead guitars weaving in and out of the bruising backline, especially on Collector which merges emo-punk with technical proficiency and shows that Babic's vocals can rip your throat out as she displays a fantastic metalcore roar.

On Widowmaker the song changes pace and timing on several occasions before a piano plays out the track, the title track ends the record in a progressive jazz-odyssey with clean guitars and acoustics doing their bit to help the record drift away on the final moments of this EP, changing the pace entirely from the jarring heaviness at work on the first track. Wanderer is a great EP from the Canadian five piece who meld numerous styles together to get a distinctly modern and unique sound, check this band out if you like things a little different and if you want to while away a boring day in work their youtube videos are great especially their cover of Dirty Diana. 8/10

Anti-Clone: The Root Of Man (PHD)

"Holy shit this is heavy" these were the initial thoughts I had when The Root Of Man exploded out of my speakers, this band are angry, confrontational and extremely brutal, drawing from the Nu-Metal sound of the early 2000's but with some Meshuggah-style palm muted riffage and guttural vocals that means they can also appeal to fans of the NIN, Marilyn Manson, Korn and most importantly Slipknot a band that Anti-Clone the closest to musically, they have the same mix of extreme styles working for them, the duality (no pun intended) in the vocals moving from a hollered clean to a soul trembling roar in an instant.

The Iowa natives are key Anti-Clone's visual element too as all five members are decked out masks and matching uniforms that hide their identity and allow them to embrace their horrific freakiness. Switchblade is one of the track's that will bring the 18 legged killing machine to mind the most coupled with Matt Hyde's (who produced All Hope Is Gone and The Blackening) severe production which bolsters the metal assault, meaning every single drum hit, bass thump, slicing riff and roared vocal makes your ears ring in the loudest most unrelenting way possible.

Anti-Clone hail from Boston, Lincolnshire (murder capital of Britain apparently) and this rallying against the norm influences their sound in every aspect, A Sight For Sewn Eyes has Korn-esque bassline and programming, before breaks into the Deftones style droning chorus in the middle, the tech-infused groove of Twisted Neck is the nearest thing to a slow song on this record but it still manages to take a sledgehammer to your head, then you get thrown a curveball by Mechanical Heart which has some widdling guitars on top of the devastating chug of the bass and drums with some EDM in the background to mix it up, after Mechanical Heart we get the more traditional fair of Feed The Machine which has rapid rap metal style vocals and a progressive nature, then the band go into the more melodic Comaspace which is a showcase for the incredible vocals.

Anti-Clone are made up of Mr Clone (vocals), Con and Lam (guitars), Mike (bass) and Drew (drums), The Root Of Man is their debut album but it is such an accomplished piece of work that you would never know, the band sound like they have been developing in Satan's womb and have now burst out Hell fully formed and ready to obliterate everything with 11 rip snorting slices of modern metal mastery and stage show that is apparently like a fight in an asylum, Anti Clone have set themselves up as ones to watch. 8/10

The Hypothesis: Origin (Inverse Records)

Yet more heaviness now, but this time with some searing dual guitar work to boot. Finnish melodic death metal upstarts The Hypothesis released their first EP in 2010 but have only just released their debut record Origin. The band feature members or former members of Paradise Lost, Vallenfyre, Red Moon Architect, Dimebag Beyond Forever, Dead Shape Figure and Naildown. With a gestation period of six years the band have something to prove and despite their name there is no hypothesizing at a mere 37 minutes the band are straight in from the first song, which shows their melodic style from the opening moments as the synths start everything and then they are off and shredding the grinding guitars and whirlwind drumming are immediate with a flurry of technical precision.

The synths layer everything perfectly giving the band a sound similar to fellow Finns Children Of Bodom as the lazer guided riffs coupled with the synths perfectly to give the band elements of an industrial sound, but mostly they stay into the Gothenberg style of melodic death metal from Soilwork with nods to more cinematic style of Xerath and Fleshgod Apocalypse. Both guitarists play off each other on every song while the barrage of drumming destroys all in it's path, the vocals too are a snarled scarred roar but audible too which makes them more appealing, it's both the songs pace and the synths that make this album an enjoyable listen, there is no let up in the audio assault from start to finish it's a masterclass in melodic-death metal, with moments that make you sit up and listen, like the clean vocals on Atonement or the genuinely impressive guitar playing that comes throughout. Origin is definitely worth the wait it's 37 minutes of non-stop impressive metal. 7/10

Fear Of Domination: Atlas (Inverse Records)

Once again we head to Finland but this time for a more Gothic industrial sound with Fear Of Domination, the band have been doing the rounds since 2007 and Atlas is their fourth album. The band deal in industrial tinged death metal with a heavy groove base from the almost robotic rhythm section beating with military precision, the bottom end rumbling strongly, as for the guitars they are very much rinse and repeat, there's no flashy solos just riff after pulverizing riff, giving the songs the forward march of a boot stomping the ground (or a face).

With the riffage taken care of we get the nitty gritty of the sound with some barked singing that is clean but delivered with harshly, as with most of the bands that fall under the industrial banner it's the synths, sampling and sequencer lines that give the band their driving force and it means that songs like El Toro have the same blitzkrieg sound as Rammstein and Fear Factory albeit with a touch of the modern goth of HIM, it also means that they can bring a bit of dark, dirty sexually charged lyrics of Genitorturers or Raunchy with Carnival Apocalypse but also some symphonic metal touches too on Messiah with the lilting female chorus vocals. Atlas is a dark, electronically backed metal album that fuses epic industrial synths with grinding metal fury, if you plan on getting the new Zombie album I also suggest you pick up Atlas by Fear Of Domination as you won't regret it. 7/10

Rob Zombie: The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (Universal)

The Electric Warlock... is the master of schlock-horror-rock's six album with his solo band, this may seem odd considering how long Zombie has been doing this but when you think he had a career with White Zombie, as well as numerous films, collaborations and world tour's as well as everything else under sun it's a wonder he has time to release anything at all.

This six release comes off the back of 2013's Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor which saw Zombie meld the horror roots rediscovered on Hellbilly Deluxe 2 while maintaining the hard rock edge brought in on Educated Horses. The Electric Warlock...sees Zombie go way back with his beginnings with an album of short sharp songs full of stomping industrial riffage, drenched with horror imagery and B-Movie inserts, Zombie calls it his heaviest album to date and there's no denying that his band made up of the sledgehammer rhythm section of Piggy D and Ginger Fish are key to this contributing the marching power to the Satanic Cyanide! The Killer Rocks On!

John 5 riffs with the backroom but also adds his trademark obscure flourishes to the songs while Zombie still has his reverbed howls telling tales of vampires, killers, zombies and UFO's who on this record are a little more amorous than they have been before according to the twisted bluegrass of Well, Everybody's Fucking In A U.F.O. I said that Zombie has gone back to his early day on this record and thats never more evident than on The Life And Times Of A Teenage Rock God which sounds remarkably like More Human Than Human.

This album goes by in a bit of a blur really clocking in at just over 30 minutes Zombie obviously wants to get his point across as quickly as possible, A Hearse That Overturns With The Coffin Bursting Open is a little intermission before we are thrown back into the organ drenched The Hideous Exhibitions Of A Dedicated Gore Whore which is destined to become another anthem for every tattooed Goth chick. We get more classic Zombie swagger on In the Age Of The Consecrated Vampire We All Get High which has a nu-metal-like breakdown to it and John 5 showing off his skills. The Electric Warlock... is Zombie bringing back that sound he pretty much invented and he is all the better for it. 8/10

Tremonti: Dust (Fret12)

Last year Mark Tremonti released his second solo album Cauterize to widespread critical acclaim, Tremonti is a recognisable as the guitarist and primary songwriter of both Creed and Alter Bridge but his solo records blend more of his own influences to the records which has always meant that this is more than Alter Bridge part 2. His third record Dust was written and recorded around the same time as Cauterize but since then there has been on a tour and started writing another Alter Bridge record (probably due to Slash having his hands full with Axl meaning Myles is finally free).

It opens in what can be seen now as traditional Tremonti style with a faster more thrash sound than his day job, I've mentioned in previous reviews that Tremonti's voice is good (so much so that it makes you wonder why he has ever bothered with singers) but it's worth mentioning as the next time you praise Myles Kennedy there is a guy next to him that is equally good, however it's on the six strings that Tremonti shows his true calling, his guitar playing is superb, I'm sure guitar nerds can explain why but for the casual listener it's because not only can he write a catchy riff he can also solo like the virtuosos of old effortlessly, with the fret wanking not taking precedence over the songwriting, see The Cage as an example the song builds into the frantic guitar section that just adds that little extra to an already excellent track.

He's aided and abetted by the same team as on the previous records with Gary Whitlock blasting away at the back showing his worth on Once Dead, while Wolfgang Van Halen adds the groovy bottom end that works in unison with Eric Friedman's rhythm playing giving this album it's heavier touch and also lets Mark himself peel off solos at will, everything is once again produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette meaning that it retains the familiar sound of all of Tremonti's projects.

Dust is not all speed and fury though the title track slows everything down with massive muscular arena ballad and Never Wrong is pure Alter Bridge distilled, still it's on these tracks that Tremonti's vocals are at their best. Dust is the ideal follow on from it's predecessor with the right mix of melodic modern heavy metal tracks (Catching Fire) with the odd slower song (Unable To See) interspersed throughout, on this third record nothing has changed but it's all the better Tremonti continues to produce quality music. 8/10

Universal Mind Project: The Jaguar Priest (Inner Wound)

OK Universal Mind Project is yet another metal opera concept release, but the question is always the same on any album that is like this; can it hold it's own against Ayreon and Avantasia which are possibly the most successful metal opera's around. Well from a personal standpoint anything that features the amazing vocals of Darkwater's Henrik Båth is enough to gain my attention, but add to this the siren song of Greek goddess Elina Laivera and a host of guest vocalists in the shape of Pagan's Mind man Nils K Rue, Epica/Mayan grunter Mark Jensen, original Dream Theater singer Charlie Dominici and Diego Valdez of Argentinian metal band Helker mean vocally at least the band have some serious clout. Happily musically they are also superb with incredible guitarist Michael Alexander (co-founder of the band with Laivera) creating some seriously impressive symphonic/progressive metal that combines the sound of Epica, with the a bit of Rhapsody, some Dream Theater and the electro-metal of Amaranthe all part of the mix.

