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Reviews: Suffocation, Artificial Brain, Azarath, Foreseen (Reviews By Paul)

April 24, 2017, 1:33 pm
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Suffocation: ...Of The Dark Light (Nuclear Blast)

It's been four long years since one of the most consistent and brutal death metal bands, Long Island's Suffocation provided us with Pinnacle Of Bedlam. Their eighth album has been worth the wait, 35 minutes of absolute filthy death metal which stands alongside their contemporaries Immolation and Cannibal Corpse as exemplars of the genre.

The album is the first to feature rhythm guitarist Charlie Errigo and drummer Eric Morotti who acquit themselves well, with Morotti's pounding blast beats particularly intense. Vocalist and founder member Frank Mullen's vocals remain as guttural and growling as ever, whilst the rapid fire technical approach complete with multiple complex time changes and welcome break downs which have long symbolised the band's approach remain in situ. Veteran guitarist Terrence Hobbs continues to deliver most astonishing work with scalar runs and palm muting a plenty.

Mullen's roars, for example on the volcanic Return to the Abyss are quite horrifying. It's been a long time since Effigy Of The Forgotten helped set the blueprint for the grind core fused death metal. Suffocation remain a vital part of a burgeoning scene. Their assault on the Bierkeller in Bristol in August is going to be unmissable. 9/10

Artificial Brain: Infared Horizon (Profound Lore)

This is technical death metal at its most intense. Artificial Brain, coming at you from Long Island, New York was formed in 2011 by Revocation guitarist Dan Gargiulo and vocalist Will Smith of Biolich. Infrared Horizon is the band's second release following the intensity of 2014 debut Labyrinth Constellation. Crammed full of astonishingly intricate and technical death metal with some of the most astounding guitar work heard for many years, tracks such as Synthesised Instinct and Floating In Orbit pulse and snake around you, pulverising yet at times so detailed you have to stop and listen again.

Technical death metal is as extreme as I can take and Artificial Brain push to the limits. Their cosmic sci-if themes mesh fantastically with the relentless pace and Smith's brutal growl which is so sinister at times you think about hiding out of aural range. With some brilliant artwork to match the sheer velocity of the band, this is an album that is well worth getting hold of. Blisteringly good. 8/10

Azarath: In Extremis (Agoina Records)

2017 has been flooded with top quality death metal releases. Storming output from legends such as Immolation, Memoriam, Obituary, Hour of Penance and Suffocation. All rightly revered as leaders of the genre. Alongside the bigger names come a slew of lesser known outfits who can deliver just as intensely and heavily. Formed in 1998, Polish death metal outfit Azarath's sixth release, In Extremis sits comfortably next to those bigger guns. Unsurprisingly the themes focus on satanic and anti religious topics, with The Slain God, The Triumph Of Ascending Majesty leaving little to guesswork.

Azarath are as brutal as any on the scene with machine gun level intensity drumming from founder member Zbigniew "Inferno" Prominski and the technical excellence of guitarists Bartlomiej "Bart" Szudek and Marek "Necrosodom" Lechowski repeatedly slicing your face off. Lechowski's vocals are immense, guttural and intimidating. With no let up from start to finish, the band throw everything into a quite blistering album which demonstrates influences such as Nile, Behemoth, Vale and Marduk whilst still forging a unique sound.

For absolute nut crushing death metal commit to the five minutes of Into The Nameless Night with its high pace, huge groove in the final section and overall battery which will leave you broken. This is good stuff. 8/10

Foreseen: Grave Danger (20 Buck Spin)

Helsinki outfit Foreseen have released a mighty slab of thrash which gets better on repeated plays. All out blasters which on occasion veer closely to death metal sit comfortably alongside thrash stomp grooves and a hardcore approach combining old school with the current fresh thrash style. This is their second full release following 2014's Helsinki Savagery.

