Musipedia Of Metal

Alter Bridge: The Last Hero (Napalm) [Review By Paul]

After their respective sojourns with Slash and solo careers, Messrs Kennedy and Tremonti reunite with Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips for Alter Bridge’s fifth studio album. It's a darker, heavier sound than previously heard on Fortress with Mark Tremonti’s fret work as ferocious as ever. A move towards much more political themed comment is apparent from the opener, the riff heavy single Show Me A Leader through to bonus track Last Of Our Kind, with its pounding bass lines and edgy guitar.

Of course, what distinguishes Alter Bridge from Tremonti the solo vehicle is the quality of Myles Kennedy’s vocals, which are as clear and impressive as ever. The Last Hero contains 13 tracks, most of which are classic heavy rock. Marshall and Phillips lay down the concrete foundations which provide the theatre for Tremonti and Kennedy to cut loose. it's good stuff, heavy enough to give you a neck ache, with thumping tunes such as The Writing On The Wall, Poison In Your Veins and Crows On A Wire and the crushing Island Of Fools all perfect for the live arena. In fact, it's just possible that when it comes to solid heavy rock, Alter Bridge are about to enter the real big game park and step up to the plate as successors of the behemoths of Maiden and Metallica.

Yes, I think that these boys are now in that sector. With their anthems raging against governments and global warming inaction, the band have upped their writing substantially. Sure, there are a couple of weaker ones including the pretty ghastly You Will Be Remembered which raise the flag to the fallen of the U.S. forces but overall this is a big slab of meat which holds its head high and swats away challengers. Whether it can be reproduced in the live arenas where sound is often just soup is debatable but The Last Hero may just be the release that gets Alter Bridge a deserved Champions League placing. 9/10

Neurosis: Fires Within Fires (Neurot Recordings)

The masters of sludge return with their latest album, it's their 11th record, their first in four years. It sticks with the sound they have become known for. It's a piece of noise heavy, slow and deliberate post metal, moving from mind altering lighter passages augmented by Noah Landis' synths and keys to the bone rattling sludge riffs.

There's an organic sound to the record, in places it has a harrowing feel too it. There are only 5 songs on this record but all come in at over 6 minutes long, Bending Light builds from a psych opening into the slamming heaviness of it's final part Scott Kelly shouting atop the discord. A Shadow Memory slows with clean guitars from Kelly and Steve Von Till, as Jason Roeder thumps out a beat and Dave Edwardson down tunes his bass to a low fuzz. This track has the loud quiet dynamic Neurosis do so well.

I would say if you listen to this album do so on headphones as its a better experience you can hear every nuance of the songs due to the unrivalled production of Steve Albini, in some parts the record can be quite disconcerting but that's part of the appeal of Neurosis, they produce music to challenge you from an emotional and spiritual standpoint.

Fire Is The End Lesson is probably one of the most straightforward songs on the record, barked lyrics from Kelly on guitar and synth filled heaviness before drifting into an instrumental mid section as thick as molasses and eventually taking off into a ear piercing feedback assault. Broken Ground melds Hawkwind space rock with a heavy assault and Reach the final track is the longest, a labyrinthine song that ends the record with an emotive punch. Fires Within Fires is a powerful hard hitting record from Neurosis, it's uncompromising and pulls no punches, just as you would expect. 8/10

Sumerlands: Sumerlands (Relapse Records)

American heavy metal that takes its cues from the 80's but rather than the normal influences of Maiden etc they take their cues from bands such as Queensryche (The Seventh Seal and The Guardian) which could have come from Empire especially vocally where they are touches of Geoff Tate. The other big influence on this record is Ozzy which Sumerlands also having nods to Ozzy's solo records on Timelash which has some Jake E Lee style guitar playing on it without the blatant commercial sound, especially on Haunted Memories, which takes the more romantic Ozzy sound.

Much of the Ozzyisms come from the vocals of Phil Swanson, who is the direct vocal foil for guitarist/producer/band leader Arthur Rizsk who's guitar prowess on this record is immense he is flashy without being too virtuositc. This debut record harks back to an era of 80's American metal that avoided the big hair and the sleaziness by drawing from the 70's hard rock era, it's not NWOBHM, thrash or indeed glam it's just honest, slightly progressive American metal and it's a great listen. 7/10

Opeth: Sorceress (Nuclear Blast)

From their death metal roots of Orchid through to the creativity of Damnation and Deliverance and the recovery of Pale Communion after the relatively negative response to Heritage, Opeth are a band that has never stood still. Now in a position where they can sell out Wembley Arena, it's a long way from the mid 2000s where they played pubs and sweat boxes throughout Europe. It's been a steady, hard earned rise and one which most of their fans welcome. Their individual and imaginative style has rightly made them one of metal’s best kept secrets for many years. At long last the band are achieving international recognition with Pale Communion hitting 14 in the UK and 19 in the Billboard charts. Sorceress is therefore a heavily anticipated release.

What their rise in popularity has done is allow them to follow their own path. Studio album number 12, Sorceress demonstrates the sheer determination of a band unaffected by fashion, fads or the usual demands of the music industry. Recorded just down the road from us at the legendary Rockfield Studios, Sorceress fuses more of the 1970s progressive rock which has become the main flavour of recent albums with heavy dark riffage and more than a nod to the jazz world. We've been teased with the title track and its crazy looping intro for a few weeks now and the recent Damnation style Will O The Wisp single with its huge nod to Jethro Tull continued to whet the appetite.

The difficulty with reviewing any Opeth album is that it is now incredibly difficult to approach it with the impartiality that you would with an unknown band. Is Sorceress a creative masterpiece or a rather mixed palate with some rather uninspiring songs? Tom Dalgety’s production is not fantastic. Now, whether the 1970s inspiration rubbed off on him is unclear, but Mikael Akerfeldt’s vocals are often disappointingly lost in the mix.

So to start at the beginning. Persephone, a two minute acoustic number opens the album, book ending with closer Persephone (Slight Return). A deliciously fragile piece although one begins to wonder where the band are going with it. I expected Robin Hood to appear from the forest as it progressed. Sorceress follows, and having already played it to death I'm a big fan of the crazy meandering opening, the thick keyboard and rolling bass along with Martin Axenrot’s avant garde drumming before the massive crunching riff kicks in. Akerfeldt's voice is instantly recognisable, his clean vocals (no death growls on this album baby) fitting the haunting lyrics to perfection. Next up is The Wilde Flowers, a six and a half minute stomp with Joakim Svelberg’s keyboards rampant. The 1970s progressive rock feel of Camel and and Tull are present, whilst the heaviness of the opening retains some of the old school Opeth. Some excellent guitar work pops up half way through with a juicy hook on the chorus making this a memorable track.

Will O The Wisp takes us back to Harvest on Blackwater Park. More acoustic guitar, Martin Mendez’s comforting bass lines and some lovely layered synth chords underpin the whole track. It's either a routine average track or a thing of some beauty. Repeated listens lead me to the latter. Massive crashing riffs and frantic vocals launch the band headlong into Chrysalis, the second longest track on the album. There are flashes of real old school Opeth here with the galloping thump given extra emphasis with the gorgeous harmonies. For all the detractors who bemoan the recent changes in Opeth’s direction there are many more who are now beginning to appreciate the complexity and progressiveness of this band.

To me, Chrysalis, with its massive nod to the duelling guitar/keyboard battles that Messrs Blackmore and Lord had in Deep Purple’s glory days, is a glorious example of the evolution that the Swedes have undergone, retaining the heaviness of Deliverance whilst maintaining the melody throughout . Slowing the pace towards the end of the track allows the guitar work of Akerfeldt and Fredrik Akesson to shine before the fade. So far, so very good. Sorceress 2 is next. A melancholic piece which slows the pace in the middle of the album, allowing the listener to catch breath and recover thought. Another huge nod to those prog influences, although I would say this is one of the weaker tracks on the album. Kudos to Akerfeldt and co though, with the arrival of a sitar on The Seventh Sojurn. A slow burner, reminiscent of the Eastern fusion which Led Zeppelin tasted in the mid 1970s, my problem with this five minute tune is that it takes forever to go anywhere and then when the piano riff kicks in, the vocals are strangely subdued before it dies.

Strange Brew is the longest track on the album at just under nine minutes. A slow opening with Akerfeldt’s vocal echoing eerily, a crafted piece of guitar followed by a wild jazz influenced assault. Intermittent time changes and Svelberg's Hammond organ swarm over the track before the guitars crash back in along with a monster out hook. Strange Brew is hard work on first listen but slowly grows, the variation of pace and tempo surprisingly comforting. However, it fades badly at the end, to real disappointment. A Fleeting Glance, complete with harpsichord introduction is completely confusing. Some uncomfortable high pitched opening vocals make it difficult to enjoy although it recovers with gusto with some soulful guitar work as it moves towards the end. Penultimate track Era opens with a solo piano before careering out of control with some of the heaviest riffs on the album. A fast paced track, some delicious harmonies and a hark back once more to the days of Blackmore and co. This is a real grower. With the calming piano of Persephone (Slight A Return) bringing things to a close, Sorceress is on first listen quite a difficult album.

However, although Sorceress is difficult to warm to at the beginning, repeated listens and time has provided more opportunity to sit back and appreciate its many layers. With much more use of harmonies in the choruses and vocals and a wider variety of unorthodox instruments, there is too much going on to appreciate all the subtle nuances in a mere couple of hits. The musicianship is of a very high standard, with Svalberg in particular prominent throughout. Whilst I fear that this will receive mixed reviews from the metal community, I'm excited to have a ticket for their Wembley show and the opportunity to hear a couple of these tracks in the live arena. Not my favourite album of the year but not far away. 9/10

Psychostick, The Globe Cardiff

Interview:

Before the Psychostick gig, the Musipedia were lucky enough to catch a few words with bassist Matty J Moose and guitarist Josh "The J" Key.

Stief: This Is your first headlining tour in the UK, how does that feel, and did you ever expect to get to this point?

Josh: I'd say we hoped for it, but you never really can expect anything that's ultimately out of your control, you can only just do your best and hope that things work out, but things worked out.

Matty: Like, what did you think in 2000 when you were in Tempe, Arizona, trying to put these songs together for the first time, was this even remotely a thought?

Josh: Even, hell just getting a CD out was an achievement, you know? just getting a CD done was like, you know, at that point was like the proudest achievement of my life.