Alexander has recruited a number of high quality musician's to form the band, in the engine room providing the galloping rhythms and kick drum galore are Symphony X's Mike LePond on bass (on two tracks at least) and Luca Trulli's Rhapsody's Alex Landenburg behind the kit (although Vision Divine's Alessandro Bissa, plays on 5 of the tracks) the keys are supplied by Astra's Emanuele Casali and Johan Reinholz from prog metal band Andromeda is there to help out Alexander on the six string front. With these band members their is a lot more scope of the whole album becoming live concern and on the record it means that there is more of band feel than this just being an Alexander solo project. The record opens with the uplifting Anthem For Freedom which is a strong start to the record with twisting, turning track that sprints to the finish opening the album by showing all the band in full flight, Anthem For Freedom and first single Truth display the multiple vocal approach with the trademark grunts of Mark Jansen used as a counterpoint to Båth and Laivera giving the track light and shade before Alexander cuts in with some mouthwateringly intense guitar playing exhibiting his virtuosity on this track and throughout the record.

Nils K Rue can be heard soaring above the other two vocalists on The Bargain Of Lost Souls and Dominici still has the commanding yet melodic vocals he had all those years ago on When Dream And Day Unite the dark horse though is Valdez who stirs my interest in listening to Helker as his Dio-like vocals are powerful and blend so well with the two main vocalists. With an album of top notch progressive/power metal I hope there is scope to bring this album alive on the stage as with an interesting Science Fiction story and serious cast of characters all adding their stamp to the songs making each one interesting and different, the two middle tracks veer into AOR, Seven has a massive melodic chorus in it bolstered by twinkling keys and A World That Burns is a showcase for Laivera's vocals complimented by just a piano.

These two tracks build up into the final three songs on the album two of which are over 8 minutes long and fulfil the albums progressive quota perfectly, with the title track especially changing pace and time signatures at will. UMP is a terrific concept with some top class musicians, yes it doesn't have the star power of Avantasia or Ayreaon but that's not really the point it's about the quality of the songs as part of an album and The Jaguar Priest is quality from beginning to end. 9/10

Haken: Affinity (InsideOut)

Haken are at a point now where they can pretty much go anywhere or do anything they want creatively, for a lot of bands this would mean extreme levels of experimentation that can sometimes tip the band over the edge, however Haken have really gone the other way, their first two records are breeding grounds for all kinds of sonic experimentation based around a progressive metal backing, however their sound was tightened up, refined and mellowed for The Mountain meaning the songs were shorter, cleaner in sound but packed more an emotive punch than before. With their fourth album Haken have built on The Mountain's foundation but with an added sense of retro-futurism, Affinity is an 80's inspired piece that wouldn't sound out of place in TRON, The Running Man the cover art screams Amiga, Spectrum or indeed Apple (when they still made computers), continuing the retroism of the design the album is available as vinyl, CD, cassette and even a thought to release on floppy disc (seriously!)

The record itself brings a touch of AOR to the complex arrangements Haken are known for. The 80's love continues on opening intro track affinty.exe which boots up into the opening salvo of Initiate a heavyweight track with some modern tech metal riffage but the swirling keys and soundscapes of Diego Tejeida and the piercing emotive vocals of Ross Jennings who has one of the most unique rock vocals since Jon Anderson, it's crystalline and gentle but with a hidden power to it. Initiate is a defining opening statement it is a bit of everything Haken have done before but hints towards their future something that is expanded upon on the rest of the record, things do change on 1985 which is driven by a repeating keyboard/guitar riff that brings to mind Behind The Lines-era Genesis, Trevor Horn-era Yes, The Blade Runner soundtrack, all in one robotic mid-eighties package

1985 is the first of the long songs on this record, the others being the uplifting finale of Bound By Gravity and The Architect which sits in the middle of the record at 15+ minutes and is almost a suite of all everything that has come from the band before even getting the harsh vocals from their debut back with Leprous' Einar Solberg helping out Jennings. The Architect is a real showcase for the bands incredible talent with Richard Henshall and Charlie Griffiths playing the understated, deft guitars that at any moment can open up into magnificence and regularly do usually in conjunction with Diego's sweeping synths, Henshall himself adds yet more layers on Diego's sound once again splitting his time between guitars and keys giving band it's mellifluous style underpinned by the technically precise intensely dexterous percussive drumming of Raymond Hearne and the nimble bass mastery of Connor Green, who is now on his second release with the band (the first being the Restoration EP) on this record he gives evidence to his skill throughout the record (see the middle section of The Architect for a bass solo fans)

I've played this record a fair few time since it's release and every time I notice something different especially in the sprawling epic The Architect it's a masterpiece in progressive music. The 'second' part of the record starts with the twitching melodic Earthsize that leads into the building Red Giant that has an electronic percussive dance back beat bubbling away with an ambient trance sound, then into the first single The Endless Knot which adds dashes of dubstep and ends with a euphoric uplifting chorus, the record ends with the contemplative Bound By Gravity which sees the band yet again delving into more ambient soundscapes with Pete Rinaldi adding extra acoustic guitars to the records slowest track that borders on Coldplay territory at times (which is no bad thing honestly) and explodes into a beautiful crescendo with bells ringing, drums smashings, guitars chugging and Jennings trill vocal over the top. As I said earlier the final part of this record points to the future and also shows that Haken are unafraid of taking risks, from here the band can do whatever they like musically. 10/10

Purson: Desire's Magic Theatre (Spinefarm)

Once again we go back to the psychedelic mind of Rosalie Cunningham for the second full length from Purson which once again trawls their particular and peculiar brand of "vaudeville carny psych" (Rosalie's words). Purson are like a less cheery ELO, playing with a drug addicted Beatles, while Sabbath turn the amps up. Their debut was a dark affair but this record is lighter, more whimsical and a bit more ambitious, its still has folky neo-progressive touches melding with the doomy, fuzz riffs but this time there are Tull-esque flutes, lots of jazzy sax especially on the hazy opener which is driven by the electric piano, the wind instruments and Raphael Mura's clattering drums and ends with a little bit of jazz odyssey at the end. Mura is the only person other than Cunningham to appear on every track, she handles every other instrument from guitar, through keys and percussion as well as designing the hypnotic cover and creating overall retro feel of the record.

Her haunting vocals are the ever present reminder that are Purson are not your usual band they are hallucinatory experience that one minute rocks out with a searing guitar duel (Electric Landlady) then the next creeps and slithers (Pedigree Chums), goes through a folksy The Sky Parade which is a bit Spaghetti Western at the beginning with big organ stabs, into the jaunty Fab-Four-like Mr Howard before the record ends with a storytelling epic The Bitter Suite that serves as a fitting climax for the musical orgy that preceded it. Desire's Magic Theater sees Purson upping their game, producing their most accomplished, dramatic, mind bending and cohesive work yet. All the pieces just fit on this record which sees them moving from their psychedelic folky doom roots into a more colourful menagerie of sounds, (although when stripped back on the acoustic interpretation bonus tracks they still carry a lot of weight especially The Sky Parade) Purson are now on the next level of their evolution and from here they can go anywhere. 8/10

Massive: Destination Somewhere (Self Released)

Aussie's Massive were tipped to be a bit of a next big thing on the release of their debut album, the four piece made up of Brad Marr (vocals/guitar), Brendan Forward (guitar), Aidan McGarrigle (bass) and Jarrod Medwin (drums) brought the same alcohol fueled hard rock of so many Aussie bands before them but with the gutter sleaze of G'N'R, the debut was a nonstop hard rock record with some arena baiting tracks contained on it. So have they still got the magic on this second record, short answer is not really, the songs are good, classic slices of hard rock on Sinking Ship which has all the cowbell and some big swaggering riffage, as does The Fall and Up In Smoke but like many of the more modern rock bands the lure of the arenas are obviously calling as the band have added more radio friendly material.

The punky Buckcherry apeing titled track, the country picking The Way It's Always Been sounding a like something from Diamond Dave's playbook. Its' on the bluesy Beaten Dog and the ballad Made Of Stone that Massive show what I've come to call the Black Stone Cherry affect the band sacrificing the harder rock edge for a more commercial sheen, I don't blame the band for this but it means that album just blends into the background a little. Still it's a sturdy hard rock album that will give Massive more songs to play live when they next do the rounds. 6/10

Anneke Van Giersbergen & VerseChorusVerse, Exchange Bristol

Anneke Van Giersbergen is one of the artists that seems to be everywhere at the moment, having made her name as the singer of Dutch Alt-rockers The Gathering, she has gone on to release several solo records, guested on the Ayreon project, formed her own new band The Gentle Storm and frequently collaborated with Hevy Devy. All this means that she has one of the most recognisable vocals in rock, it also means that we were not going to pass up seeing her on an acoustic tour that was just Anneke and an acoustic guitar, playing a collection of her own songs and covers, similar to the solo tour she did a few years ago winding up in a live album with Anathema's Danny Cavanagh.

As myself and my compatriots arrived early to the show, we went into the cider house next to the venue for a drink, taking a seat in the small pub we realised that we had walked into a wake for a regular, obviously he was having a fantastic send off as most of those in the pub were already pissed, there was pounding trance music playing and in the final moments before we left a fight erupted between two punters. This was really what told us to move on so we finished our drinks and left the chaos unfold inside. Into the venue then which has had a bit of an overhaul in recent times so it is a bit more light and spacious than before, however the performance area is still a corridor but I can forgive that because of the intimacy of the venue.