With the twin guitars of Lauri Martiskainen and Erika Korpi duelling like crazy, it's down to Marten Gustafsson on drums and bassist Tatu Kuisma to bring the noise which they do with aplomb. My only negative thoughts about this album is the slightly ragged vocals of  Mirko Nummelin which sit comfortably within the assault but do detract slightly from the overall songs. Still, the all out thrash of Downward Spiral and political observations of Government Cuts and Suicide Bomber along with monstrous Fearmonger more than compensate in an album well worth bouncing around the room to. 7/10

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Reviews: Fractal Universe, Mindmaze, Maverick

April 25, 2017, 6:19 am
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Fractal Universe: Engram Of Decline (Kolony Records)

France probably leads the way with forward thinking metal with Gojira, Alcest, Klone and Trepalium all bringing something fresh to the world of metal. Fractal Universe definitely fall into this category, immediately the Nancy, Lorraine based band hook you with their intensely technical, down tuned riffs that will see many class them in the djent category however much like the theory they are named after the djent sound is fragmented into numerous different styles that mean every song has  hook, a new element that holds the attention, whether it's the underlying synths of the addition of Jorgen Munkeby of Shining giving a sax solo to Backworldsmen. 

There is a freshness and sense of adventure from Fractal Universe they aren't afraid to shake up what is a relatively new but already slightly stagnant genre. Their style death metal ramps up the technicality but these are no flights of fancy the songs are contrite and rarely stray further than 6 minutes with the final epic title track which clocks in at over nine minutes and sees the sax unleashed this time from Jean-Marc Florimond. The essence of Gojira imbues tracks such as Scared Legacy Of Hatred fret slides and all, Vince growls well its both nasty and happily audible, the vocals are usually make or break for me with this type of music. With dual guitar harmonies, sizzling solo spots and a bludgeoning heaviness Engram Of Decline is a superior debut effort from this French four-piece, Fractal Universe are progressive extremity par excellence. 8/10

MindMaze: Resolve (Inner Wound Recordings)

A female fronted band from Pennsylvania? Surely this must be Halestorm? I hear you cry but no far from the Highlander credo of their can be only one, MindMaze are a power metal band from Allentown and have returned with their first album since 2014. Resolve is their third full length and it's probably their most experimental, a concept album with themes dealing with human emotions rather than the normal myths and legends. As it is a concept album the band can be little more loose with their soundscapes, they play a bit of power metal Fight The Future, some electronic modern metal on Drown Me, bring doomy themes on Sanity's Collapse and of course there's an obligatory ballad with One More Moment.

At their core Mindmaze are female fronted symphonic metal band and they when you are in this most overcrowded of genres as a band you've really got to do something a little different to stand out. MindMaze do take risks there is a strong melodic metal vein running throughout records and the vocal and guitar interplay of siblings Sarah and Jeff Teets are great but some of the compositions are little too safe, it all fits together yes but at thirteen tracks with three instrumentals some could lose interest, however if you love progressively tinged symphonic metal then MindMaze's third release sees them peek above the waves of copyists and do something a little different. 7/10    

Maverick: Firebrand (Self Released)

Maverick are not a band dedicated to the James Garner, Jack Kelly, Roger Moore TV show of the same name but he music on this disc would suit the shows Western Theme. Maverick though are not from the USA as you'd expect with music like this, no their Old West is Perth, Australia, Maverick are part of the explosion of Aussie bands moving away from the pub rocking of their most well known acts into more expansive territory, much like fellow countrymen My Dynamite and Electric Mary. Firebrand contains eight swaggering, groovy, blues drenched southern rockers that sit between The Allman Brothers and The Black Crowes with Zep-alike rocking, fusing with countrified rhythms.