Matty: When you're climbing a ladder, you know, you're not focused on what's 7 rungs up that way, you're focused on getting your hand on this one and pulling yourself up to the next thing, so, I mean last year was a complete mindfuck just coming over here with Dog Fashion Disco.

Josh: Yeah, like 'I can't believe we're actually here, you know? we're doing well enough to actually be here!'

Matty: And then we get here finally last year and we're absolutely shocked, I speak for everyone when I say how shocked we were that there are so many fans here that rabidly love us and support us like all the time, and that really made it apparent, we're like 'oh man, maybe we should like, come back here all the time. Maybe we can do a headlining tour here' so this is more of an experiment than anything else, trying to get it done and with Green Jello unfortunately dropping off the tour, it's just us. Made it a little bit more difficult, but I'm still flabbergasted it's working.

Josh: Yeah, still having a good time.

Matty: People keep showing up to shows, and promoters keep paying us [laughs]

Josh: Keep drinking lots and lots of beer. Seriously, like, last year when I came here for the first time, I hadn't drank like that since I turned 21, the legal drinking age in the US, and uh, you can say the same about this tour too [laughs] so much beer!

Stief: Is our beer any good?

Matty: Oh yeah! This stuff's awesome!

Josh: I'm trying all this different shit I've never heard of.

Stief: what's your favourite so far?

Matty: It's hard to pick one, I mean, we put Guinness on our rider because we loved it so much last year, and it tastes so much smoother and richer here than it does back in the states.

Josh: Even though everybody says its even better in Ireland.

Stief: Yeah, I've heard that, my friends have said it's awesome in Ireland. (It is - Beer Ed)

Josh: It's already so much better here than it is in America.

Matty: People have been bringing us all kinds of stuff that I can't even begin to list it, I mean, this is our 7th or 8th show and we've probably sampled 20,30 different beers already.

Stief: Awesome, how do you feel the UK audiences differ from the American and Canadian audiences?

Matty: For the most part, they care more. To sum it up kinda broadly, I see kids just go all the way, whereas in America, somebody might hang out back by the bar, watch the show from the bar, enjoy it, they might not come up and say hello afterwards. They might show up, watch the show and leave without ever saying hello or buying any merch.

Josh: Americans are like, I dunno, some people can just be too cool. It's hard to get them to loosen up and just enjoy themselves.

Matty: That's a good way to put it, crowds are a lot more easy going here, they're here to have fun, not to be cool or be seen or anything else, they're here to throw down.

Josh: One thing I see here that I don't see in America is like, for example, if someone is really, really into metal here, like death metal or something like that, they don't automatically just shun all other music and just hate other music that's not metal. It's just like 'I just love the shit outta metal' it's not like 'this defines who I am.' I appreciate that, because I love my metal, but I don't feel like I have to follow a certain set of rules, like 'if you like metal you have to wear these kinds of clothes and you have to be this kind of person and you have to do these kind of things' it's not so much like that here, and it's really nice.

Stief: Following on from the first question, this is your first time playing Wales. How's Wales treating you?

Josh: Great!

Matty: I can't understand a thing, it's amazing.

Stief: Do you want to learn some welsh? I've got some written down that might be helpful. 'Oes Tafarn Yn agos i fan hyn?' which means 'is there a pub nearby?'

[Both laugh]
Matty: You don't even have to ask that question, the answer's always yes.

Stief: Any news on a new album or any new songs?

Josh: Mhmm, we actually just finished recording a song right before we came over here, and when we go back we're gonna record some more. We have a lot of music we wanna just get out.

Matty: I feel like we've been mining songs for a while, so we have a lot of song ore, and now it's ready to be smelted down and stamped into actual songs, so we have, too many ideas, too many.

Josh: We have like seven or eight that are close to done, we just agree on the final order, just learned the new song and recorded it.

Matty: We're playing one tonight, we're playing a new one on this tour so...

Josh: We got a little behind because we had to move our recording studio and we lost some time having to do that, but we're back on track and we actually just recorded our first thing in our new studio, sounds great. He was making sound panels like, literally two weeks before the tour [laughs]

Matty: We kinda shot ourselves in the foot a little bit. Preparing for this tour's, I'm gonna say a lot of work, preparing for any tour is a lot of work, but especially an international tour, especially a -headlining- international tour with buses and money, I mean I'm dealing with dollars, pounds and euros on this tour, so I've never had to do that before and that's got my head spinning. At the same time we're recording songs, at the same time we're building a studio, at the same time.

Josh: We're shooting music videos.

Matty: Shooting music videos, like all that happened in the last two weeks, so let's not do that again [laughs] let's take our time next time.

Josh: sounds good to me.

Matty: But It's fun, we've got a lot of fun stuff coming in, I'm excited, I wish I could tell you more.

Stief: Don't worry, I won't pry anymore. Finally, what's your favourite sheep?

Matty: [looks at the selection of sheep.] Ooh, pretty girls. [laughs] Just looking at them, immediately, I'm gonna have to go with the Suffolk because that's the county I grew up in, and it looks smaller, and more manageable. I dunno how much you can just grab onto a blackface or a dalesbred? I dunno.

Josh: Gimme that, I wanna see. [Takes the

Matty: But Jacob looks like the guy I'd hang out and have a beer with him. [laughs]

Josh: Let's see here, I dunno, I'm just drawn to Portland.

Matty: Portland yeah? that's my second choice.

Josh: [Laughs]

Matty: We were just talking about this yesterday, about how lamb is much less prevalent in the United States. There doesn't seem to be shepherds and that sort of thing over there, where it's really more beef based, a lot more cow, so it's nice to come over here and have so much lamb just everywhere, have that option.

Stief: Lamb and mint?

Matty: I love it...I love eating it, I don't wanna go too crazy with the love, y'know. [Laughs]

Josh: [Laughs]

Stief: [laughs] Anyway, thank you guys

Review:

The crowd is sparse at the globe tonight, but that doesn't stop self-confessed 'sexually confident' local boys Among The Dead (8) blowing the roof off the place. The band are energetic, and show that a band can be both brutal and hilarious. Lead singer Gavin Robinson's banter with the crowd puts a smile on my face, both during songs and in between. The band don't take themselves seriously, but they take their music seriously, with heavy bass and drums from Jamie Morgon and Shaun Hodson, backed up by excellent riffage from Scott 'Dotty' Morgan.

Overall, this is a band I'm going to keep my eye on, and from the looks of the crowd, they've gained a lot of fans tonight.

The same cannot be said however, for Incursion (3). They have their fans, with a few members of the crowd wearing their merch, however, I think the fans end there. It's hard to tell if the band are actually playing the instruments, and the fact their drummer is in fact a Pop Vinyl figurine of Ant Man doesn't help much and two songs in, I decide to get some air.

I return half an hour later, and the room is a lot more crowded, ready for the hilarity of Psychostick (9) With the 'Jelly' aspect of the tour, Green Jelly, having had to pull out for personal reasons, it's up to the american foursome to take over the stage. Opening, naturally, with Welcome To The Show, the band work through their classics. With most songs such as Obey The Beard and Girl Directions, the crowd are singing along, with an impromptu kazoo orchestra during Bruce Campbell surprising even the band themselves. There's a cover of a song from a cartoon (The Doom Song from Invader Zim) and We're even treated to a new song, Adulting, which gives a good idea of what to expect soon from the quartet. Frontman 'Rawrb' Kersey leads the band through every song with aplomb, and although his voice isn't the greatest, he can growl and scream with the best of them. Josh Key is great on guitars, and Matty J Moose's slap bass skills are something to see, with Alex Dontre providing the percussion. The band are just as heavy live as on album and as I walk out to the wonderful We Ran Out Of CD Space, I can't help having a huge smile on my face. At the end of the day this band is stupid, but that's why everyone here loves them.

Airbourne: Breakin' Outta Hell (Spinefarm)

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it”. To be honest, I could end this review there. The fourth album from Aussie hard rockers Airbourne follows exactly the same pattern as their previous three. Let's see, themes of drinking, partying, drinking, sex, drinking and rock ‘n’ roll. Yep, all present and correct. High speed rock ideal for breaking the motorway limits. With tracks such as When I Drink I Go Crazy, It's Never Too Loud For Me and I'm Going To Hell For This, it isn't subtle and it never was going to be. Thin The Blood allows Joel O’Keefe to really let loose, whilst the homage to cunnilingus on Down On You, including the stunningly sensitive line “it's everything a woman needs” must have taken about five minutes in the pub with a Chubby Brown DVD. It's pretty basic near to the knuckle stuff that Bon Scott and co managed to do with so much more class back in the 1970s. If you like Airbourne then this one will tick the required boxes and it does add to the repertoire available at their next live show. Solid and well played, O’Keefe’s lead guitar remains impressive whilst the remaining members, brother Ryan, Rhythm guitarist David Roads and bassist Justin Street do exactly what is required. It's formulaic, repetitive but good fun. 7/10

Brujeria: Pocho Aztlan (Nuclear Blast)

Pocho Aztlan is the first album in 15 years from Brujeria, a death/thrash/groove/grindcore outfit formed by Fear Factory’s Dino Cazares way back in 1989. The current line up contains numerous known and not so well known faces but has included Napalm Death’s Shane Embury (since 1992) and El Cynico, Otherwise known as Carcass voice and bassist Jeff Walker. Full of anger, speed and groove and completely sung in Spanish, Pocho Aztlan follows the themes the band has become renowned for, immigration, narcotics, law and order and politics. With craziness compulsory, this is the album that The Muppets Animal would drum on. The vocals of Juan Brujo, Pinche Peach and Fatsoma interplay with superb effect, the Mexican slant essential. Gritty, uncomfortable yet compelling, Pocho Aztlan is a raging slab which is well worth a listen, if only to hear the chaos in Plata O Plomo, the blistering middle section of Satongo and the closing track, a cover of The Dead Kennedys California Uber Aztlan. 8/10

Gong: Rejoice! I'm Dead! (Snapper Music)

If you don't know about Gong then this album might be a bit of a belated introduction to a whole world of psychedelic space rock. Formed in Paris in 1967, Gong has been active in a variety of line ups, with founder Daevid Allen present until 1975 and then again from 1990 until his death in 2015. The band are probably best known for their 1973-4 trilogy Radio Gnome Invisible although with so many spin offs and side projects it's impossible to nail this perfectly.