We didn't have to wait long for the support act to take the stage, and as the diminutive VerseChorusVerse climbed on the stage and strapped on his acoustic guitar we and the rest of the already full room didn't really know what to expect possibly anticipating some singer songwriter with maudlin songs about love, what we got wasn't that, these were heartfelt soul stirring songs that brought to mind Justin Currie's solo work both in the song writing and in his vocals. While Mr VerseChorus (as he was referred to later by Anneke) was on stage one of our number Mr Hewitt instantly fell in love with him and his music as he is a massive Justin Currie fan so to have something so similar playing in front of us meant that he was enraptured for the whole set, indeed as we all were. VerseChorusVerse is the pseudonym for Tony Wright formally of And So I Watch You From Afar, he took up the moniker due to there being too many famous Tony Wright's with the Terrorvision frontman being the most recognisable in the music scene, this was explained to us in one of the affable humorous asides between the songs all of which were delivered with Wrights cheeky Belfast twang.

After the first track he introduced us the 'Tuning Song' which he said many have stolen off him (he was in fact tuning his guitar on the fly) with the second and third numbers being slower quieter songs they were overshadowed a little by the group of people talking very loudly at the back of the room, so much so that VerseChorusVerse mentioned it onstage before going into Spiders another slow one, personally I walked to the back told them to shut the hell up and have some respect, after they retreated to the bar myself and the security guards closed the doors to the performance area so we could enjoy the rest of the gig. Coincidentally after they left the set came to life with the Shakedown Sally which has an Gene Vincentesque Rock N Roll vibe before driving through to the end with a cover of Tennessee Ernie Ford's Sixteen Tons which is one of those songs you don't recognise until the chorus which was sung with gusto by myself and those that knew the song (of which there were a few) with such a storming set of his own songs VerseChorusVerse was the ideal start to what was shaping up to be a magical night. 9/10

We had a little wait but then to a huge ovation Anneke took to the stage and strapped on her guitar said hello to everyone and then went straight into My Electricity from her The Gathering days, it was a strong start to the evening that got everyone singing, from there she went into 4 Years from the Lorrainville project both of these songs together provided the ideal beginning to the set, with Anneke showing off her fragile naturally harmonic vocal that lifts you and fills you with whatever emotion the song convey's, it almost brought me to tears twice that evening with her magnificent rendition of Fleetwood Mac's Songbird and the superb cover of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here. After I composed myself post-Songbird it was into the more rocking I'm On Fire from the Springsteen catalogue. With another rendition of the tuning song Anneke explained the story behind the next song My Mother Said as she told the story we all felt privy to her world as if we were listening to an old friend, her humble style of performance is engaging and welcoming to all, Anneke was travelling on tour with her husband, her children and her soundman, using it as a holiday and experience as well as a tour.

So the family theme was evident on the beautiful My Mother Said which tells of a renegade teenage Anneke talking to her mother and changing her relationship with her at the end, it is as I've said a beautiful song that was followed by a trio of her own songs Saturnine (The Gathering), Beautiful One and Locked Away (The Gathering) all of which were excellent songs in their own right but with added effect of being stripped back to the core. Anneke is very self depreciating but did let us into the exclusive news (received that day) that she will be on the next Devin Townsend album (which is good) as the set wrapped up two more covers came from with Sex On Fire into the Ih-Ah (by Devin) which had the crowd singing it's cathartic chorus, the sing along factor again increased on Broken Wings by Mister Mister which brought the main set to a close. The de-riguer clapping and hollering continued for a bit until Anneke returned to the stage, the encore was two songs first was the aforementioned Wish You Were Here which lulled the crowd with it's magic and once again warmed the vocal chords for the finale of the storming Jolene which saw the eclectic mix of people in the room (although mostly metalheads) singing the country classic at full volume. This was an intimate gig that brought the crowd closer to the artist, sometimes with all the malady of rock and metal gigs, it's nice to take some time out and see just one artist perform a hand picked selection of fantastic songs in an acoustic platform bolstered by Anneke's fabulous vocals. 9/10

Fallujah: Dreamless (Nuclear Blast)

The metamorphosis that Fallujah started on their 2013 EP has climaxed on this their third full length, from their early deathcore roots the band have gradually transitioned their sound into the atmospheric death metal sound that they are the main exponents of today, the band fuse brutal, destructive death metal with more ambient sequences, clean guitars, and female vocals , this time from Tori Letzler on The Void, Dreamless and Wind For Wings and Katie Thompson on Abandon, Dreamless and Lacuna its these dreamy vocals and swathes of programming and clean guitars that are the counterpoint to the band's heavier elements meaning that Fallujah sound a lot like the now sadly defunct Cynic (who's Tymon Kruidenier contributes a guitar solo on the song Dreamless).

With the brutal vocals of Alex Hofmann in direct opposition to to the clean guitar lines that slice through the rhythmic power of Face Of Death, the pace picks up on Adrenaline which has a barrage of drumming, some jazz based low end battery from Robert Morey but once again there's the juxtaposition between the outright heaviness of the record with the more melodic guitar lines that come out of the classic metal soloing. It's the jumps between this sound that makes Fallujah such an interesting band, one minute they can be blowing your head off with savagery and the next lulling you with the ethereal ambient melodies, praise indeed go to guitarists Scott Carstairs and Brian James who are the keys to the sound building upon the percussive, palm muted battery with both the aggressive riffs and the pristine flowing clean guitar pieces (Abandon)

The highest praise though goes to the man behind the kit Andrew Baird who cannot be human, his drumming is unbelieveable akin to Death or fear Factory (who notoriously use a drum machine). Dreamless is an intense listening experience, if you don't like your music in the extreme category then parts of it will be a little too much to handle however with so much musical expression the record, the parallels between light and dark are highlighted and exploited to their furthest by an immensely talented band that have carved somewhat of their own niche. 8/10

Nitroville: Cheating The Hangman (Mighty Music)

Nitroville are Southern styled heavy blues four piece from London England, Cheating The Hangman is the band's second album and right out of the gates fans of hard rock will be on to a winner as the riffs are heavy, melodic and groove laden with a immediacy from the rhythm section thrusting the songs like the nitro-boosted muscle car on the album's cover. Motorocker is a typical opening song a rocker that draws you in to the album but it's on Louisiana Bone that the band show their true colours country influenced southern rock that shows the incredible vocals of Tola Lamont who sounds like Ann Wilson with a bit of Southern grit thrown in. Lamont is a great vocalist with a massive set of lungs meaning she can croon and boom equally as mightily.

Luckily the band are no slouches either, the locked in groove of Steve Parsons and Cyro Zuzi are the power behind the tracks allowing Kurt Michael Boeck to riff and lead break as much as he possibly can conducting the electric blues of Aerosmith and the good ol boy mentality of Skynyrd all in one. After the more countrified Louisiana Bone comes the harder heavier faster double tap of the unstoppable Spitfire (which along with Dead Man's Hand both have air of Maiden) and the title track which kicks up the dust of a Leone movie. Cheating The Hangman is a thumping rock album with some stomping hard rock songs making the cut on album that is also sequenced properly meaning that there is a sense of flow to the record.

Apophis 2029 is a sci-fi influenced shot of fire that leads into the muscular ballad Let it Roll with some bluesy guitar work from Kurt which slows the pace just enough for Dead Man's Hand to bring back the country picking rocking and speed the record back up again, with Trophy Hunter adding a swaggering groove. There really isn't a weak track on this record (other than the slightly lazy Ransom) the performances too are top class throughout, I personally want to see if this power is translated on stage as I think it would make Nitroville a formidable act, on record anyway they have the capability to blow your speakers with their bluesy hard rock power. 8/10

Eisenhauer: Horse Of Hell (Self Released)

Eisenhauer is classic meat and potato metal mixing NWOBHM with a dash of thrash (Sail My Soul) and some Sabbath like doom all evident on this four track EP. Eisenhauer are from Germany and as such the lyrical content is as you would expect from a Teutonic metal band albeit wrapped up in the same package as Grand Magus and band who Eisenhauer share a lot of similarities with. Much of this is due to the baritone vocal of the bands singer/guitarist but unlike Grand Magus' JB his vocals don't seem anywhere near as strong staying in their lower register for most of the songs, what also distances them from their Swedish compatriots is that their song-writing is nowhere near as good as Grand Magus after the second song you can leave this record it's all a bit boring and the vocals actually start to great with their lack of depth. Horse Of Hell is an EP that isn't going to make you gallop to pick it up, for trad metal maniacs maybe but for anyone that has more discerning taste there are not enough bones to make glue nevermind another album. 4/10

Craving: Wielder Of Storms (Self Released)

Another EP now from German folk-black metallers Craving who I've reviewed here before, Wielder Of Storms is an EP that has been a long time coming but due to lots of outside factors (life threatening illness being one of them) it has had a long gestation period but finally they are back with yet more Amon Amarth meets Blind Guardian via Cradle of Filth folk influenced metal that draws from numerous ethnic heritages as well as black/death and power metal. The title track starts things off strongly with the Blind Guardian style backing choruses getting your fists in the air and showing a wide vocal range and some superb guitars and riffs, all of which continues on the other three tracks on this record the middle two being a two part epic that owes a lot to Wintersun in terms of composition and delivery, moving between an all out black metal assault and the folk metal choruses for both parts of the track, before the more atmospheric final track wraps this EP that show that you can't keep a good band down, Craving are deserving of praise as they seem to be able to get the music they play, it works in all the right ways, here's hoping there is a third full length on the horizon. 7/10

Dan Reed & Danny Vaughn, Snake Oil And Harmony Tour 2016, Fuel, Cardiff

Reprising their two man acoustical jam from last year veteran rockers Dan Reed (he of the self titled Network) and Danny Vaughn (Tyketto & Waysted) along with singer songwriter Craig MacDonald, played to an almost packed out Fuel Cardiff. The three men had earlier played a session spot in Retro-Vibe Records for local station Made In Cardiff but the Fuel was the full event that was made up of Vaughn and Reed trading songs and stories in one performance.