It's an album born in the dirt and played after a few fingers of whiskey the band are a four-piece made up of the guitar and bourbon-hued vocals of Craig Jovanovic, along with guitarist Mark De Vattimo, Simon Hallett on bass and drummer Nick Dudman the songs on this record rock and roll along well, getting heads nodding and feet tapping (and if no one is watching asses shaking), the songs are driven by breezy dual guitar harmonies, crunchy rhythms and a rebellious attitude. Free opens the record with Skynyrd Southern guts and the record continues at a high level throughout, Break Me is hard rocking sing along that sees both guitarists showing off their chops, Obsession throws a bit of curve as track three, ominous, bluesy and dark it's built around shuffling drums and proper bass work and runs at the longest time on the record but is a welcome side shift.

From then on though it's bluesy heads down rocking and that's just perfect Silent Scream is deep in the delta, while Great Northern Highway comes from the Rival Sons songbook and the record ends with the acoustic Tonight We Die which is a soulful, riverside lament to finish the album. Firebrand is a superb record for anyone that secretly wears a Stetson and dreams of lazy days on the Bayou. 8/10
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Reviews: Novembers Doom, Blackbird Hill, Maat (Reviews By Paul & Rich)

April 26, 2017, 12:52 am
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Novembers Doom: Hamartia (The End Records) [Review By Paul]

22 years since their first album, Amid Its Hallowed Mirth, Chicago's death Doom outfit Novembers Doom's tenth album, Hamartia has arrived and it's a beauty. Full of the trademark death growls of original vocalist Paul Kuhr, this release is the first one to feature the same line up as a previous release, in this case 2014's Bled White. Opener Devil's Light is pure death metal, whilst Plague Bird features foreboding clean vocals reminiscent of early Katatonia, My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost. The melancholy is evident along with powerful riffs from guitarists Lawrence Roberts and Vito Marchesse whose work is haunting throughout. Gary Naples drumming is powerful and prescise, working well with bassist Mike Feldman to give the huge crashing sound.

Ghost has a similar feel to the early work of Anathema, moody, despairing and bathed in gloom. It's not all hand wringing though and the monstrous riffs which cascade throughout are quite immense at times. Ever After ebbs and flows beautifully whilst the title track dips into the gothic style of The Mission with its acoustic feel. The electronica underbelly of Apostay with the Johan Hegg style growls fitting perfectly may we'll be my favourite track, it's pacey, brooding, simple and yet stunningly complex and just ticks every box. This is another album which supports the fact that metal is alive and kicking in 2017. Essential listening for fans of death doom and gothic metal. 8/10

Blackbird Hill: Midday Moonlight (Self Released) [Review By Paul]

Formed in 2012, French duo Blackbird Hill comprise Alexis Dartiguelongue on vocals and guitar and Maxine Conan on vocals and drums. The band sit close to the sound of similar duos such as The White Stripes, along with influences such as Queens Of Stone Age, Robert Johnson and Seasick Steve. They are in parts almost grungy, but in the main stick with dirty delta blues sound. Atmospheric and angst driven, this is a decent foot tapper which is pleasing to the ear. A support with a band like Vintage Trouble or Blackberry Smoke would be ideal for these guys. Keep an eye and ear out for them. 7/10

Maat: Monuments Will Enslave (Aural Attack Records) [Review By Rich]

Monuments Will Enslave is the second album by Egyptian mythology themed death metal band Maat.  It's impossible to ignore the comparisons to Nile but despite an unoriginal theme this German band do have a different sound to Nile.

The music on Monuments Will Enslave is very fast and very furious death metal which mixes a perfect blend of brutality and melody. The riffs are razor sharp, the bass provides plenty of low end and the drums blast away. The melodies interspersed throughout the carnage have a very Middle Eastern and Oriental style to them but they are mixed throughout the music that they manage to compliment the brutality and aggression. The vocals by frontman Thot are a guttural roar though with enough clarity that you can decipher the lyrics.