Allen apparently urged the band to continue after his death and although the line up bears no resemblance to that of the 1970s, Rejoice! I'm Dead! is a fitting tribute to Allen. Indeed, one might argue that this album, incredibly no.28 in the catalogue is as contemporary as they've ever been and a high quality exemplar of the genre. Unsurprisingly the album contains a number of lengthy meandering tracks, with Rejoice! In particular a fine ten minute noodle with some super guitar work from Fabio Golfetti, a stunning solo from one time member Steve Hillage and meandering saxophone courtesy of Ian East. Model Village and Beatrix feature posthumous vocals from Allen, his narrative adding a slightly surreal feel to two gentle tracks which allow Kavus Torabi to excel on main vocals. East’s saxophone soars perfectly whilst Didier Malherbe’s subtle contribution with the duduk adds feeling. Beatrix is slightly more disconcerting, with Allen’s eerie French being accompanied by a lone piano and then East’s mournful saxophone.

The album contains two more lengthy tunes. The 12 minute Sojurn Of The Unspeakable Stands Revealed which gives you more than a clue as to some of Opeth’s current influences with waves of synths and keys supporting the soulful sax and flute of Ian East. Cheb Nettles smooth jazz style drumming underpins the whole track, allowing the psychedelic tones of Torabi, ably supported by Dave Sturt And Golfetti, to wash through the track. Album closer Insert Yr Own Prophecy dips in at just over nine and a half minutes and is a fantastic rocking tune with some wacky vocals and runaway saxophone. It's hard to really be objective about Gong and whether the purists would even class this as Gong is debatable. However, it is a quite addictive release, one which will demand repeated plays. 8/10

In The Woods...: Pure (Debemur Morti)

It was a complete albeit lovely surprise to find out recently that the legendary In The Woods... had not only reformed but were releasing a brand new album - their first in a whopping sixteen years since the compilation album Three Times Seven On A Pilgrimage (and their first full length album since 1999's Strange In Stereo). This brought up many questions with the first being how would it sound? Would the band recapture their early atmospheric black metal sound or pick up where they left off sixteen years with another album of majestic prog metal? Who would still be in the band from the previous line up? And most importantly would it sound any good?

The majority of the classic line up return. Guitarist Oddvar A.M. sadly passed away in 2013 and frontman Jan Transit has pretty much retired from music. Fronting the band as well as playing guitars and keyboards is the very able James Fogarty (of The Meads Of Asphodel, Jaldaboath and countless other projects). Musically Pure kind of picks up where they left things in 2000 although with a less avant-garde sound than Strange In Stereo. A stunning blend of dark melancholic doominess and classic prog-rock with some extreme metal elements mixed in.

The band doesn't retread old ground though with this album sounding very current and even forward-thinking. I won't recommend individual songs as like the previous albums in the In The Woods... discography (and like any good album) this needs to be heard in its entirety. So sit back, turn up the volume and be prepared to be taken on a musical journey through light and shade and through hope and sorrow. A huge welcome back to In The Woods... 9/10

Skreamer: King Of Crows (Self Released)

London metalcore heavyweights return with their second album King Of Crows and have released the album as a free download with a lot of coverage from major 'metal' magazine. The album is chock full of brutal groove heavy metalcore anthems with a scattering of nu metal influences throughout. The songs on King Of Crows are short, sharp and straight to the point wasting no time in bludgeoning your senses which like the rest of the album has a unrelenting political edge.

They are also nicely varied in style from the driving groove of The Awakening, the grunge-influenced introspection of Vacancy, the rap rock of Welcome To Paradise to the all out nastiness of Pig Feed. Even with all these different sounds and influences coming together the album has a nice flow to it and doesn't sound disjointed. It's both equally accessible and brutally heavy and should appeal of fans of mainstream and underground metal alike. 7/10

Jinjer: King Of Everything (Napalm Records)

King Of Everything is the second album by Ukranian band Jinjer and their first release on Napalm Records. Jinjer's sound can be described as a mix of djent-esque groove metal and metalcore with cleanly sung choruses and a few extreme metal influences. The big question is does this mixing pot of styles work? Unfortunately not. Considering the amount of styles mixed together this album just sounds completely uninspiring and bland. The guitar riffs are of the standard chug-groove style with a few flourishes of technicality here and there but nothing that really grabs your attention.

The cleanly sung choruses are distinctly uncatchy and unmemorable. The only songs that really show any promise are the singles Words Of Wisdom and I Speak Astronomy and the very different samba-esque closer Beggar's Dance but these cannot salvage this album. There are some positives though, drummer Vladislav Ulasevish puts in a great performance with an impressive use of double kick and blast beats but the real stand out is vocalist Tatiana Shmailyuk who has an incredible range from deep deathly growls, throat ripping screams to impressive clean vocals.

Despite good performance and one or two interesting moments King Of Everything is a underwhelming and unmemorable experience. These guys definitely have some incredible talent but sadly haven't released an album that realises their potential. 4/10

Insomnium: Winter’s Gate (Century Media)

Shut the gates! Bolt the doors! Lock up the children and prepare the mead. Winter's Gate, the seventh album from Finnish melodic death metallers has arrived and it is an absolute beast. Consisting of one epic forty minute track split into seven parts which tells the story of a group of Vikings who follow a quest to find a fabled land through treacherous weather, Winter's Gate is without doubt the finest album Insomnium have ever made. 2014's Shadows Of The Dying Sun was fantastic, but this is just stunning. The album builds from part 1 to part 7, with the climax combining some of the heaviest and delicate elements.

Pounding guitars, crashing drums, death growls mix with soaring harmonies and gentle melodies. All are fully in the mix before part 7 delivers the mightiest of assaults on the senses. It is magnificent. The band are tight as a gnat’s chuff throughout, Markus Hirvonen’s drumming astonishing, the acoustic guitar work of Ville Friman and Markus Vanhala intricate and gentle whilst their electric work is just brutal. Niilo Sevanen’s bass work solid whilst the vocal performance is exceptional. Winter may well be coming. In fact, it may well have already arrived. Light the fires and enjoy one of the best albums of the year. 10/10

The Sword: Low Country (Razor & Tie)

Just over a year ago we reviewed The Sword’s fifth studio album, High Country, which moved massively away from their Sabbath tinged doom/stoner feel and introduced all kinds of crazy shit including jazz and electronica. It grew on me massively through the year and hit my top 10 of 2015. Low Country is not a new album in the purest sense, containing ten stripped down acoustic versions of tracks from High Country. It was recorded before High Country was released and produced by bassist Bryan Richie.

What Low Country does so well is allow John D Cronise to flex his vocals, with a number of the tracks well suited to the acoustic approach. After opener Unicorn Farm, Empty Temples provides the first real feel to the album, country fused with Americana acoustic. With added harmonies throughout, The Sword have produced a worthy piece of music which stands alone as a main or as a very tasty side dish to High Country. Kyle Shult’s guitar work is excellent and when the band add in additional musicians to enhance the tracks, it becomes even better.

High Country, Seriously Mysterious and The Dream Thieves benefit from the backing female vocals of Jazz Mills whilst the Aerosmith stomp of Early Snow has the additional enhancement of trombone (Mark Gonzales), saxophone (Josh Levy) and trumpet (Gilbert Elorreagab). Buzzards introduces a simple synth, drum pattern and some haunting electric guitar to stunning effect and closing track The Bees Of Spring is a perfect gentle conclusion to an album that compliments the previous release. This one will grow and grow. 8/10

Operation Mindcrime: Resurrection (Frontiers)

2015’s The Key saw the first in the trilogy of albums from Geoff Tate's post Queensryche outfit. The fall out has been well documented and was covered in the review of The Key so let's move away from that straight away. Tate has always possessed one of the greatest voices in progressive metal so it’s good to have him back doing what he does best. Resurrection contains the same stellar assembly as The Key with the core writing team once again Tate and, guitarists Kelly Gray and Scott Moughton. Gray and Tate have also produced this album and have done a decent job.

The first thing you notice about Resurrection is the change in tone. It is much more progressive than the first album, the songs in general more restrained and contextually deeper. The Fight is almost a ballad, with some cracking acoustic work and harmonies on the vocals. Piano, synths and keyboards all feature heavily with credit to Randy Gane's skills on the ivories. Gray and Moughton add depth with their guitar work, whether it is on the power riffs on Healing My Wounds and the powerful first single Taking On The World which features fellow bearded baldies Blaze Bayley and Tim “Ripper” Owens. Avoid the video though, it's dreadful.

Of course, being a concept album, the tracks sit tightly in formation, although they generally would stand alone too. Invincible is a seven minute smouldering beast, allowing Tate’s epic vocal to build slowly along with the track which gains momentum splendidly along with some superb guitar work. With the bass of Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson and Disturbed’s John Moyer laying the foundations in conjunction with drummers Simon Wright (ex AC/DC), Scott Mercado and Brian Tichy (The Dead Daisies), there is no doubt that this is a house built with solid shoring's.

At over an hour in length it's a piece of work that requires commitment. A Smear Campaign is one of the heavier tracks on the album with some chunky riffs combining sweetly with Gane’s sweeping synthesisers. In fact the album gets longer as it progresses, with the final five tracks all clocking in at six minutes or more. Which Side You're On sits with Dream Theater in its grandiose sound, keyboards once again leading the groove of the guitar riffs as the track builds impressively. Into The Hands Of The World is the second longest track on the album at seven minutes long, some interesting tempo changes and styles providing a real progressive feel to the track, with more than a passing glance in parts to the late David Bowie before the industrial tinged Live From My Machine brings this intriguing album to a close. 7/10

For the first time in a long time we get to review three bands that hail from God's Country and our home base of Wales.

Feeder: All Bright Electric (Cooking Vinyl)

When Feeder first burst onto the music scene in the late 90's early 2000's (straight out of Newport) many lumped them in with many of the angsty post-grunge acts around at the time, they were even dubbed the British Smashing Pumpkins for their abrasive, distorted rock. However as a kid and then a teenager growing up then their angst ridden but upbeat rock was something we Welsh could cling on to, they were from Newport and they were ours.

Happily this appreciation was shared and converted into mainstream success on Echo Park and tracks such as Buck Rodgers and Just A Day were endlessly repeated on Kerrang. On the other hand Feeder always showed signs of breaking out of the pigeonhole. In more recent years their releases have been more sporadic and critically mixed despite them producing excellent music moving away from the grunge ethos and adding more acoustics and strings, this shift in their sound means that they moved out of the consciousness of the wider public. They opted to go on a hiatus in 2013 as frontman Grant Nicholas grew more weary of the fame and perceived disappointment that they were not the band they once were. (They were they just weren't writing 'hits' but still had fantastic songwriting). In that time both Nicholas and bassist Taka Hirose completed solo albums but in 2015 the two reconvened with drummer Karl Brazil to record their ninth studio album.