Firstly though was Craig MacDonald or WhoIsThisCraig? as he is also called opened the show as a one man singer songwriter unit playing his own songs which were emotive, powerful driven by some great use of the acoustic guitar and his excellent voice, MacDonald had Danny Vaughn as a guest on his last album which is testament to both men's talent, this is something that MacDonald has in droves, his songs really grab your attention and his voice is key to keeping you interested. I'm a little gutted I couldn't see his whole set but from what I saw he was excellent. 7/10

The room was full by the time Dan and Danny took to the stage, over the P.A came the dulcet strains of Eric Serra's Little Light Of Love and the two men took their seats that faced each other and strapped on their acoustic guitars and started, Dan Reed took to the mic and asked who recognised the song, I duly shouted but wasn't heard from the back (I went on to tell him after the gig in what was the the first of many brilliant conversations with both men). Reed then went on to say about who we'd lost this year in a heartfelt speech which culminated in him talking about Prince and how much of an influence he was, so because of this they opened the set with a cover of His Purpleness's The Cross with Reed showing off his excellent vocals as he sang the chorus with all his might. The nature of the gig was that the men took a song each with the other accompanying them where needed for extra backing vocals/guitar. The set was a mix of tracks from each, Dan Reed played songs from his solo repertoire as well as the bigger hits from Network with the obvious additions of Ritual and Rainbow Child included, with Ritual's call and response refrain lapped up by the crowd and Rainbow Child was dedicated to the Retro Girls from Retro-Vibe Records who were dancing their hearts out at the front (the benefits of youth you see).

Danny Vaughn too mixed his excellent sometimes introspective but mostly country/blues based solo material with the obvious addition of Tyketto's Wings being one of the stand out. Every song was well received by the hardcore fanbase that filled Fuel, in between the songs were asides, stories from the road and also a bit of competition between the two men with Vaughn joking numerous times that he has to follow the epic ballads of Reed with more upbeat songs constantly, vocally both men are superb Reed has a strong soulful vocal while Vaughn's pipes are bluesier and rougher but still deliver that emotive punch. For the final part of the set the two men were joined by Craig MacDonald who added yet another layer of guitar and another harmony to the vocals, climaxing in a sublime cover of Space Oddity dedicated to David Bowie. Snake Oil & Harmony was a chance to see two oft-overlooked rock frontmen in an intimate playing songs in a stripped down style, it was the cosy, personal nature of the gig meant it was over all too early but after the set the three men spent a long time meeting, greeting and chatting with all those that had come to see them.

As I said I had a few conversations with them and both are perfectly affable down to earth individuals with a lot of great stories from hard rock's lost era (late 80's early 90's). Overall a great night with some fantastic songs and company, I look forward to the next time these men play together as it makes for a splendid night of performance. 8/10

Vodun: Possession (Riff Rock Records)

Vodun means spirit in the Fon and Ewe languages of Ghana, it is pronounced [vodṹ] with a nasal high-tone and is for all intents and purposes a form of Voodoo. Vodun the band are a three piece unit from London (but they would say they were from Mother Earth) the band is made up of Ogoun on drums, Marassa on guitar and Oya on vocals and they play what can only be described as shamanistic ritual rock that is part soul, part stoner and wrapped in psychedelic blanket of quirkiness. Possession is their second album and it stays deep in the soulful, afro-centric rock rhythms of the debut with slabs of fuzzy riffage and the furious tribal beat drumming that cuts like lightning through the static rhythm created by Marassa. As Loa's Kingdom gets started with the explanation of the Vodun religion before the riffage kicks in and Oya unleashes her special, natural vocals that merge gospel with more hard rock style, the record doesn't hang around the with the primal fury of Bondeye moves into Bloodstones which has a slow burn beginning but has a heavyweight second half with superb riffs working in conjunction with Oya's wailing on this psychedelic proggy track, then we speed up again into the punk styling of Oya. Throughout this record you get real love for the bands use of just guitar and drums to create the rhythmic body moving jams featured here, if you don't believe me then check out Leba's Feast which employs some frenetic drumming and some melodic furious riffage. Possession is an album that want's to creep into your soul and take it over turning you into a dervish of sound and colour as Vodun translate the noises in your head into an impressive musical palette that will let you expand your mind. 8/10

Heavy Star: Electric Overdrive (Perris Records)

Heavy Star are an Italian heavy rock band, aiming for the same swagger of bands such as Tesla, Ratt, Skid Row and Kiss Electric Overdrive is full of big ballsy guitar playing, a powerful rhythm section and melodic vocals that sound a lot like Jeff Keith with that right amount of grit and melody. Electric Overdrive is the band's debut record and see's the band coming fully formed with eight rocking tracks that show what the band can do, yes there's the usual mix of ballads and rockers, but from the opening riff of Love And Affection you are locked into a late 80's rock groove, still the opener is the a bit weak actually and it's up to Blessed to start the album properly as it really has the punch the album needs blending Motley Crue and Def Leppard and showing founding member Marco K-Ace's guitar work, as the album progresses we get more slabs of rock with all of the band displaying their talents, however as they cover Love Gun you realise that this record is just a bit meh throughout, it never really moves out of third gear, it's all a bit safe, there is a lot of promise but for the most part this is middle of the road hard rock, hopefully a second album will let them flesh their sound out a little. 5/10

Hypnos: Cold Winds (Crusher Records)

Sweden's Hypnos play denim washed boogie rock of early Status Quo fused with bullet belt wearing NWOBHM by way of Jethro Tull, see singer Phillip's liberal use of flute on opening track Start The Hunt. Like many of their compatriots Hypnos are decidedly retro with Lizzy-like twin guitars, a rocking backline and some wild eyed layered vocals all coming together to make you want to throw on your bell bottoms, put your fist in the air and headbang like you are half your age. Cold Winds is the bands second full length and after seeking out their debut before this review I can see that the band have stuck to their initial style of riff laden classic rock that exhibits some excellent guitar interplay from Oskar Karlsson and Fredrik Bäckström by the two on the jam session middle section on The Captive but also add the heart to the emotive Det Kommer En Dag which starts out slow and builds into a heavier second section, the everyone contributes magic to the 8 minute plus stoner finale 1800 which once again has flute bolstering it and slow steady jazz like back beat, as it switches pace frequently. The band work in harmony throughout with everyone playing brilliantly throughout really bringing a sense of live-in-the-studio to proceedings, enriched by warm production, the classic sounds Hypnos can now stake their claim to the Swedish retro rock title which is currently passed between Graveyard, Blues Pills, Truckfighters, Lugnet and Troubled Horse. Cold Winds could be the album that announces Hypnos to the masses. 7/10

The Virginmarys: Divides (Wind-Up Records)

The Virginmarys are often referred to as a punk rock trio, but I'd say they are more pitched somewhere between the 90's garage/alt rock explosion and 70's rock. The Virginmarys have an ear for the mainstream too that cuts through all of their work, giving them a jangly indie vibe that is anchored by a harder, fuzzier rock edge. Divides is the Macclesfield band's second full length and sees them widening their scope of sound, from the Kings Of Leonesque opening stomper Push The Pedal which does exactly that, through the snotty Frank Turner-like rallying cry of Motherless Land, along with songs that dip their toes into the pub singalong mentality of Britpop kings Oasis, the angular riffs of The Pixies and the post grunge of early Foo Fighters, possibly due to the production of Gil Norton who has worked with both bands.

There is a bigger sound on this record with layered vocals from Ally Dicktay that admittedly have a punk rock snarl to them as he spits bile about modern life on first single Into Dust while he attacks his guitar with an unhinged ferocity, behind him is the crashing percussion of Danny Dolan and the fuzzy bass riffs of Matt Rose, with the three men never letting up the record continually keeps you on the edge of your seat with the immediacy of it all, the lyrical content to is intelligent, political and brutally honest, it's where The Virginmarys have always been at their best and Divides is no different. With the sound so big, the lyrics so contrite and bare, it means that the songs have to shine and like 12 newly set diamonds they do.

The album building into what could really be a live set saving the most impressive, anthemic songs to the end while the ones that come before such as the marching For You My Love, the moody, drum driven, fuzz filled Kill The Messenger, the Arctic Monkey's style bluster of I Wanna Take You Home and the bluesy ragged Walk In My Shoes all add to the first part of the record that climaxes into Into Dust which welcomes you to the anthemic final quarter of the record. Divides is a superb sophomore album that not only builds on the talent shown on the debut record but increases it exponentially, these are songs made for arenas (see Moth To A Flame) which is where The Virginmarys will no doubt be going on the back of this fantastic record. 9/10

Mystic Prophecy: War Brigade (Massacre Records)

German power metal band Mystic Prophecy return after three years with what is now their ninth album of heavy power metal along the similar vein of the tougher sounding US power metal bands like Iced Earth but with the more melodic European touches too on The Crucifix. Nine albums in and it's tough for any band to keep it fresh, but Mystic Prophecy have a sound that has served them well thus far, the band is the brainchild of frontman R.D Liapakis who is still the only constant member of the band since it's inception, more recently he has also been the vocalist of hard rockers Devil's Train, still Mystic Prophecy is his main concern and it's clear that without his rough vocals the band would lose some of their dark power. The songs as always are a drawn from war, evilness, death, with the focus on war for this record explicitly the Spartans battle with the Persians at Thermopylae on Good Day To Die and Fight For One Nation, however it's not all doom and gloom the clarion call of Metal Brigade celebrating the unifying force of heavy metal music with a Manowar style epic, that dives into the thrashy Burning Out.

Liapakis' vocals are powerful booming over the sledgehammer basslines and rapid fire drumming which give the songs their rugged fist pounding rhythms, with the rhythm and lead guitars working in ideal union. Having not been overly familiar with Mystic Prophecy in the past I was struck by just how heavy they are, songs like blastbeat heavy Pray For Hell and Follow The Blind on the other hand they still have more melodic side on semi-ballad 10,000 Miles Away and War Panzer. War Machine is a good album from the German band, it does nothing new but what it does do give you is 11 tracks chest beating power metal and a metal cover of Sex Bomb by Tom Jones which is either genius or a travesty, leaving that for you to make your own mind up about, the rest of the record is a lesson in heavy metal 101. 8/10

Vektor: Terminal Redux (Earache Records)

What is there to say about Vektor? The Philly band could have quite possibly released one of the albums of 2016, Terminal Redux is an extreme, progressive, thrash metal album that has so many twists and turns it could be a Formula One track. Opening with a 9 minute song and then being followed by an 8 minute song this is an album that you really need to listen too a few times to really understand what is going on, the songs are extremely complicated, technical pieces that move between blitzkrieg blackened thrash metal, into more deathly doom territory and beyond, sometimes in just one track. Terminal Redux is not an album for those easily bored it's challenging piece but that's kind of the point, it's been five years since Vektor's last release and they once again have outdone themselves with the sheer bravado of this record that clocks in at over an hour but with each song having so many facets to them that sometimes they can be a little overwhelming but they demand your attention.