Maat won't win any awards for originality with Monuments Will Enslave but what they have achieved is a brilliant death metal album that although copies Nile in lyrical content and theme musically stands on its own two feet and shows that there is room for more than one band in the camp of Egyptian themed death metal. 7/10
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Reviews: Need, Paladine, Strikelight, Project Renegade

April 27, 2017, 1:24 am
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Need: Hegaiamas - A Song For Freedom (Self Released)

I've always had a bit of a penchant for progressive metal, it takes my love of prog and makes it heavier, bands like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Seventh Wonder are the records I go back too again and again. I realise this is not the case for a lot of people as they are put of the by long track times, inflated egos and wankery of the highest order, however the bands that do prog metal well know when to not play a note, it's the judged nuanced approach that normally wins out over out and out technicality and showing off. Need's third record Hegaiamas: A Song For Freedom
is most definitely in this second category, their music is as you'd expect intricate, scientific and complicated but it's also wringing with emotion, incite and they judge when they need to impress and when to show restraint.

The Greek band are about to embark on a North American tour with Evergrey, Seven Kingdoms and Ascendia and it's the sound of Tom S Englund's Evergrey that looms large over Needs style of progressive metal, Jon V has a strong timbre to his vocals similar to Englund, Ray Alder (Fates Warning) and even Apollo Papathanasio, he never hits too high but it suits the darker sound the band convey. At just over an hour the record is well paced most of the songs clock in at around seven minutes but hold your attention the interplay between Ravaya's guitars and Anthony's keys are practically perfect weaving in and out of each other almost competitively in the solo sections but locking in with Victor and Stelios' bottom end for a tough metal delivery. The record opens with the beautiful vocals of Mina Giannopoulou starting Rememory a song that is the ideal first track powerful, full of riffage and immediately establishes the bands style, as the album progresses the songs all keep the interest, this is classic sounding progressive metal that sounds like the bands I mentioned at the beginning of this review.

It builds throughout adding layers and layers to their sound however it's towards the end of this record that things really shoot into the progsphere, Iota is a spoken word discourse on dreams and the universe with a classical piano backing, it sets the scene perfectly for the title track, this 22 minute finale takes everything heard previously and stuff it into one elongated epic full of changes in pace and tone, yes some parts are little repetitive in the instrumental sections but what do you expect of a 22 minute song? Hegaiamas: A Song For Freedom is a record of bold, brave and brilliantly presented progressive metal, personally I'm going to seek out the bands other albums asap. 9/10    

Paladine: Finding Solace (No Remorse Records)

Athens band Paladine play epic power metal based around Dragonlance series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The album opens with mini epic Dragonrider which starts with dextrous acoustics before turning into a tough power metal song with a great hook before the middle eight brings the acoustic flourishes back. the band was founded by Chris “Crazy” Stergianidis (bass), Thanos Kollintzogiannakis (guitar also of Desert Near The End) and Stamatis Katsafados (drums also of The Silent Rage) all former members of the band Mythraal, they came together again to create Paladine as a band with it's roots in the American power metal sound of Iced Earth, Manilla Road, Jag Panzer, Savatage and even Manowar (they are scheduled to support Manilla Road on their 40th anniversary show in Athens 1st May 2017).

Finding Solace is their debut album and you can hear the Savatage influence strongly on Master Of Present And Past much of this is due to frontman Nick "The Metalizer" Protonotarios who is an amalgamation of both Oliva brothers handling the throaty, powerful vocals and searing lead guitars easily, this album has an epic sound to it as you'd hope from their influences, instrumental The Inn Of The Last Home is a good break piece layered with Marilena Plitsi's synths and keys and it leads into the moody Knight Of The Black Rose which builds into a galloping metal track with punishing percussion the Iced Earth similarities are uncanny.