All Bright Electric is probably the band's strongest work for a long while, mature and emotive it still maintains the high level of songwriting and lyricism the band have made their key feature but the music behind it is excellent, the acoustic influences are flowing as are the nods to quiet/soft grunge thing they started with but All Bright Electric is more layered than that strings and synths sit on top of Hirose and Brazil's rhythms. Hirose taking most of the slack allowing Nicholas to be more expressive with his guitar, I'm not talking fret melting solos but he is adding the harmonic touches used by Anathema and Steven Wilson playing what is necessary for the song rather than just riffs for riffs sake.

Sometimes the guitar is relegated and they lead with a piano and synths, Infrared-Ultraviolet is one such song sticking in the Anathema/Radiohead sound while the processed beats of Divide The Minority take the song into the Wilson camp. As far as the tracks on this album go, they showcase Feeder at their most creative and confident Universe Of Life is a strong lead single and starts the album with a self-assured fuzzy note before Eskimo changes the sound a little adding dark psychedelia to the pot, Paperweight is jangly percussive punk and Oh Mary is echoing, subversive ballad.

Nicholas has said he finally feels comfortable as a singer and I have to agree as his vocals are great, impassioned and defiant in equal measure. I was expecting to dislike this record and worse I was expecting to just let it pass me by, but I'm glad I made the time to listen to it, it's a record that rebirths Feeder as a band able to cope with the changing music scene and produce music that far outshines their commercial and critical heyday, the critics will change but talent is forever and Feeder have managed to adapt their talents to new soundscapes. Welcome back you've been missed! 9/10

Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard: Y Proffwyd Dwyll

Welsh doomsters MWWB are the newest in a long line of British doom metal acts, but they add an otherworldliness to their sound due to the haunting female vocals that drift dreamily over the crushing riffs below it. The music is disconcerting, undulating and filled with feedback, spiralling organs and down tuned rumbling. Gallego sits in the centre of the album as a punching instrumental that has fuzzy synths infecting it.

The bass and guitars work in unison with a low fidelity force that is at its best on the grunting title track which just goes and goes with discord that morphs into the eerie string laden middle eight before smashing back into the thunderous riffage. The band hail from North Wales (thus their album title which translates to The Prophet Fraud) and they have channeled the sparseness of the North Wales countryside into their sound. Playing this on a dark night in their native Wrexham you'd probably wee yourself, but that's the point like any good horror film it gets under your skin and grips you.

Osirian has more than whiff of London Lords of doom Electric Wizard and like their fellow wizards they are uncompromisingly heavy, their songs creep, crawl and rumble without letting up at all. Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard have probably the most apt name for their sound with paeans to magic, mystery and marijuana driven by monstrous bastard riffs. Impressive outright heaviness. 8/10

Those Damn Crows: Murder And The Motive (Self Released)

Welsh hard rockers Those Damn Crows are taking on the Yanks at their own game, the Bridgend band have produced a debut album that will be a must have for fans of bands such as Nickelback, Shinedown, Seether and Alter Bridge, while also taking some influence from Volbeat. It's radio bothering hard rock bolstered by the heavy hitting riffs and big choruses. The Fighter has both of these in droves a fast head banging riff and a confrontational hook before it grooves out towards the end.

Shane's vocals are simply excellent packing enough grit into the melodic sheen to give tracks like Don't Give A Damn some real Black Stone Cherry Southern sounding guts. Killing Me meanwhile is a drumming masterclass with percussive drive. Like I've said TDC are a band to give the Americans a run for their money, even trying their hands at an emotive rocker on Blink Of An Eye and they pull it off as this song would sound perfect blaring out of a US radio station while you cruise to your lost lover.

This record is hard rock with post-grunge gloss of the early millennials, this sound is witnessed on One Of These Nights' crunchy distorted riff but they also have bouncy classic rock or Aerosmith and G'N'R in the form of the almost throwaway but defiant Rock N Roll Ain't Dead. It's the record has a professional gloss and you wouldn't think it was debut, its a confident and assured album from band who's star burning brightly. Murder And The Motive is a top flight debut from these Welsh rockers, showcasing the talent of yet another British rock band at the apex of their talent. 8/10

Crobot: Welcome To Fat City (Wind -Up Records)

Once again letting their freak flag fly. Pennsylvania psychedelic heavy rockers return with their second full length and as the title track kicks off the record you hear that very little has changed musically. The colossal groove of the Figueroa brothers bass and drums lay down funky, pumping beat on songs such as Easy Money, which also has some parping Blues harp on it with the harmonica reappearing on Steal The Show.

The hip shaking rhythm section is the anchor for Chris' guitar which can riff like crazy on the frantic rockers such as Temple In The Sky but also he flutters over the the more sparse, trippy songs such as Moment Of Truth as well as switching between two styles on Hold On For Dear Life that shifts from stomping doom to ethereal psych. Crobot's sound is bolstered by the versatile vocals of Brandon who hollers and croons adding to the loud soft dynamic and conducting the freak outs that take place at every turn of this album.

They say the second album is the difficult one, well not for Crobot, they have come back with a storming second shot and one that will see them really establish themselves as a potent force on record as they are on stage. 8/10

Tyketto: Reach (Frontiers)

Danny Vaughn and co return with their first record since 2012's Dig In Deep and it's normal service resumed with a mix of massive AOR hooks, country flavour and funky rockers such as Big Money and I Need It Now both showcase hip shaking swagger. Tyketto have always been a lot different to many of the 80's groups, I've always found them to be in the same category as Tesla, a band with a hardcore fanbase, a few big hits over the pond but one that are overlooked.

Like Tesla they have a strong blues base that shows through on the smoky Remember My Name. Vaughn's vocals are excellent throughout adding grit to Kick Like A Mule but also packing soul on the acoustically driven Circle The Wagons. Reach is nothing new for Tyketto, the harder songs are good but like with a lot of bands of their ilk the over reliance on mid paced and slow balladeering gets a bit wearisome. For fans it's great but it won't win round any new fans for the band. 6/10

Desert Near The End: Theater Of War (Total Metal Record)

Theater Of War kicks you in head from minute one and doesn't let up pairing power metal technically and death metal ferocity, think early Iced Earth playing with Kreator, adding in a touch Behemoth and you'll see why these Greeks are an impressive prospect. The record is the third by the band and continues their concept based around the existentialist storyline that "tells the story of a man who awakes by the sea with no memory and wanders inland, in search of the sun, and himself."

The furious blastbeats take centre stage on Faces In The Dark, like a Bofors cannon pumping 40mm shells into your earholes. The drummer is a machine but he backs a band that all play with intensity from the raspy, baritone vocals and the inflammatory guitar playing the shred with force breaking out of the riffs for severe solo sections and crushing breakdowns at the end of Point Of No Return, moving to pure death/black metal on the ferocious Under Blackened Skies and adding more of the Iced Earth progressive touches to the speed metal barrage. The strong end to the record comes with At The Shores which slows the pace and displays the cleaner vocal passages, it sounds exactly like John Schaffer and co in full flight.

Theater Of War has encouraged me to seek out the previous albums from Desert Near The End (who's odd name also comes from their concept) it's an intense listening experience that will appeal to a wide audience due to its breadth of metal sound. 9/10

Possessor: Dead By Dawn (Self Released) [Review By Rich]

London-based three piece Possessor unleash their second self-released album Dead By Dawn and what a glorious racket this album is with a fantastic mix of sludge, doom, thrash and classic heavy metal. Something along the lines of Electric Wizard and Black Sabbath played at three times the speed. There's a very old school vibe to this album with a wonderfully raw and unpolished sound to it with the guitar sounding especially fearsome, distorted and dirty. All instruments are nice and clear though the vocals do get a bit lost in the mix though this adds to the old school charm of the album.
Opening song Afterburner gets things off to a cracking start with a nice horror movie sample before a truly savage riff that goes straight for your jugular. Other highlights include the groovy swagger of Scorpion Swamp, the punked up rock 'n' roll of Terror Tripping and the catchy yet vicious Without Warning. This album is definitely one to be played loud with beer in hand and head banging away. This is one awesome fuzzed out trip into hell. 8/10

Psychework: The Dragon’s Year (Ranka Kustannus Oy) [Review By Paul]

Despite their awful name and a dreadful album cover, The debut album from Finland’s Psychework is a reasonable piece of work. Full of melodic and symphonic rock, harmonies and some pretty strong vocals from singer Anthony Parviainen, The Dragon’s Year is thematically based on the singer’s fight with leukaemia. Once you know that, the lyrics take on a totally different meaning and it's hard not to embrace tracks with titles like Bullet With My Name and Hand On Heart. It’s not original by any means with Hand On Heart reminiscent of the pomp of Helloween and many of the operatic elements of the album echoing Avantasia, Nightwish and the like. Add in the drama of Tate era Queensryche and you get the picture. Musically it's a decent effort if you like dramatic melodic rock, Otto Narhi’s layered keyboards probably the stand out performance, most notably on closing track Vale Of Tears. 7/10

Druaden Forest: The Loremaster’s Time (GS Productions) [Review By Paul]

As you might expect with an outfit named after the forests of Gondor through which the Rohirrhim rode, Druaden Forest’s music is fantasy themed melodic death metal. Produced, written and fully performed by Fin Ville ‘Kalma’ Palloven, The Loremaster's Time is a complex and intriguing release, following quickly on the heels of Path Of The Dead, which arrived in March 2016. With huge riffs, skin crawlingly death vocals snarling all over it and underpinned by some haunting keyboard and synth work, it stands apart from many in the genre. The title track is an absolute beast, crushingly heavy yet delicately light at times, Palloven’s disturbing vocals prompt nightmares. Most of the album tilts towards atmospheric epics, lengthy compositions that wend and weave their way around. The Whispering Moon is a typical example, pounding drums underpinning an eerie keyboard riff whilst guitars thrash and vocals echo. It is sinister stuff and the fact that it is all generated by one musician is quite surreal. 7/10

Orange Goblin, Electric Citizen, Poseidon, Lacertilla, The Globe Cardiff

My fist gig for a while and on paper it looked like an absolute blinder, four riff hungry stoner/psych/doom bands together in one show. Doors opened early and by 7pm local noise merchants Lacertilla (7) came Crashing Into The Future with their psych influenced stoner metal, the five piece played a set drawn from their EP and full length debut and barely stopped for breath due to the shortness of their set. As normal vocalist Matt was quickly topless and throwing himself around the floor of the venue as they blasted through their set. Every time I see Lacertilla they get better and even in a short set they make an impact, well worth catching again.