Vektor are David DiSanto, Erik Nelson, Blake Anderson and Frank Chin and these four men immediately make their mark with lightning fast riffage that wouldn't be out of place on a black metal album before it turns into a choral doom monster at the end, into the chugging breakdown heavy Cygnus Terminal that builds and builds until LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease) arrives in your ears in blaze of synchronized two hand tapping from DiSanto and Nelson which unfurls into Megadethisms on speed middle section and ramps back up again as Anderson blast beats his ass off. With three unstoppable tracks Mountains Above The Sun provides a welcome break with the relaxed instrumental that plows into Ultimate Artificer which although shorter in length is faster than anything coming before it bringing to mind Strapping Young Lad, in fact Hevy Devy could have easily released this album back in his early years such is the complex, radical uncompromising nature of the songs featured. Pteropticon echoes Slayer sound wise although Slayer if they played at lightspeed and had Nergal fronting them and played with classic twin guitar harmonies.

I've mentioned the guitars already but the need another mention as DiSanto and Nelson are mind blowingly good guitarists, just check out the duel they have on Psychotropia, one that also features bassist Frank Chin holding his own as he too shows off his fleet fingered fretwork illustrating that he can easily do with four strings what they can with six. The middle part of this record contains the shortest most direct songs on the record but the final two tracks make up for that, as Collapse starts out dreamily finally showing that DiSanto has clean singing voice rather than his evil rasp which is in evidence on the rest of the record, Collapse could be a Metallica song with it's building balladic pace and clean sonic soundscape that shifts into a jazzy middle eight counterpointed by the rasp returning for the heavy final section. Still the true progressive nature of the band comes out in the 13 minute plus final song Recharging The Void which again starts out with explosive super fast thrash but then as quickly as it it arrives it disintegrates into a section that sounds awfully like Pink Floyd, recalling On The Turning Away that washes over you as the female vocals soar in the background, before once again erupting into a faster section with the harsh vocals acting as a opposite as the thrash once again creeps in led by Anderson's frankly terrifying drum work. Terminal Redux is a tour-de-force in modern progressive thrash metal, Vektor owe a debt to Voivod, Cynic and yes Devin but they create their own style of music, that will be very hard to replicate or imitate by any band. 10/10

Metal Church: The Underworld, Camden

It's been over 20 years since Metal Church graced UK shores and on the back of one of the albums of the year in XI, this was a gig not to be missed. Fortunately I was in London for the week on business and a mere eight stops on the Northern Line meant that I was comfortably ensconced with beer in hand in time for the opening outfit.

Sometimes the support bands at gigs really increase your enjoyment and there have been many occasions where new discoveries or quality sets have made the event extra special. Tonight was not one of those nights. Opening off proceedings was Dutch three piece Distillator (6) whose honest but dated thrash approach did little to impress. Plenty of endeavour and the full range of heavy metal cliched poses alongside bullet belts galore but insufficient quality to light my fire in any way. A band whose lead guitarist and vocalist tags himself Desecrator whilst his band mates are Frankie and Marco added to the ludicrousness although the icing on the cake was the audacity of the band to throw in a cover of Slayer’s Black Magic. Ironically, Distillator’s best track was a slower atmospheric number, probably because it contrasted with the generic offerings either side.

Having perused a very disappointing merchandise offering from the headliners (no tour dates on the tees?) I grabbed another beer and settled down to watch Belgian five piece Bliksem (4) produce one of the most dire support slots I've ever seen. For a band with two full length albums and over eight years under their belt, their schizophrenic thrash with a random doom track thrown in was as bizarre as it was dull. However, the biggest problem by a country mile was the appalling vocals of front woman Peggy Meeussen. A screeched and strained approach meant that her voice, already suffering from a poor mix came across as pretty weak. A 45 minute set didn't do much to stimulate the interest, and despite the efforts of the other members of the band I was pretty glad when they got off the stage.

According to vocalist Mike Howe it was 22 years since Metal Church (9) had played in London. Unsurprising then that the Underworld had swollen to a healthy number when the West Coast outfit hit the stage to deliver a 90 minute set that demonstrated exactly why they remain a much loved outfit. One of the few bands I'd never seen live, the bonus of the evening was the opportunity to witness Kurt Vanderhoof, founder member of the band on Stage with a huge smile as he liberally churned out the riffs. The engine room powered by drummer Jeff Plate didn't let up whilst bassist Steve Unger’s energy was infectious. Most of the lead work was handled with aplomb by Rick Van Zandt who was even given the opportunity to indulge in a short solo spot during the set.

Kicking off with Fake Healer, which prompted a hilarious stage dive from a older gent dressed in suit, the band delivered a well constructed set which unsurprisingly centred on Howe's work. And what about Howe? Well, for a small man he has a huge presence on the stage and his voice is in top condition. Sensibly steering away from the higher parts during classics such as Start The Fire ensured that David Wayne’s legacy was respected (ironically 10 May is the anniversary of Wayne’s passing). Splicing three newbies across the set allowed the older fans to reminisce although Reset, No Tomorrow and a blistering Killing Your Time were greeted like old favourites. Inevitably the real old school stuff received enormous reactions and Watch The Children Pray produced goosebumps. As the band closed the main set with Beyond The Black, the sole track from the debut album, a glance around the venue noted beaming faces on young and old.

This was a night which drew both the old school dressed in shirt and jeans and the youngsters with their battle jackets, high tops and significantly more hair. It didn't matter. It was an “I was there evening”. To conclude the evening we were treated to Badlands and The Human Factor, both still thunderous metal tunes before the band exited the stage and headed to an open meet and greet. An excellent evening, and at long last I can tick Metal Church off the list. Let's hope they don't leave it quite so long for a return.

Magnum & Vega, Tramshed, Cardiff

Let me set the scene I haven't seen melodic rockers Magnum live since they played what was or indeed what seemed like a labyrinthine set at Steelhouse. At a festival it's usually de-rigueur to play a greatest hits set but I'll be honest and say I didn't really recognise anything they played, so I thought I'd give them another shot seeing as they were playing The Tramshed which is probably the best venue in Cardiff at the moment.

Coming into the venue early I had a swift pint in the onsite bar before we were let into the venue about an hour before the show started, I swiftly exited the venue and enjoyed another pint in the dying sunlight before once again returning just before support band Vega took to the stage, having seen Vega before, I'll admit I still wasn't impressed by the six piece who pretty much sound like a Def Leppard tribute act, they seem to have a following but I found their live set a bit tame and the songs far too saccharine to have any real bite, they can all play yes but the major let down are the vocals and posturing of frontman Nick Workman, his voice is not good, straining to hit the notes at points meaning that they grate after a few songs. The songs too all blended into one and other meaning that after half way through gave up and headed back to the bar. 4/10

The change was thankfully fast and the venue filled for Magnum, although not full there were enough hardcore fans at the front to give the room an atmosphere. Then bang on time they took to the stage, keyboardist Mark Stanway played the opening chords to Soldier Of The Line, Harry James started tickling the cymbals, as Al Barrow's bass and Tony Clarkin's famous guitar sound pumper out the riff, then just before the first verse Bob Catley strode on to the middle of the stage, in a double white denim number and opened his mouth. Unfortunately this is where is started to fall apart, Catley's once fine vocal was nothing more than a croak, the magic was wearing thin as Soldier... ended and A Storyteller's Night began but by the end of that song for me it was turning into a bit of a slog. Magnum are not the most visual band either so unfortunately there was nothing to distract you from the vocals. I think Bob moved the lower half of his body after about 8 songs, Clarkin was stationary throughout so it was up to Barrow as the youngest member to inject some visual distraction with his boundless enthusiasm.

With a mix of new stuff and older classics Magnum had a set list that got the faithful jumping throughout but for me the band had more than an element of Spinal Tap about them from the stage moves especially Catley's illicit shapes, coupled with Denim whiter than JBJ's teeth (see Paul's Jovi review), the most Tap of all was Mark Stanway's one man battle with the wind machine which became the best thing to watch on stage, in my eyes (and indeed some of my colleagues) the set was descending into farce. As they went into How Far Jerusalem after a few newer numbers form the most recent record, I noticed that the new songs didn't really stand out as well blending into what was becoming a dulcet malaise of a set. The band wrapped the set up with Les Morts Dansart, All England's Eyes and the final 80's-tastic Vigilante, the latter two tracks getting the crowd moving and sounding at least a bit better but for me it was enough, I took my leave before the encore of The Spirit and Kingdom Of Madness as really I was very disappointed. Magnum are a band very dear to me but they have lost it, maybe Bob Catley's long tour with Avantasia and the preceding 17 dates of this tour caused the problems, leaving his voice was rough as a badgers' bits, or it might just be more tellingly that these old dogs have had their day, personally I'll be sticking to listening them on record. 5/10

Grand Magus: Sword Songs (Nuclear Blast)

Sword Songs is Swedish trio Grand Magus' eighth album and it once again shows that if you were to collect all the retro loving NWOBHM/True Metal bands that are currently around, with new ones coming every week, together in a pile Magus would be somewhere near if not on top of that very sizable mountain, there is just something just so pure and joyous about the music they create that not only separates them from many of the bands doing the same but also gives them enough differences to avoid being just copyists. I'll get this out of the way, I love Magus, I love their records, their live show, their uncompromising infectious enjoyment of what they do, so don't expect this record to be slated, it will not be however, as sycophantic as that previous statement sounds I think Sword Songs is the natural progression for the band.