The record has concept from the Dragonlance series running through it based around fantasy elements, knights, dragons, good vs evil, all that jazz. The one thing that lets this album down for me is that the mix is a little bit flat, with a deeper sound the song would be more effective, but that's personal taste. Finding Solace is a confident debut from some established musicians, it just misses the mark sonically. 7/10

Strikelight: Beyond The Afterglow (Eat Metal Records)

Whereas Paladine suffered from the production of their record being a little flat, fellow Athenians Strikelight have a case of too much bass, the four strings and the drums are overly high in the mix meaning they overpower everything else. Not that you would really be missing that much, Strikelight play 80's trad metal that seems to be in vogue at the moment, unfortunately they are just generic by the numbers 80's metal even by the NWOBHM standards. In this genre you have to do something a bit different and Strikelight don't the songs are a boring, the vocals get on your nerves after a bit and it's all just a bit meh. Nothing here really stands out, but then equally nothing is terrible the band play well especially the very audible bass and drums but they are let down by rigidly sticking to the formula without fail. 5/10

Project Renegade: Cerebra (Self Released)

Project Renegade are a four piece from Athen Greece, their alternative metal will be familiar to fans of Lacuna Coil, driven by Ody's drumming the band blur the lines between goth, nu, industrial metal with the three songs on this record. Released to promote the band and create anticipation for both their live shows and their debut record (still in progress) the EP starts with the industrial flavoured Pressure which has chunky rhythms, haunting vocals and pulsing electronics and breaks down at the final part displaying all the facets of Project Renegade's sound. Natural Born Killer is very bass and drum heavy with ghostly ambient synths floating over the top, while One Of The Crowd is the heaviest of the three songs with downtuned riffs pummeling things as the siren-like electronics chime in and frontwoman Marianna adds some feistiness to her vocals. Cerebra does exactly what it needs to do it makes you prick up your ears and want to hear more from Project Renegade, a three track Ep full of thumping alt-metal. 7/10
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Another Point Of View: Eradication Festival (Live Review By Rich)

April 27, 2017, 2:22 am
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Eradication Festival 2017

Eradication Festival returned to Fuel Rock Club in Cardiff bringing a line up of extreme metal madness to the Welsh capital. Despite being a Cardiff resident this was the first time I had managed to make it to Eradication Festival and my anticipation levels were very high with some phenomenal bands on the line up.

Thursday

Things kicked off on the Thursday night with a handful of bands playing. Getting to the venue straight from work the first band of the evening were Sublime Eyes (7). Lumbered with the early slot these Norwegians still played to a half full room and brought an enthusiastic reception with their modern melodic death metal sound. It took them a couple of songs to really get going but once they did, heads were banging and voices were cheering.

Next up were Organ Dealer (7) who completely upped the pace and intensity with their set of grindcore madness. Some of the crowd were lapping it up and others were a bit intimidated especially with frontman Scott Moriarty's very in your face approach but it was a very fine set of grinding ferocity. Following them were the UK's own Wretched Soul (8) who very much surprised and entertained me with their mix of thrash, death and traditional heavy metal. The songs were savage, melodic and anthemic all in one. Due to overrunning and time constraints the band were forced to cut their set a bit short but they won me over as well as many in the audience.

It was back to insanity for Department Of Correction (8) who were easily the most off the wall and psychotic band of the evening. Hailing from France this three piece played an absolutely schizo brand of grindcore. Razor sharp guitar riffs combined with some absolutely inhuman drumming and the demented screams and gurning of frontman Grégoire Duclos. This was exactly how I like my grind, completely and utterly mental.

Finally were the headliners and most anticipated band of the evening for me the mighty Norweigian death metal masters Blood Red Throne (10). The venue was absolutely packed out and buzzing with excitement as the band took to the stage and unleashed one of the most devastatingly heavy and brutal death metal sets I have witnessed. The band were on absolute top form and wasted no time in obliterating the crowd with a set that mixed material from their latest album Union Of Flesh And Machine with selected cuts from their back catalogue such as Homicidal Ecstasy, Primitive Killing Machine and Unleashing Hell. A broken string meant one of the guitarists disappearing to fix it for five minutes so the audience were treated to a Pantera jam with Arvid Tjelta from Sublime Eyes temporarily jumping on vocals. With a fixed string it was back to business with a a finishing trio of The Light, The Hate, Smite and Mephitication. A mighty fine start to the festival.