Next up were London sludge merchants Poseidon (6), they were plagued by some serious sound problems for the beginning of their set meaning that they struggled to get into the set, but once they started properly their thick, sludge riffage couldn't fail to get your head nodding, Poseidon were probably odd band out on this bill, crushingly heavy and drenched in feedback and discord, a few of the crowd struggled but most reacted to the aural battering the band gave The Globe. What was noticeable in the crowd was the sheer mix of punters, the beard to hair ratio was definitely in favour of beards, but along with the normal cast of Sons Of Anarchy, there were those that had hardcore punk shirts, more mainstream rock and also a surprising amount of fleece wearing oldies, that did seem to spend most of the gig going back and forth to the bar looking slightly bemused by the noise coming from the stage.

As the PA pumped out Clutch and Mastodon almost exclusively we waited for the main support, now I'd seen them before supporting Wolfmother on their last UK tour, but as good as they were they were let down by the sound a little, unfortunately when the Cincinnati, Ohio foursome took to the stage in The Globe, there was a similar problem. The vocals of Laura Dolan were muffled by the riffs of her husband Ross' guitar, Randy Proctor's bass and Nate Wagner's drums, things weren't starting well but Electric Citizen (7) took it in their stride and after the first song the vocals were sorted meaning that you could hear Laura's harmonious wails over the Sabbath worshipping music. I've bandied this term around but when I say Sabbath worship, I mean it, many of the songs they played were so similar to the originators of heavy metal that for those of us well versed in the Birmingham legends we were playing spot the riff. They got a rapturous reception at the climax of their set and served as the ideal aperitif for the headliners.

So the changeover and the classic "Long Way To The Top (If You Want To Rock N Roll)" burst out of the PA and Ben, Joe, Martyn and Chris took to the stage, Ben booming his greeting as they kicked into Scorpionica, Joe's guitar cut out four bars in leaving just the bass and drums with Ben's booming voice. There wasn't a quick fix so with apologies the rest of the band left the stage and there was a noticeable lull. Finally after a few minutes there was a chord and life an bang Orange Goblin (8) returned at full pelt, it meant a truncated set but as the ploughed into The Devil's Whip, Saruman's Wish, Made Of Rats, the evergreen Some You Win, Some You Lose and The Filthy And The Few we got the classic Orange Goblin staples but the band did seem a little more loose than normal, the sound problems continued with feedback on the mic, but most of the crowd couldn't care less they banged their heads, pumped their fists and threw their horns to They Come Back (Harvest Of Skulls) and Quincy The Pigboy. The crowd was reasonably big for a Sunday night but the sound issues found them a little muted at the beginning however by the time Red Tide Rising came to finish Goblin had the crowd eating out of their hands. I've seen this band so many times and they always give 110% but there was a little ring rust tonight, still like I said no one else gave a shit and partied until their necks hurt and that folks is what it's all about.

Epica: The Holographic Principle (Nuclear Blast)

"The holographic principle is a property of string theories and a supposed property of quantum gravity that states that the description of a volume of space can be thought of as encoded on a lower-dimensional boundary to the region—preferably a light-like boundary like a gravitational horizon. First proposed by Gerard 't Hooft, it was given a precise string-theory interpretation by Leonard Susskind who combined his ideas with previous ones of 't Hooft and Charles Thorn"

How does this translate into symphonic metal I hear you ask? Well Epica have always been much more than a mere symphonic metal band, their use of cinematic arrangements as counterpoint to the metallic backing. The brainchild of Mark Jansen and Simone Simmons Epica seem to get more and more exciting and adventurous with every album.

The lyrical concepts they deal with mean that the albums have to be played repeatedly to let you hear every nuance, every change of pace every instrument and folks there are a lot of those on this record, even on more stripped back songs such as Once Upon A Nightmare which pairs Simmons' soaring soprano with a solitary piano the full live orchestra the band have enlisted for this record stir in the background, the orchestral elements arranged by keyboardist Coen Janssen.

On the more full flight songs such as Edge Of The Blade they have the the full orchestral backing and the PA'dam Chamber Choir to contribute the backing vocals, this means the distinctly Maiden like track is bolstered tenfold by the classical instrumentation. The choir are also a major part of Beyond The Matrix topping the swaying music below. In contrast to Simmons' angelic vocals both Jansen and drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek provide the harsh grunts and roars, witnessed at their most visceral on the antagonistic Divide And Conquer. On the electrified side of things Jansen (guitar), Weesenbeek and Rob van Der Loo (bass) are the storming engine room.

Theblast beats coming from Weesenbeek are intense with Jansen and Van Der Loo riffing like mad on Universal Death Squad and The Cosmic Algorithm which also displays the lead guitar prowess of Issac Delahaye who also contributes mandolin, balalaika, bouzouki, ukulele bolstered by Jack Pisters' sitar to the Eastern influenced Dancing In A Hurricane. At 12 tracks on the normal release, the special edition takes it to 17 with lots of bonus alternate versions, this record can be a lot to take in especially the final 11 minute title track which serves as fitting, ambitious end to this record, but give it the time it deserves and it will reveal itself to be one of the most majestic albums of the year. 9/10

Steven Wilson: Transience (KScope) [Review By Paul]

Steven Wilson is not one to rest on his laurels. Aside from working on the follow up to 2015’s stunning Hand. Cannot. Erase and the highly anticipated Blackfield V, he’s found time to release Transience, a 14 track “taster introduction” to his work. I suppose it could be classed as a greatest hits package, save for the fact he doesn’t have “hits”. The album contains tracks from all of his solo releases, starting with 2008’s Insurgentes (Harmony Korine, Significant Other and the title track) through to this year’s mini-album 4 ½ (Happiness III). The album features the talents of Nick Beggs, Guthrie Govan, Adam Holzman and Marco Minnemann and focuses on the softer, more acoustic side of Wilson’s work. Interestingly, the three tracks from 2011’s Grace For Drowning are much easier to listen to here, standing proudly independent of probably the most difficult of Wilson’s albums. Postcard for example, with its beautiful synth work and melancholic vocal just soars. Ever the perfectionist also adds his cover of Alanis Morrisette’s Thank You, which first appeared as a single in 2003 but more recently surfaced on Cover Version. It’s a quality album, and if you don’t know Mr Wilson’s work, a perfect introduction to one of the most incredible musicians of all time. 8/10

RavenEye: Nova (Frontiers Records) [Review By Paul]

Few albums can have been more anticipated than the full debut of RavenEye, the power trio formed in 2014 by super blues guitarist Oli Brown and I can honestly say that the wait has been thoroughly worth it. Last year’s EP Breakin’ Out whet the appetites but the main course is a much more satisfying dish. Brown and his trusty lieutenant Aaron Spiers (bass and backing vocals) are now completed by drummer Gunnar Olsen and have delivered 11 tracks of absolute quality rock. From the raging opener Wanna Feel You through to the much calmer closer Eternity, there isn’t a duff track on the album. The style is pretty straight forward, but oh so much more complex when you peel away the layers. Subtle time changes and styles underpin an album that reeks of excellence.

We know that Brown is an excellent guitarist but his work here shows a maturity that can only come with the practice and effort gained from the extensive and no doubt exhausting touring schedule these guys have put in over the past two years. Nova hints at some of the influences within the band whilst retaining its own individuality. Nowhere is this more apparent than on Supernova, with its huge Alice in Chains/Soundgarden feel somehow comforting and reassuring. However, the RavenEye stamp is clear on every track; this is no tribute album. The musicianship is tight and the production of Warren Riker excellent. Having heard most of these tracks in the live arena, its already clear these guys can cut it live. I’m looking forward to seeing the guys again in Cardiff at the end of the month. A stunning debut from one of the UK's most exciting bands. 10/10

Sahg: Memento Mori (Indie)

Norwegian band Sahg have been around since 2004 and they released an album every 2 or 3 years, each one mixes doom, stoner, psych, space and prog rock and their fifth is no exception. I would say that if there were any differences to this record from previous ones is that Memento Mori has a darker more somber tone. The album was released on frontman/guitarist Olav Iversen's 39th birthday and deals with the subject matter echoed by the title, (Remember, You Must Die - Latin Ed), it's an album drawn from Iversen's grieving process over some of his influences such as Bowie and Lemmy.

The feedback drenched Black Union is the start of this record, it's an unsettling one with touches of Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, but the crushing slow doom is washed away by Devilspeed which is the proto-thrash of Lemmy and co. Iversen is a versatile vocalist and guitarist and Memento Mori is yet another album that has a fusion of styles to it, the funeral doom of Take It To The Grave, the stoner Sabbath worship on the progressive Sanctimony and haunting Katatonia-esque (Praise The) Electric Sun. Sahg return with a strong album that continues the rich vein they have been mining for a good few years now. 7/10

Drunkard: Inhale The Inferno (Metal Age)

Drunkard are here to thrash till death and they sit comfortably in the blitzkrieg thrash style of bands such as Sodom, Destruction and Tankard. The Thessaloniki trio released their previous album in 2009 so there has been a long time that one and this record but they don't see to have lost a step. The core three piece of Kostas (drums), John (guitar) and Savvas (bass/vocals) are augmented by numerous guitarists adding the lead guitar to the record.

The lead guitars do seem to be a bit supplementary to the band's sound, except on the solo happy Project Satan, but for the most part it's all about the riffs, the blastbeats are supersonic, the grinding bass becomes a lead instrument along with the distorted rhythm guitar to bring big breakdowns to Exterminate To Ashes but also the cutting riffage of Luxuria Divine which has all three men going at a warp speed especially Kostas' drums. With the growling vocals of Savvas, Drunkard have a Teutonic sound to their thrash metal it's loud and dirty and violent, pulling no punches. This Greek trio know how to thrash and they proceed to rip your throat out on every single song. Pure thrash fury! 7/10

Axxion: Back In Time (High Roller Records)

Canadian's Axxion released their debut record in 2013 and it was a glorious retro filled feast for those that love bands such as Judas Priest, Tokyo Blade, Tygers Of Pan Tang and Canada's own Exciter. It's shameless NWOBHM styled metal with shrieking vocals from Dirty D Kerr, furious axe from Sir Shred, a galloping rhythm section made up of the recently joined Jason Decay (of Cauldron fame) and Alison Thunderland who smashes her drumkit to pieces on tracks such as Highway Knights.