After their previous record Triumph And Power the band were straying into the over-the-top realm of Manowar (no bad thing) adding some orchestral parts and lots of polished shirtless, greased up chest beating, Sword Songs retains the latter, but it has a snarl that was present on the early albums, the production to isn't over polished and that's to the records benefit as well. Happily Magus are still a three piece machine (for every song bar two, discussed later) with Ludwig Witt still the hammer of the north (sorry/not sorry) behind the kit while Fox's bass is the riffmaster general when JB is burning up and down the fretboard and locks in to the classic metal groove when the two work together. The opening tandem of Freja's Song and Varangian a war-like feel is created with another duo of fist pumping metal anthems, Varangian especially will slay in the live arena with a chant-along chorus to shout aloud with hammers held high. Forged In Iron-Crowned In Steel starts off with some classical guitar and erupts into the albums most Maiden-like track replete with Steve Harris bass gallops from Fox and JB's booming call-to-arms vocals approach that doesn't let up. It is also one of the two songs that features and outside member with Entombed A.D's Nico Elgstrand providing the restrained acoustics.

No such restbite on Born For Battle, Master Of The Land, Frost And Fire which make up the bulk of the album and are evidence to this being one of Magus' best works, they fire on all cylinders throughout right up until the epic finale Everyday There's A Battle To Fight. It's a testament to the band's confidence and indeed their songwriting that they leave a song as good as In For The Kill relegated to the bonus track, In For The Kill is one of two bonus tracks on this record the second being the other song that has an extra member; a cover of Stormbringer which is a heavier interpretation of the Purple classic but still retains the powerful organ lines of Jon Lord, here provided by Witt's Spiritual Beggars bandmate Per Wiberg. Stormbringer is the perfect cover to close the record but the album that proceeds it will stand out as one of the best from the group. Roll on Download as I want to see these tracks live asap, until then though I'm sure Sword Songs will get repeated plays at MoM towers!! 10/10

Kvelertak: Nattesferd (Roadrunner)

It seems strange to think that Nattesferd is only Kvelertak's third record, they seem to have been in the public consciousness for far longer than their nine years as a band. Maybe it's due to their rapid ascent, which is mainly due to their interesting and unique sound, stylised as Black 'n' Roll the band have improved on each release and have developed their sound over the course of three records, their last record Meir saw them take a much more commercial sheen, pipping them as future arena headliners, while also keeping their aggressive black metal influenced sound. Their live prowess was instrumental to the success of their records, they impressed me when I saw them opening for Anthrax and Slayer and it was heartening to see so many come out early for them.

With such high profile tours you'd be forgiven for thinking that the band would add yet more commercialism to their sound but this isn't the case with Nattesferd they have in fact stripped things back a bit focusing more on the black metal influence in their sound, aiming for the jugular with a more violent, frantic approach than previously. The band's major trick is managing to be all inclusive with their music while still performing in Norwegian, at no point does the language barrier get in the way of the impact of Erlend Hjelvik's intense vocal delivery. As he shrieks, screams, growls and squawks, the multi layered but unrelenting triple guitar assault of Vidar, Bjarte and Maciek peel off riff after pit-inciting riff, reinforced by the irrepressible force of Marvin and Kjetil's nuclear engine room.

At just 9 songs and 47 minutes the record doesn't sound to taxing but by the final chord of Nekrodamus it leaves the listener struggling to regain their thoughts after the pulverising but it does you have you reaching for the repeat button as with each listen the songs reveal a little more especially the 9 minute Heksebrann which comes as the record's penultimate number. With the black metal coming back in droves 1985 still throws one of the bands trademark curve balls with the blackened Sunset Strip rock which plows into the the rampaging title track, Bronsegud is a punkier number that leads into a more melodic Ondskapens Galakse and the impressive fast Beserkr (not a Fuck Your Yankee Blue Jeans cover). Nattesferd is another excellent album from the Norwegian masters of heavy metallic rock n roll. 9/10

Secret Rule: Machination (Scarlet Records)

The female fronted metal genre is swamped, (much like the aforementioned retro-metal genre) every week another band comes out featuring a raven haired singer with a piercing soprano warbling over classically influenced power/pop metal. Some are good, some are not good and many others just fade into obscurity, the ones that survive are the bands that are not afraid to change their style. Secret Rule have done away entirely with former and gone straight to the latter, their debut record Transposed Emotions was a concept record that put them more in the NWOBHM camp with progressive touches, none of the usual classically influenced stuff that many in the genre rely on. So on their second album they have added elements to their sound again this time due to the introduction of Sonata Arctica keyboard player Henrik Klingenberg who really puts his stamp all over this record adding layers of keyboard arrangements to the band's heavy sound meaning that sound wise their second album is more akin to Within Temptation's recent releases with classic metal fused with some symphonic elements from Klingenberg.

Secret Rule hail from Italy, they are fronted by Angela Di Vincenzo who has a first-rate vocal style. Her wide range and accent means she stands out above many others in the female fronted genre, she sounds like a mixture of Sharon Den Adel and Lacuna Coil's Christina Scabbia which is indeed a good thing as behind her is a heavy style of metal that brings to mind Kamelot or Serenity as Andy Menario (guitar) and Michele Raspanti (bass) supply the quota of riffage that's down tuned and modern sounding in style with the drumming of new boy Sander Zoer (ex-Delain) being a particular highlight in the speedier songs. I've said that Secret Rule sound a bit like Serenity, Within Temptation and I also say Delain too and as it happens the guests on this album are all from those bands with guitarists' Stefan Helleblad and Timo Somers coming from Within Temptation and Delain respectively and bassist Fabio D'Amore from Serenity, with these guests it's plain to see why Secret Rule remind me so much of modern WT.

Unlike WT they also have some harsh vocals from Janneke De Rooy of Paper Doll Decay which add a bit more meat to tracks like Foolish Daisy. The records sound is fleshed out by some industrial touches on Ex Machina and pulsating The Saviour which mixes choirs with EDM and metal, Dolls is a bit more of the traditional metal style, it's not all great though as the lazy, poppy I Will and the Goth mega ballad The Image slow the middle of the album but things get back on track in the last part of the record. Machination has to make people stand up and take notice of Secret Rule as it's a big leap towards securing a future for the band. 7/10

The Virginmarys & Ragsy, Retro-Vibe Records, Cardiff

The Virginmarys are currently in the mist of their UK/European tour (one that continues into June) supporting their latest album, reviewed here:
http://musipediaofmetal.blogspot.com/2016/05/reviews-virginmarys-mystic-prophecy.html

The first part of the tour didn't come anywhere near Wales (although there is a Bristol Thekla show on the 19th of June) but Cardiff record store Retro-Vibe Records got an exclusive acoustic in-store, which would go down as the tour's longest in-store with the band playing for 30 minutes plus. This exclusive gig had the bonus of being a free ticketed event meaning all we had to do was go to or contact the amazing shop and reserve a ticket. Simples.

Due to the early start time it was a bit of a push to arrive for the start but happily I did. With most of the punters already down stairs, I made my way downstairs and saw the cameras of Made In Cardiff TV set up to record the evening. Fame and fortune at last I thought until I saw they were trained on the performance area, still maybe a cheeky nod to camera would do it. As everyone shuffled around the room looking for a good view point I hid just under the stairs and I was just in time for support act Ragsy to start his set. Wales based singer songwriter Gary Ragsy Ryland has been featured on BBC's The Voice and plays world weary acoustic ballads in the true troubadour style, his voice is emotive and commanding fully conveying the poignant content of his songwriting. Ragsy was a very last minute addition to to bill due to the original support being struck down with illness on the day of the gig. Still Ragsy made an impression on the sizeable crowd in the basement of the record shop, his songs were well constructed and performed and he was warmly received by the crowd. Ragsy's performance was proof of the Welsh music scene's importance and wealth of talent. 8/10

As the crowd chatted amongst themselves in excited anticipation, I headed upstairs to have a bit of a chat and to get some fresh air, due to the heat emanated from the room downstairs, which is a good thing in a venue but during the breaks it's nice to escape a little bit. Then as the crowd roared again I swiftly went back in as the three piece band took up their instruments, Ally Dicktay on vocals and acoustic guitar, Danny Dolan on snare and brushes and Matt Rose with an acoustic bass and backing vocals. Their half an hour set was punctuated with a lot of tracks from their new sophomore album Divides (only released that day), happily many of those in the crowd knew the songs from the record so happily mouthed along to the tracks, no singing possibly due to the cameras, however they were vocal when the songs ended clapping, cheering and hollering, during the music there was thankfully movement from the head nodding of the old-schoolers with the youngsters dancing away to the bands indie-blues-punk fueled groove.

The songs played sounded just as good in the stripped back format, carrying enough gusto to convey the messages in the lyrics, but also highlighting the band's incredible musicianship and Ally's rough, passionate vocals that carried with them an angst that is rare, with the vocals and the way the band attacked their instruments there was raw, intimate feel to proceedings that evoked the atmosphere of small pub gigs in a raucous pub. The sound was perfect for this very special gig acting as the icing on the cake for what was a brilliant night of live music in a thriving independent record shop that supports both the local and British rock scene strongly, here's hoping that Retro-Vibe do many more in-stores/signings in future as it's a great venue for it helped in no small part by the excellent performance of The Virginmarys, I suggest you catch them on the June leg of their tour as on the basis of their acoustic performance their full amped up show looks to be dazzling. 9/10

Destruction: Under Attack (Nuclear Blast)

14 albums? Destruction have made 14 albums? This is what sprang to mind when Under Attack came into my review pile, but after a check online it is indeed the bands 14th studio album. Now much of this surprise may come from the fact that I've never invested that much time into Destruction or indeed their compatriots in the "Big Four Of Teutonic Thrash" with the exception of Kreator and the first couple of Sodom albums (hail Wodos!) however after Destruction frontman Schmier was part of the German Panzer project I went back and visited Destruction's work. I'm happy to say that Under Attack is exactly what you would expect of them, it's pure Teutonic thrash and not the weird now ignored unofficial groove metal period they went through in the 1990's, from the outset the maelstrom of snarling riffs, thunderous bass lines and rapid fire drumming are all present and correct with the three piece just blitzing the listener with pure thrash fury from minute one.