The albums title is perfect to describe the music here in, it's the D.I.Y style of metal from the early 80's and that translates to the analogue production of this record too. Back In Time picks up where it's predecessor leaves off with super fast proto-thrash and hard rocking tracks such as All Bark No Bite. If you like your metal strictly old-school, squeezed into leather trousers, high tops and bullet belts then Axxion will take their place in your favourite bands. 7/10

Truckfighters: V (Fuzzorama Records)

Sweden's Truckfighters are one of the most revered stoner rock bands out there at the moment with an impressive back catalogue and a reputation as one of the best live bands in the genre. Two years after 2014's Universe this fuzzed out three piece return with their aptly titled fifth album V. Truckfighters don't stray too far from the riff driven fuzzy sound they have established on previous records but this album has a much looser almost jam session feel to it.

There is very much a Tool vibe and a grunge influence displayed on songs such as The Contract and on the mammoth opening song Calm Before The Storm as well as Truckfighters trademark riff assault on Hawkshaw and The 1. This is easily the most mature record by Truckfighters to date which whilst carving a path forward doesn't betray the roots of the band. Fans of the band will lap this album up as will fans of the desert/stoner rock genre. 7/10

Re-Armed: The Era Of Precarity (Saarni Record)

Finland's Re-Armed return with their third album The Era Of Precarity and pick up where they left off with another album chock full of apocalyptic themed catchy death/thrash anthems. The Era Of Precarity wastes no time in getting things going. Including the atmospheric yet epic intro Nova Ordo Seclorum we are subjected to a barrage of twelve sharp and aggressive songs all of which are at a nice duration and are varied enough to retain your interest throughout.

The albums run from aggressive yet hook driven thrashers such as Through The Barricades and Riot Act, the mid-paced groove heaviness of Evolve Cycle and Cursed Beyond Belief to the all-out speed assault of Three Headed Beast. Re-Armed seem to improve album to album with this their most accomplished and enjoyable work to date. Although not groundbreaking it is a vastly enjoyable 44 minutes of speed and aggression with enough hooks and melody to make a lasting impression. 8/10

Veilburner: The Obscene Rite (Self Released)

Veilburner are not a band for the faint of heart or for those with a short attention span. This two piece from Pensylvania mix a number of musical styles together which results in a sound that is chaotic, confusing and at times damn frightening. As a first time listener of this band it was certainly an interesting experience. Veilburner at their core play black metal in the vein of bands such as Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord. Add into the mix some death metal, industrial, prog and psychedelic sounds and you have Veilburner. They are also very reminiscent of some avant garde black metal bands such as Arcturus and Dodheimsgard.

Even with such a plethora of different sounds going on this album is still cohesive but maybe not so memorable. This is an album that demands several listenings for it to really click. The performances on the album are incredible with all instruments handled by Mephisto Deleterio and vocals by Chrisom Infernium with a range from black metal screams, guttural death metal growls to some impressive clean vocals. With so much going on even in the space of a single song this can be overwhelming for the average listener and this album will only appeal to those who like their music complex and challenging. 7/10

The Radio Sun: Outside Looking In (Melodic Rock Records)

The Radio Sun are an Australian AOR band that are trying to compete with the huge rise in Scandinavian melodic rock that has been on the rise since the millennium. Luckily TRS have maintained their high strike rate from their debut and second record. The songs hark back to the glory days of AOR when Journey, Reo Speedwagon, Night Ranger all ruled the airwaves but they add bands such as Firehouse, Trixter and Mr Big to the mix due to the sublime vocal harmonies and guitar driven nature of the songs. The opening few songs are all bouncy radio bothering melodic rock driven by a steady rhythm section and huge vocal hooks. The guitars are clean and biting, blending with the keys that are obligatory in this kind of music.

All the instruments are vital to the sound with nothing taking precedence until the sparkling guitar solos of course but even then the rigorous rhythm keeps beating. Guitarist Stevie Janevski is also in Aussie power metal band Black Majesty this link is evident on the rockier strains of One Of These Days. What I love about this band that all of their songs are bright, sunny and upbeat even on the more romantic numbers such as the title track they have a hopeful outlook. They've managed to bring in a couple of guests to with Nelson six stringer supplying a solo to Falling For You and ex-Danger Danger vocalist duetting with Jason Old on Wink & A Smile.

It's the kind of AOR I love unashamedly bright and breezy but with a solid level of musicianship underpinning it. Chock full of melodic rock anthems, fist clenching rockers such as Bulletproof and saccharine ballads like Baby Blue, Outside Looking In is the fine third album from this Australian band who have taken what they have done before and refined it yet again. They make it sound easy and it's a triumph yet again. 8/10

Anciients: Voice From The Void (Seasons Of Mist)

I'll admit I've never heard of Anciients but this Canadian act touted a progressive metal band and it's hard to argue because this second full length is full of complicated musicianship, intense time changes and big slabs of heaviness. The band sound a lot like Mastodon they have a percussive force that rivals Brann Dailor and co. They also have the dual guttural clean vocal sound of the Atlanta band with guitarists/vocalists Chris Dyck and Paul Cook both sharing vocal duties. The cleans have the Southern drawl to them but the guttural roars sound a lot like his Opethness Mr Akerfeldt.

This album has rock hooks slipped into overarching heaviness, Buried In Sand is a testament to this with classic rock guitar solos coming after a slow sludge metal build before Mike Hannays' drums power the middle section while Boons bass keeps the pace until the track explodes into its most melodic part. Driven by hard rock melody, overshadowed by metallic heaviness and underpinned by groove Voice From The Void lives up to billing as a hotly anticipated release, it's music packed with riffs, shifting time signatures and intense guitar workouts. If you worship at the altar of Mastodon and yearn for Opeth to return to their Blackwater Park days then Anciients will fulfil those desires with gusto. 7/10

Fallen Temples: The Future We Left Behind (Self Released)

Fallen Temples are the band formally known a Tidal. A favourite here at MoM towers, since the Tidal debut album they have shrunk down to a three piece but the groove is still strong with these ones. Taking their cues from Clutch, Mastodon, obviously Sabbath along with nods to Soundgarden, this is groovy, heavy rock music, that has some stoner elements to it. With thundering rhythm section from the Joe's, Stirland (drums) and Lewis (bass) tracks like Cut The Wire rumble along underpinning the heavyweight power of the band as guitarist/vocalist Adam Vaughan riffs with a technical panache to throw in flourishes of heroism on The Hunt but also keeps the riffs flowing.

His vocals too are spot on for the music, they are strong and clean and on the Touching The Void they have some grit to them too. This is one of the best tracks on the four track EP with a great rhythm riffage from Lewis, expressive drumming from Stirland and some searing lead guitars but they flex their muscles on the final track Eternal Drift which slows things down and adds some genuine feeling to the chorus. Fallen Temples brilliantly rise from the flames of Tidal with a sound that is similar but one that takes them to the next level in their evolution. I just have one question, when's the full length guys? 8/10

Van Der Graaf Generator: Do Not Disturb (Esoteric Recordings)

The VDGG are a different beast to the one that arrived with huge dollop of weirdness back in 1967, the line up has remained reasonably consistent since 1968, really only decreasing to the three piece they are now. The saxophones of Dave Jackson that were used liberally in the early years have all but been replaced, but the constant presence that is Peter Hammill remains at full strength. His guitar, piano, keys and of course vocals are the major elements of the band, the vocals particularly are what separate them from many of the other 'prog' bands out there at that time. His languid, slightly aggressive, vocal delivery is is trademark, only truly being echoed by the vocals of Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson (but his lower register not the Air-Raid siren highs).

Do Not Disturb is the bands 13th album overall and it has claimed to be their last, so how does it measure up to their legacy. Well the record sees VDGG in reflective, sombre mood, no they've never been the most upbeat of bands as much of their back catalogue is from the darker end of the musical spectrum but Do Not Disturb seems to be more reflective than ever, almost like the band are coming to terms with their legacy. Hammill once again becomes the ultimate narrator for the lyrics while the music from himself, drummer Guy Evans and organist/bassist Hugh Banton is as off-kilter, technically impressive, aurally striking and downright weird as normal, but as I've said this time wrapped in a bittersweet coating.

Evans' drumming is frenetic, evocative and scientific, with Banton's organs taking up the slack left by Jackson's departure more so on this record than ever before, they are keys to the more orchestral offerings such as Alfa Berlina. The combination of the insistent drums, overwhelming organs, mellifluous guitars, introspective pianos and Hammill's unique vocals means that Do Not Disturb is a more vicious beast than previous efforts, it has a defiance that screams VDGG are not going down without a fight. As is normal the record is a melting pot of genres with jazz cutting into the proggier than thou rocker (Oh No I Must Have Said) Yes, Canterbury folk on Forever Falling, flagrant Floydisms with Brought To Book all of which leading to the finale of Go which suddenly casts the dark cloud over the record in it's closing moments. If as Hammill says this is the final VDGG record then it's a triumphant and fitting end to this always interesting, never compromising, influential group. 8/10

Red Fang: Only Ghosts (Relapse)

Three solid years of touring have paid dividends Red Fang sound at their best, honing their impressive live talents and putting them down on record for the first time. Flies is a pounding hard rocker that takes the Motörhead style of raw speed and fuzz riffs, the dual vocals coming into their own while a few psych elements creep in with the synths. On Cut It Short they add some groove with throbbing bass and a start stop rhythm relies heavily on the clean vocals and it's to its benefit, there's a touch too of grunge to the track, it also has a great break in the final third with excellent drum fills on the track that sounds a lot like QOTSA.

It leads into the feedback filled Flames which serves as an outro that builds into the down-tuned disconcerting aggressiveness of No Air. Red Fang have always had more of a hard rock sometimes punkier sound than many of their contemporaries it shows on the riotous Shadows and the snotty Not For You both of which have a D.I.Y ethos, albeit with better production values. Only Ghosts is the strongest effort from Red Fang yet moving away from the Mastodon style in their early sound and fleshing out to broader boundaries. A strong return from Red Fang especially if you love your rock/metal chocked full of riffs. 8/10

Dynazty: Titanic Mass (Spinefarm)

Swedes Dynazty (terrible spelling) play a direct, punchy style of power metal that uses synths and electronics to bolster their sound. The Human Paradox starts the album off with the Rob and Mike's dual guitars powering the track along with the pulsing electronics, a fantastic opening song that hooks you into Dynazty's sound. It's really a sign of things to come as the rest of the album continues in a similar way, they sound a lot like Amaranthe and the more modern releases from legend Stratovarius, George's double kick drums and Johnathan's bass driving the songs with a bounce but it's really the synths that give this album it's incredible sound, it's in your face and direct with every song just ramped up to maximum, much of this is due to frontman Nils' impassioned vocals that can melt the hearts of the hardest naysayer and it's all bolstered by Pain's Peter Tägtgren production, he's the reason this album is heavy and danceable.

The solos fly between the two guitarists but they never intrude on a great chorus, songs such as Roar Of The Underdog merge both impressively it's a chest beating track with a one-against-all theme to it. The title track and Keys To Paradise continue with the theme of the record managing to meld Maiden with electro excellently, Keys To Paradise also acknowledging the influence of Symphony X, finally the band ease off the gas on the chugging I Want To Live Forever which is a dramatic middle to the record and the last track The Smoking Gun is an orchestral climax worth waiting for. Titanic Mass is a great power metal album and one that makes me very excited to see them later this month! 8/10

The Birthday Massacre, The Fleece, Bristol

After hearing that The Birthday Massacre were doing a tour and playing what seems to be the Musipedia's second home for gigs, Bristol, Me, Nicola and Dan jumped at the chance to go see the
Canadian Darkwave sextet.

Walking into the Fleece, we are greeted by the dirty synth-tinged sounds of Stereo Juggernaut (7) of whom we only manage to catch a few songs. Definitely one to keep an eye on. After a sound check, The Dead Betas (4) enter the stage dancing to Haddaway's What Is Love. However, this is the highlight of their set. Their sound may be to some people's taste, but their synth-punk noise isn't great, at times sounding like a bad tribute act to the Sex Pistols. Overall, slightly disappointing.

The same can be said about Among The Echoes (6) visually covering the musical spectrum from death metal to goth to Bono. Musically, the band are great, but lead singer Ian Wall's vocals are just lacking for want of a better word. His voice never seems to rise above the rest of the band's sound, and when it does, makes every song sound like a dirge. Essentially, they make you think that just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Finally The Birthday Massacre (9) enter the stage and break immediately into Broken, alleviating any worries that tonight was a waste. The band are constantly engaging, lead singer Chibi joking with guitarist Rainbow, the entire band working together like a close-knit family. The main thing I seem to notice about the Birthday Massacre is that there's very little banter between each song. A few words, the odd joke then the band blast into yet another classic.

Chibi's vocals are great, moving from haunting clean vocals to sinister growls effortlessly, all fitting perfectly with the synths of Owen on keyboards. It's all brought together by Falcore's lead guitar, Rhim's percussion and the aforementioned Rainbow who also provides the backing vocals on most songs. The band's sound is tight, and apart from some technical difficulties with Rainbow's guitar at the beginning of the set, and one occasion in which Chibi's microphone seemed to cut out, the band blow us away, the crowd bouncing and swaying to every song. An excellent finish to a somewhat mixed bag of a night.

The Mission, O2 Academy, Bristol

Imperious. Magical. Confident. Captivating. Four words that sum up The Mission live. The hair may be shorter or in Craig Adams case gone, the energy slightly less but replaced with a maturity that only comes to bands that are masters of their craft.

Opening act Peter Murphy (6) did a fine job of warming up the slowly filling venue. It’s been several years since the “Godfather of Goth” spent much time on British soil, with only sporadic appearances but the man forever associated with Bauhaus has never lacked confidence. An interesting 'Stripped’ set consisting of songs from his solo albums and of course a smattering of Bauhaus covers was enjoyable with his two New York City musicians particularly impressive.

Of course, there was only one band the crowd had come to see and the anticipation reached fever point as the house lights dimmed and The Dambusters March blasted out of the PA. A mixture of old school goths, metal heads, youngsters and older fans who were around when the band first toured. Kicking off with Beyond The Pale, The Mission (10) were on fire from the start, Wayne Hussey the central figure with his voice retaining both the deeper tones and the higher pitches needed. His twelve string guitar prominent, it’s only when you watch the band live that you remember how pivotal his guitar work is to the band’s sound. To his right, bassist Craig Adams weaved in and out of the action, rightly stopping the show after a stunning Serpent’s Kiss when some overzealous security staff waded into the exuberance of the mosh pit with all the grace of a herd of hippopotami. Hussey was decisive, ordering them out of the main floor unless “I tell you to go in”. The crowd reacted in fine style, self-policing the pit for the rest of the gig.

After announcing that the excellent Another Fall From Grace had become the first album to hit the top 40 since 1992, the band launched into Tyranny Of Secrets from said album. The new material fits seamlessly with the rest of the band’s catalogue, with the brilliant Met-Amor-Phosis inciting almost as many outstretched arms as the more recognisable songs. The lovely Evi Vine provided backing vocals for a number of tracks, essential for the likes of Severina which saw the audience reach new heights of ecstasy. It would be remiss of me not to mention the other two band members, guitarist Simon Hinkler maintaining the same position he did back in the 1980s, totally focused on his craft and looking majestic in shades and hat. Meanwhile the hyperactive Mike Kelly laid down the backbone on the drums and wine swigging duties.

As the set powered towards its first encore, the tracks that generate the most enthusiasm arrived. The awesome Tower Of Strength included the traditional human tower in the pit, with many younger ladies on shoulders giving the goth hands in fine style. The band provided an extended version, fusing the track with the Eastern style it has always retained. A blistering Wasteland concluded the main set, allowing time to reflect on just how good this band actually are. Two sets of encores included fan favourite Butterfly On A Wheel before the most epic version of Deliverance concluded a quite magnificent evening that left the audience buzzing.

30 years has passed in the blink of an eye. It only seems like yesterday that The Mission were a breaking band on TV shows like The Tube. This is a band who have matured during that time. Imperious. Magical. Confident. Captivating.

The Mission: Another Fall From Grace (Eyes Wide Shut)

Back in the mid 1980s when I was in high school, metal was my religion. It still is of course but at that time anything without a thumping riff, long hair and tight as hell jeans was of no interest to me whatsoever. This changed when one of my best friends, who had always veered away from the heavier elements of music introduced me to the Sisters Of Mercy. Their debut album First, Last And Always was still very much rock but lent in the opposite direction to the path I was following. Full of sorrow and dark moods, The album was special.

Wayne Hussey and Craig Adams then left to form The Mission and the classic Gods Own Medicine was soon a regular on the turntable. Hussey's twelve string guitar work and mournful yet melodious voice combined with Adams solid bass lines and Simon Hinkler's hypnotic guitar produced a real monumental piece of work. Wasteland, Blood Brother, Severina, Stay With Me and the beautiful Garden Of Delights all cast their spell and remained etched in the memory. Over the years The Mission have continued to produce high quality music staying true to their Gothic overtures whilst always having more than a nod to the rock world.

Roll forward a mere 30 years and album no.12 Another Fall From Grace provides evidence, if that was ever needed that Hussey, Adams, Hinkler and drummer Mike Kelly are still able to produce the quality that oozed through that first album. Indeed, Hussey has stated that AFFG is “the lost link between First, Last And Always and God’s Own Medicine”. The link is undeniable, from the first stalking bars of the title track through to the haunting Phantom Pain which closes the album. Imperious, confident and overall just pretty special, AFFG is almost the perfect blue print. Hussey retains the mystery and arrogance in his vocals, with stand out tracks Jade and the magnificent Met-A-Morphosis highlights.

The cutting yet delicate guitar sound combines with piano with some panache on Jade whilst the oriental laid back flavour of Bullets And Bayonets hits the mark. The pacier side of the band with its indie guitar sound is prevalent on Can't See The Ocean For The Rain and Met-Amor-Phosis, a track that really returns you to 1986 albeit with a fresh feel. Throw in some heavyweight names on backing vocals (Gary Numan, Martin Gore from Depeche Mode, Him’s Ville Vallo, Julianne Regan from All About Eve and Evi Vine) and this album has it all. 30 years later, The Mission sit comfortably in the legends of Rock column and remain as vital today as they did back in those dark days of the 1980s. 9/10

Darkthrone: Arctic Thunder (Peaceville Records)

Few bands have been as influential in the world of black metal as Norwegian duo Darkthrone. Formed in 1986, and heavily influenced by Bathory and Celtic Frost, Fenriz and Nocturno Culto (real name Ted Skjellum) produced some of the defining black metal albums with their unholy Trinity (A Blaze In The Sky, Under A Funeral Moon and Transilvanian Hunger) hailed as classics. Since 2006 the band has moved away from the traditional black metal style and headed towards more traditional metal sound which primarily features speed and punk influences. Arctic Thunder, the band's 16th release maintains this direction, although there is a massive nod back to those early influences of Thomas Gabriel Warrior and co throughout the album.

It's a pretty reliable slab, thrashy and stomping, with tracks like opener Tundra Leach and Burial Bliss pretty straightforward but also mighty fine. Fenriz’s vocals are reassuringly guttural and gravely, whilst the musicianship of the pair is excellent. Massive riffs and pounding rhythms leave no question about the heaviness of the album. Check out Inbred Vermin for evidence. The album contains more than a passing nod to Venom as well as Celtic Frost along with the induced speed of Motorhead. The album drips with hooks and opportunities to bang that head, with the stomping Deep Lake Trespass possibly the pick of the songs. This is an album well worth checking out, regardless of your tastes in black metal. 8/10

The Brew: Shake The Tree (Jazzhaus Records)

British powerhouse blues rockers The Brew have long been on our radar at the Musipedia. It took several years to finally catch them live, due to a combination of bad luck and cancellations but in 2014 we did finally see them at Hard Rock Hell. Their gritty, earthy blues rock certainly appealed then and their sixth full release, Shake The Tree certainly reinforces our earlier views on them. A straight forward ten track album, Shake The Tree oozes quality from the start with the skilful playing of Tim Smith, Kurtis Smith on drums and lead vocalist/ guitarist Jason Barwick gelling superbly. Barwick’s gritty voice is ideally suited to The Brew’s sound and his guitar sound is excellent. Downright dirty, soulful and bluesy and just all out hard rocking are the key descriptions of an album laden with hooks and melody. Black Hole Soul, Johnny Moore and the title track are fine examples of the band kicking out the jams. If you like your music with a hard rock edge and dripping with melody, this is an essential purchase. 8/10

Winterfylleth: The Dark Hereafter (Candlelight Records) [Review By Paul]

When Winterfylleth, arguably the UK’s most advanced and technically excellent black metal outfit released their masterpiece The Divinity Of Antiquity in 2014, few would have complained if the band had followed in the steps of Bolt Thrower with Those Once Loyal and never recorded another album, such was the quality of that release. Fortunately, the English Heritage metallers moved forward and The Dark Hereafter incredibly tops their previous release. With the usual power and might, the band pursue more anthems focusing on nature, the English countryside and the folly of man’s approach to the natural world. The title track opens the album with incredible pace and gusto, the sheer technicality of the band immediately noticeable. In fact, the technical skills of an already brilliantly competent outfit have improved even more.