Well that's not strictly true the title track starts off with slow clean guitar build before the track kicks in and the pace switches throughout the 6 minute opener, with Schmier deploying his snarl/shriek to full effect as founding member and the band's only constant, Mike darts in and out with six string fireworks as the song builds to its explosive abrupt climax. They say there is no rest for the wicked, Destruction have obviously been evil as next track Generation Nevermore is a rapid fire thrasher, although once again things slow down on Getting Used To Evil which has a death metal chug to it with the loud quiet dynamic on the verses and chorus with more modern influences coming in on Conductor Of The Void.

Under Attack is another album of Teutonic thrash but with enough variation to keep it interesting, there are even nods to Destruction's black metal roots in both the sparse production of the record and tracks like Elegant Pigs, Stigmatized and their cover of Venom's Black Metal that comes as a bonus track for the record. It's Destruction still bringing the thrash at the max but with enough nuances to keep your interests, still if you do not like thrash then I'd avoid this record, for thrashers however there is enough here to get you heads banging. 7/10

Devildriver: Trust No One (Napalm)

It's almost all change in the Devildriver camp on their seventh album with the departures of founder members John Boecklin (drums) and Jeff Kendrick (guitar) meaning that only front man Dez Fafara remains from the original line up he's aided on this record by long time guitarist Mike Spreitzer who calls this "the record I've been wanting to write for 12 years". Why he thinks that I don't know as really I can't see any difference with record to any of Devildriver's previous works, yes the band have a sound but they do seem to plow an already well worn field if you put their debut record next to this one and really there won't be much difference, yes their later albums do have a bit more melody in than tracks but other than that Trust No One is another groove metal album that doesn't really vary in style from the bands previous releases.

Saying that it isn't actually as good as some of their previous releases, in my opinion the band's magnum opus is Pray For Villains which was almost a perfect unison of extremity and melody, Trust No One is not that record, it sounds like the band are in third gear just cruising along in the middle lane, it never really shifts up, nothing really jumps out at you, that's not to say there are bad songs, far from it, it's just all a bit boring really. Fafara's vocals are the usual guttural style he prefers backed by the stable punishing groove, Bad Deeds is a heavy thundering track with some melodies that save it, This Deception too will cause the pits Devildriver always try to incite. Mostly this is just another Devildriver record, they are never going to radically change their sound, this is probably why Coal Chamber reformed, but that means that they will never really get out of the routine they have been in most of their career, not that it'll matter to the shirtless pit warriors they'll love it, for others though it's just all a bit safe and pedestrian. 5/10

Electric Citizen: Higher Time (Riding Easy Records)

For what is a relatively young band Electric Citizen have a reasonable workrate for modern music, their debut Sateen came in 2014 and now after almost two years and hell of a lot of touring later their second record Higher Time is now ready to once again bring the Sabbath worshiping heavy rock to the (black) masses. I saw the band supporting Wolfmother and they impressed despite the poor sound, although personally I thought their debut album had flashes of excellence but suffered a little from the band holding back a little, but this has been addressed on their second record, yes the Iommi-like riffs of Ross Dolan still pump out of a Gibson SG as his wife Laura wails and bewitches casting occult spells on Social Phobia while the booming rhythm section of Randy Proctor and Nate Wagner keep the voodoo coming on Misery Keeper.

Laura's vocals are unique in that they are deep and resonant fitting the band's occult style of retro riffage perfectly, the songs are underpinned and fleshed out by Andrew Higley who adds the brooding organs and keys to tracks like Evil and most effectively on Devils In The Passing Night which sounds like Fleetwood Mac with more sorcery and has an impressive solo section from Ross. Witchcraft and Wizardry was once a staple of British and American bands such as Black Sabbath Pentagram but in recent years European's have had a grip on it since with bands like Ghost taking off in a big way, now with retro mystic rock becoming big business it's time for us Brits and Yanks like Electric Citizen to take it back, the psychedelic, trippy riff fuelled occult rocking featured on Higher Time along with high profile support slots with Wolfmother as I've said and coming up with legends Orange Goblin will launch them in the consciousness of the world at large. 8/10

Buffalo Summer, Florence Black & Staticland; Sin City, Swansea

A day before it was unleashed on the general public Neath's own classic rockers Buffalo Summer staged a little shindig at Swansea's legendary venue Sin City, to launch their long awaited second album. The record called Second Sun is officially released 20/05/16, so the show was geared to giving fans a flavour of the album, along with some favourites and hand picked supports making for big rock an roll party. The gig was an early doors affair with the first band coming on stage only 30 minutes after the doors opened, the opening act were a very late announcement and sealed the deal for me on the night meaning that a set off on the reasonably short but infuriating journey to Swansea for the show.

Staticland

Into the venue and as I said bang on 7:30 the three piece of Walking Papers/Missionary Position men Jeff Angell (guitar/vocals), Benjamin Anderson (Keys) and Post Stardom Depression (Angell's other project) drummer Joshua Faunt took to the stage for what was their first show ever in this form. Happily the relative roughness of the set was to it's advantage as the blend of alternative rock and modern fuzz filled blues would not be as effective if it was cleaner sounding, the band's debut album comes out the same day as Buffalo Summer's so I couldn't tell you any of the songs that were played but what I know is that they played with a lot of swagger and take no prisoners attitude, Anderson is probably the key element to the sound underpinning the fuzzy swirling guitar playing of Angell perfectly with organs, keys and plenty of bass pedals giving Staticland more scope than the guitar/drum combo's of The Black Keys and White Stripes. There is an element of that sound to Staticland with Angell cutting the shape of Jack White on his guitar, vocal and styling (the whole band were suited and booted) playing off-kilter guitar riffs and searing blues based solos while propelled by Anderson and Faunt who managed to continue drumming even as the kick-drum was being repaired. Despite this being the band's first show the talent an experience of all three men shone through leaving those that had turned up early greatly appreciative of the Seattle native's debut show. 8/10

Florence Black

Due to the early nature of the show and the impending doom of a club night coming after the show within sight it was a brief switch over and Merthyr Rockers Florence Black took to the stage and really ramped things up with high octane hard rock that was part Grand Funk, part AC/DC full of massive, ragged, unhinged riffage and powerful, frantic, gritty vocals from Tristan, thumping heavyweight, distorted bass from Fozzie and sledgehammer tub thumping from Perry. The band rocked through songs from their EP and then disaster the amp blew up leaving Tristan's guitar soundless, the young band took it in their stride with Fozzie and Perry doing a bit of drum and bass set with an impromptu drum solo thrown in until there was life, the song was restarted and we were off and headbanging again. Florence Black had very healthy and vocal following in the room and this was thrown into madness with the bands furious cover of Budgie's Breadfan which came in at the climax set as the penultimate number. This is the first time I've seen Florence Black but they will be repeat viewing for me as the are a great live rock act. 8/10

Buffalo Summer

Then it was time for what we were all hear for, to see the Neath rockers launch their second album in fine style. The record is their first major label offering, produced by Screaming Tree's Barrett Martin and their set drew mainly from the second record playing nearly every track from it, mixed in with some classics. The new stuff sounds a bit more accomplished and has a more varied sound with some funk, country, blues and other elements thrown in to the bands already Zep-like stew. The setlist kicked off with three from the new one with Into Your Head stomping in first announcing the intent for the rest of the night with a classic rampant rocker before early boogieing with with Heartbreakin' Floorshakin'getting the asses shaking early, Buffalo Summer have always had the groove many other bands struggle with, the trio of new songs was rounded out with Make You Mine which has a big singalong chorus and sat alongside the head banging March Of Buffalo and Truth From Fable both of which come from the debut record, the latter driven by the walking bassline of Darren King and the pace setting drumming of Gareth Hunt, the older songs were more recognised but this was about the new stuff and As High As The Pines started a run of tracks from Second Sun, As High As The Pines has a rocky stomp which blended well with the swampier bluesy Levitate both of which show the guitar skills of Johnny Williams who channels Page with every riff and solo.

The funky twosome of Little Charles and Priscilla is where Andrew Hunt was able to showcase another side to his voice before the blues tinge kicked back in on their first single Neverend and Bird On A Wire. The band were really playing their asses off on that stage, your eyes are drawn immediately to King who jumps around the stage wildly, nearly always within inches of destroying his bass, himself or another band member. Garteh is locked in behind the kit beating the power of the band, Williams cuts a steady form but manages to cast magic with his six string, so too does Andrew who's hair covers his face while he belts out every word. Back to the debut for the final part of the evening with Horse Called Freedom, Rolls On Through and the foot-stomping modern classic Down To The River coming in rapid succession before the night was wrapped up with Money from Second Sun that was a song that would have converted you to the new record if nothing else did. This album launch was a tipping point for the band, on the eve of their second album they seem on the precipice of greatness, with a live wire live show and now a glut of top quality songs Buffalo Summer could become the latest band to really break through. 9/10

Blind Guardian & Gloryhammer, Rock City, Nottingham

Blind Guardian do seem to be somewhat of an elusive act for UK shores, their last few tours have been one off shows in London and nothing more really. All of us not lucky enough to frequent London enough have been regaled heartily by Paul about the time he was lucky enough to be in the Big Smoke for one such gig. So when the opportunity to see them in the beautiful city of Nottingham on a Saturday no less arose, myself and my long term compatriot Mr Hewitt set about on our quest to finally witness The Bards at home on stage.

Leaving reasonably early, so we could make the most of the plethora of real ale pubs Nottingham has to offer, after our journey took us up to the hallowed ground of Strensham services, I had a homesick epiphany that I'll explain at a later date, after the mandatory stop, bottle of Tizer and bag of Maoam, we set back off passing through Leicester (who I assume still have a hangover), the even more hallowed ground of Donington Race Track before arriving in the home of Robin Hood and his merry men, parked up, shipped out and booked into our hotel around the corner. After briefly schooling my colleague in my hardcore Catchphrase skills (life in the fast lane folks!) we set out in search of food and more importantly ale.