Dan Capp and Christopher Naughton’s guitar work is exceptional throughout, with the subtle nuances demanding repeated plays for full appreciation. There are two massive tunes on this album. Green Cathedral, a 13 minute epic which considers the relationship of nature and the rural world as a more enriching source of spirituality than any religion. Based on a concept by author Ben Myers, it is a powerful moving piece which demonstrates that whilst the band can slow the pace without losing the charge and it also highlights the impressive changes that Winterfylleth have made to their sound in recent years. Closing track Led Astray In The Forest Dark is the other beast, a faithful cover of Ulver's I Troldskog Faren Vild. The chanting vocals gives the band an almost monastic quality, with the slower pace losing none of the heaviness we associate with the band, thunderous drums from Simon Lucas anchoring the band solidly with Nick Wallwork’s bass lines running riot. The Dark Hereafter is stunning in every aspect. An underrated band who continue to surprise. 10/10

Sonata Arctica: The Ninth Hour (Nuclear Blast)

Sonata Arctica's ninth album (thus the title) continues to reintroduce the wolf theme that seemed to disappear on Unia but has re-emerged since The Days Of The Grays and was especially prevalent on Pariah's Child. The Ninth Hour also deals with the well worn tropes of nature, spirit and also politics the band are seen at their most politically aware on Fairytale which is a damming indictment of the current political culture especially one haystack-haired individual. Musically the band are possibly the grandiose they have ever been, all of the tracks are multi-layered to hell and back taking from Nightwish's and Epica's current mindset of more is more this does mean that sometimes the nuances of the music are lost a little, something not helped by the slightly flat production.

However as ever the songwriting and lyricism of frontman and band talisman Tony Kakko is the bands saviour, the lyrics are striking, stirring and passionate conjuring the emotion to the songs. Elias Viljanen (guitar), Henrik Klingenberg (keys) Pasi Kauppinen (bass) and Tommy Portimo (drums) are the musical backing that moves effortlessly between the progressive power metal sound Sonata have cultivated (Rise A Night) and delves deeper into the classically influenced bombast that they are now more comfortable with. Klingenberg's piano /keys/synths are the key part of this adding the multiple layers to the songs.

As I've said many of the songs deal with human beings being the shepherds of the earth and explicitly pro-nature and talks at length about the humans predisposition to ignore things on We Are What We Are as well as our care for our furry brethren (especially wolves) on Animals and it's slight return On The Faultline (Closer To The Animal). Don't fret though it's not all doom and gloom and neither is it overly preachy, these are informed opinion set to music told in Kakko's unique way with a wry smile and a big heart. Moving away from the thematic tracks we have Among The Shooting Stars, Fly, Navigate, Communicate both of which deal with other issues, Werewolves and flying respectively meanwhile White Pearl, Black Oceans (Part II: By The Grace Of The Ocean) continues the story theme established on Reckoning Night.

The Ninth Hour is probably the strongest album of the post Unia period, it is the culmination of the bands metamorphosis from power metal purveyors to classically influenced dramatic rockers. Sonata Arctica have always been one of my favourite bands and Tony remains one of the most unique voices in metal but with a few tweaks the band could break out of the prog/power scene infect the mainstream charts too. 8/10

Giraffe Tongue Orchestra: Broken Lines (Cooking Vinyl) [Review By Paul]

Supergroups. Pah! Ten a penny these days as artists look for alternative paths to creativity or perhaps the cynical would say look to earn an extra penny or two. On occasion though the collaboration just comes together magnificently to provide something different and exciting, piquing the interest. Killer Be Killed certainly did this and now we have Broken Lines, the maiden release from Giraffe Tongue Orchestra. With the double shred of Brent Hinds of Mastodon and Ben Weinman (Dillinger Escape Plan), William Duvall of Alice In Chains, Thomas Pridgen (The Mars Volta) and drummer Pete Griffin (Dethlok), GTO deliver 40 minutes of jazz fused, biker styled hard rock which constantly changes, intrigues and roars. Blood Moon with its bat shit crazy gore filled video and the politically charged themes of Crucifixion provide plenty of interest. and the metal stomp of Back To The Light with its intricate guitar work scurrying away like rodents is how the Manics would sound if they had the balls to really rock out. The funk flavour tastes delicious. Duvall in particular has really been allowed to unleash, his voice the perfect fit to the massive riffs and cross shredding. This is a fantastic release. Can we have a UK tour please? 9/10

Meshuggah: The Violent Sleep Of Reason (Nuclear Blast)

With the recent uprising in Djent over the past few years it's sometimes easy to overlook the bands that inspired the entire movement. Meshuggah are the most definite influence on the entire down-tuned, palm muted riff fests of bands such as Periphery, but as the innovators have they been left behind by the young generation? Far from it in fact The Violent Sleep Of Reason continues to re-establish why Meshuggah are the originators of the genre and why this one of the most highly anticipated releases. The Violent Sleep Of Reason almost deconstruct metal to it's most primal form, it's an aggressive record as you might expect but lyrically the themes are a commentary on terrorism, extremist views on ideals, religious dogma.

The music reflects the rallying cry of the lyrics with the immediacy of MonstroCity sees Jens Kidman roaring as the chugging riffs come at a flurry the lead guitars shredding over the rhythm on the breakdown middle section. It's very much a case of riff and repeat with Meshuggah, their music is not based upon intricate solos and massive hooks, it's made to bludgeon with technical fury and bludgeon it does. From the 7 minutes opening Clockworks, through the off-kilter By The Ton, the melodic, percussive Nostrum and climaxing with the fuzzy, noisy Into Decay Meshuggah beat you into submission and you keep wanting more. This record isn't going to win anyone over who's not a fan, but what it will do is bring Meshuggah to the generation that may have heard the name but not felt the full force of the Swedes power. 8/10

Kyng- Breathe In The Water (Razor & Tie)

Fresh of a tour with Clutch, stoner trio Kyng unleash their third full length record. At 14 tracks its a bit of a monster and has the stoner sound Kyng do well and the touring between records has obviously been to their benefit as this record is a honed piece that sees the band stretching their remit a bit on the stomping hand clap driven title track, adding some slow burning blues for Show Me Your Love and a Soundgarden edge to Song For A Broken Masque. The three piece are all superb musicians drummer Pepe displaying his dexterity and power on Closer To The End with flailing drum patterns that allow the loud/quiet parts to be more effective, it's a progressive number but the drums maintain the powerful beat.

At the front end of things Tony's bass is the anchor and main exponent of groove while Eddie's guitar is usually fuzzy but at times can be melodic, his vocals are a whiskey hued bonus too preferring the clean sound of Neil Fallon than the rougher stoner metal vocal. What's very evident about Kyng is their professionalism, they sound like they should be on their eighth or ninth record rather than their third. On the evidence of this record Kyng have a bright future, it's the sort of stoner rock music I love and I for one look forward to seeing Kyng on these shores soon. 8/10

Gone Is Gone: S/T (Rise Records)

Another week another supergroup featuring a member of Mastodon, first was Killer Be Killed (Troy Sanders) then more recently Giraffe Tongue Orchestra (Brent Hinds) and now we have Gone Is Gone which once again features Sanders on bass and vocals, along with him are no members of Dillinger Escape Plan (who also seem to have an affinity to supergroups) but instead on guitars is QOTSA's Troy Van Leeuwen, behind the drums is At The Drive-In's (no strangers to supergroups themselves) Tony Hajjar and keyboardist/guitarist/everything else Mike Zarin who along with Hajjar composes video game/movie trailer music. This record started out as another selection of instrumental soundscapes from Hajjar and Zarin but they added Van Leeuwen and Sanders and both have lent their stamp to the record.

It's a much more radio bothering album than the sometimes abrasive works of the members day jobs, this is a softer, darker, morose sound than any of the main bands using reliant more on the synths and keys in the mix than there would be in any of the component parts. This is not a criticism by any means it gives all those that have already got a pedigree a new avenue for their talent, but it does mean that if you enjoy the direct ferocity of any of the bands mentioned earlier you may find this record a bit ponderous. Sanders vocals too may grate slightly, his gruff battle worn throat is given room to sing on this record, but he struggles with the softer pieces. Gone Is Gone lacks that oomph many will expect and due to this the songs do blur into one, one for just a passing interest. 6/10

Reviews: Alter Bridge, Neurosis, Sumerlands

Monster Review: Opeth (Review By Paul)

The Spotlight: Psychostick (Live Review and Interview By Stief)

Reviews: Airbourne, Brujeria, Gong (Reviews By Paul)

Reviews: In The Woods, Skreamer, Jinjer (Reviews By Rich)

Reviews: Insomnium, The Sword, Operation Mindcrime (Reviews By Paul)

Reviews: Feeder, Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Those Damn Crows

Reviews: Crobot, Tyketto, Desert Near The End

Reviews: Possessor, Psychework, Druaden Forest

A View From The Back Of The Room: Orange Goblin

Reviews: Epica, Steven Wilson, Raveneye

Reviews: Sahg, Drunkard, Axxion

Reviews: Truckfighters, Re-Armed, Veilburner (Reviews By Rich)

Reviews: The Radio Sun, Anciients, Fallen Temples

Reviews: Van Der Graaf Generator, Red Fang, Dynazty

Another Point Of View: The Birthday Massacre (Live Review By Stief)

A View From The Back Of The Room: The Mission (Live Review By Paul)

Reviews: The Mission, Darkthrone, The Brew (Reviews By Paul)

Reviews: Winterfylleth, Sonata Arctica, Giraffe Tongue Orchestra

Reviews: Meshuggah, Kyng, Gone Is Gone