If you ever do go or have been to Nottingham, you will find it is a very easy city to navigate, everything is quite centralised but the hills make it seem larger than it is, we made our way down to the canal to The Canal Alehouse (what else would you call it) which boasts over 200 ales available, where as this tends to be just hyperbole, The Canal did indeed have this many, or near as dammit, as well as some very scoffable food, the burgers were especially yummy. With several fine beverages down us, along with myself introducing Nick to the Untappd app, we made our way to the legendary Rock City as the door time was 6pm, which meant an early start but also an early finish for the gig (Mr H would be well pleased). Into the Tap N Tumbler which is a spit an sawdust rock pub that have their own brew, we drank and tried to convince a few people in there to pop over the road to see Blind Guardian, but alas the lure of beer was too much so we headed off just in time to catch the final few songs of the one support band.

The support came from Gloryhammer the heroic power metal project of Alestorm's Christopher Bowes were not new to me as I saw them blow away the crowd at Hammerfest a few years ago with their silly, hyperactive brand of power metal that will get even the most po-faced metal head grinning from ear to ear. As we entered the venue the bassist Hootsman, Barbarian Warrior Of Unst (or James Cartwright) was regaling us with how he turned from shirtless warrior to beer swilling Bay Area legend before the band dove into The Hollywood Huntsman which had Nick cracking a smile due to the bands overtly silly nature, virtuoso playing and Angus McFife (Thomas Winkler's ear piercing vocal), after the chants of "Hoots" we were treated to the band's ballad Magic Dragon then the jaunty Angus McFife which did it's bit to be the silliest song of the night only over shadowed by the final of The Unicorn Invasion Of Dundee which fully converted Nick to Gloryhammer's cause. They are a great band with real technical musicianship under the silliness and served as the perfect aperitif to Blind Guardian getting those in the audience raising their (inflatable) swords in the air as we awaited the headline act. 8/10

With a little change over we awaited the arrival of the German masters of cinematic/power/speed metal and at 7:45 the opening riff to The Ninth Wave opened the night with band taking the stage one by one before starting the song proper, this would be one of only two songs from the latest album Beyond The Red Mirror which struck me as odd considering all of the merch pointed towards the fact that this tour was in support of that record, still the set was laced with classics as 9 minute The Ninth Wave went straight into two from their concept near-masterpiece Nightfall In Middle Earth with Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill) and Nightfall coming in rapid succession, the latter having the first crowd choir of the night as we sang our hearts out to the songs refrain.

What myself and Nick noticed was that where we were at the back under the balcony, which was not open, we couldn't hear Hansi's amazing vocals at all so we moved forward to the second row no less and then we were able to hear his vocals soar over the frantic riffs of Marcus Siepen and Andre Olbrich, the duo on the six strings are so great to watch with Siepen working in slick conjunction with Olbrich, as well as drummer Fredrick Ehmke and bassist Barend Courbois creating a heavy back line while also underpinning the jaw dropping solos of Olbrich.

After the euphoria and passion of Nightfall things got darker with the solitary cut from A Twist In The Myth the dark and ominous Fly, which is one of the bands heaviest tracks yet still had every member of the audience singing gleefully with fists, claws and horns held aloft. The Blind Guardian fans are part of the band's appeal as they are obsessive about the bands and know every lyric of every song meaning that the whole night becomes a massive sing along from minute one. The Nottingham chorus continued on Tanelorn (Into The Void) from At The Edge Of Time and Prophecies which rounded off the duo from Beyond The Red Mirror.

Hansi encouraged everyone to sing louder with every song, so much so that it was difficult to hear Michael "Mi" Schüren's keys at times as he had to compete with the choruses and the dual guitars, still it meant that to my ears the band sounded stripped back. It was pretty much classics from here on out with the dramatic The Last Candle followed by the always excellent Lord Of The Rings (both from Tales From The Twilight World) Hansi once again encouraged the crowd to sing as loudly as possible and they got their opportunity on Bright Eyes and The Script For My Requiem with both leading to just mass choirs, that lasted a little too long but with no one taking the initiative to stop we sang and sang right through to the main set closer of Imaginations From The Other Side which once again shredded the gathered masses vocal chords with its fists in the air refrain.

Imaginations...was the eleventh song in a 17 song set so after a breather to warm our voices came the encore, now the encore has been mixed up on a few different times on this tour so I was intrigued which order we would get, my questioned was answered by War Of Wrath playing as a tape which meant we went back to Nightfall... as the band dove into Into The Storm getting things started properly again, this was followed by Journey Through The Dark (cue more singing) before they took everyone right back to their speed metal roots blasting out Valhalla like it was 1989. There a few bands that can pull off a double encore and Blind Guardian are one of them, with the crowd still baying for more they once again returned to the stage with a dynamic (if truncated) Sacred Worlds showing the band's progressive side to it's full.

Then it was down to serious business, with the end of the set approaching and only really two songs left there were only really two songs there could be, as Siepen and Olbrich took to stools with acoustic guitars, Hansi introduced the next song as "the one many of you will have been waiting for" yes it was time for The Bard's Song - In The Forest which was the final sing along of the night, yes it's a silly song when you think about it but the folky number is a real crowd pleaser with Rock City in full voice along with Hansi, as quickly as it started the finale came and Mirror Mirror was the coup-de-grace for the evening ending what was a superior night of metal music. It's a shame the band don't tour more places as they are a spectacle to behold, personally I hope Bloodstock get them back sometime soon as they have the ability to headline to what I'm sure will be a a partisan crowd. As far as the Rock City show goes Blind Guardian were on top form doing what they do better than anyone 10/10

Crimson Fire: Fireborn (Pitch Black Records)

Well this is something I didn't expect at all. When I first saw the press release for Greek band Crimson Fire's sophomore album I expected it to be another quality power metal release that had similarities to Firewind, Innerwish etc I'm talking heavier than normal power metal with passionate vocals and virtuoso guitar playing. However from the opening few minutes of Fireborn I found that the band based in Kallithea were more than that, yes they can be categorised as power metal but they have a distinct macho hard rock vein that separates them from a lot of their countrymen and plonks them in the NWOBHM camp but with the melodic ear of The Scorpions. The band have had high profile guest spots with Canadian legends Anvil, NWOBHM survivors Tokyo Blade, Elixr, as well as American speed metal masters Helstar.

As well as The Scorpions influence that is writ large over this release the Harley riding Priest middle period slides in throughout, battling with Fighting The World style Manowar and also some Queensryche comes with both the backing vocals and on the slower numbers. Crimson Fire are a four piece with the engine room powered by Nemo's bass and Kostas' drums, the riffs and squealing solos supplied by Johnny with Stelios singing over the top, part Rob Halford, part Klaus Meine. You can just imagine the band clad in denim, leather, tasseled jackets and high tops riding motorbikes through a city at midnight on their way to a fight with a rival gang, with the songs on this record as their soundtrack.

In fact the video for (dreadfully named) Bad Girl is exactly what I've just described but it's gleefully tongue in cheek too, there is not a shred of po-faced Manowarisms, Crimson Fire know that it's all a bit of fun and it shows through with their music. On my first listen to the record I wanted to play the whole thing again from Take To The Skies, to the 80's loving Young Free, the rampaging Knightrider (sadly not about the Hasselhoff show), missing the one misstep of Her Eyes but revelling in the rest of the mad metal might. Fireborn is a great record which will see Crimson Fire jump out of the Greek scene and onto the world at large. 8/10

Silverbones: Wild Waves (Stormspell Records)

There is no other way to describe this record than sounding like Running Wild, Italian's Silverbones do such a good job of emulating the Germanic kings of Pirate Metal that really they could be a tribute act much like Swedes Blazon Stone, reviewed previously. Wild Waves has tracks such as Queen Anne's Revenge, Riders Of The New World, the title track and the epic finale of Black Bart; along with the cover art which features a solitary pirate facing down an enemy ship, Silverbones are definitely Under Jolly Roger for all of their debut album. With speed metal shredding and galloping rhythm section and raspy vocals that are part Rock N Rolf, part Chris Boltendahl sitting the band in the studs and gauntlet's of mid-80's heavy metal. Despite the blatant copyist sound Wild Waves is not a bad album, the band all play well and the songs carry the right amount of bombast for band's of their ilk, the songs will get you head nodding and your fist pumping but with pirate metal being a bit of a now-overlooked genre in the power metal pantheon Silverbones may be walking the plank commercially if they stick to the sound too rigidly. 5/10

Nightmen: Fifteen Minutes Of Pain (Lövely Records)

I have a bone to pick with Swedish garage rockers Nightmen and their debut record, if you are calling it Fifteen Minutes Of Pain then don't make the album 28 minutes long, it's false advertising. I joke of course as the Malmo rock n rollers spit out fuzzy, punky leather jacket clad riffs at a furious pace harking back to the 70's New York scene when CBGB's was the best night of your life. With 12 tracks the album fuses spiky punk, D.I.Y garage rock, surf tendencies and infectious power-pop, think Juliette & The Licks, Blondie, The Ramones, Cheap Trick, The Cars and Iggy Pop in a blender and you'll get an idea of what's to come. The four piece have a trio of vocalists with guitarist's Tony, Christine and bassist Erik all sharing the mic, separately or on a few tracks all at once, leading to many instances of playful call and response in the album's more romantic/lustful moments.

With speedy guitar stabs and sprinting basslines and drummer Nopan hammering his snare the songs on this record rarely make it past the 3 minute mark with only the final song Down And Out proving the exception clocking in at 4:02. The shortness of the songs is not a problem though, as music like this has to feel urgent, insistent, ready to explode into a shower of beer and hysteria at any point, which happily is what Fifteen Minutes Of Pain feels like, there's a sense of playfulness and filth about the record that pervades every song giving the album replay value as the soundtrack to your next beer bash with your leather-clad mates. A record that begs to be played loudly, don't disappoint folks! 8/10

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