Friday

Unfortunately due to work I had to miss most of the bands playing in the daytime on Friday but I headed straight from work in time to catch Forgotten Remains (7) whose savage mix of death and thrash metal helped clear the cobwebs from a day at work. The songs were a little repetitive with most of them being at the same pace with little to distinguish between them but it was still an enjoyable set and a cover of The Haunted's D.O.A. got heads a banging.

Matt - This was the day I also managed to attend, having missed Forgotten Remains, I walked in just as Animator (7) was starting their set, the Irish band play classic thrash metal that leaves little to the imagination, with the crowd at the front of the stage going mad, I'd say it was job done for the band who managed to whip the room into a frenzy with their music.

Next band I managed to grab were Solothus (9). This band was a complete surprise for me having never heard of them before this festival and these guys from Finland played a devastatingly heavy set of death/doom metal. A variety of tempos and styles were employed throughout the songs from crushingly slow doom to mid paced head banging riffage to blasting death metal. The ultra guttural growls of Kari Kankaanpää complimented the dark doomy evil atmosphere of the music and special mention must go to lead guitarist Veli-Matti Karjalainen whose lead guitar solos were absolutely jaw dropping.

Matt - After the very impressive showing from Solothus, Sworn Amongst (7) had a lot to do to match the band that proceeded them, their style of metal moves into the groove-laden groove scene and saw the crowd swap, such is the nature of this festival, if one style of extremity doesn't suit then another will. Big grooves riffs filled the room and got people moving but with many of the hardcore struggling to get their breath back after Solothus, Sworn Amongst didn't quite hit the spot for many although being good at what they do and giving a good account of themselves.

The final band I of the Friday were UK thrashers Bull-Riff Stampede (8). These guys played an amazingly tight set combining old school thrash metal with elements of modern metal and melodic death metal. The songs ranged from mid paced stompers to ripping thrash anthems all played with intensity and passion. A great way to see out the second day of the festival.

Saturday

With work requiring my good behaviour for the previous two days of the festival Saturday was party time and the day provided a fine soundtrack for some partying - plenty of death metal! After a bit of lunch and a few pre-drinks I got to the venue in time for one of my most anticipated bands of the day the mighty Blasphemer (9). Blasphemer played a blinding set of no frills old school death metal. Having formed back in 1990 Blasphemer knew their craft and had heads banging relentlessly to killer riffs full of that violent old school groove which is so lacking in much modern death metal. A fantastic start to the day and one of the best bands of the weekend.

Next up were Anoxide (7) who have a modern take on death metal but with plenty of old school influence. Savage riffage, blasting drums and the ferocious vocals of frontman Omar Swaby. Nothing to write home about but played with passion and conviction and to a crowd who went nuts for every second of their set. They were followed by Chainsaw Castration (7) who played an ultra brutal slam variant of death metal. This style leaves me a bit cold on record but when seen live is great fun with absolutely monstrous riffs and silly amounts of brutal breakdowns. There are plenty of bands doing this sort of style and many better but Chainsaw Castration were bags of fun.

A brief rest-bite and the next act on were my most anticipated of the day avart garde death metallers The Monolith Deathcult (7). The Monolith Deathcult are a strange entity mixing the brutality of death metal with industrial, electronica and symphonic influences. Unfortunately the band were a victim of poor sound with everything seemingly turned up to maximum the multiple layers of sound the band has becoming lost in a wall of noise at points. The band played phenomenally though with their experimental sound either winning over or completely alienating members of the audience. Had thier been a better sound mix The Monolith Deathcult would have been one of the stand out bands of the day for me.

The finally it was time for slam's finest Crepitation (8). Having caught these at Ritual Festival in Leeds a few weeks back I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for - high levels of silliness, absolute brutality and totally insane vocals. The band played to an absolutely packed out room with the crowd down the front going absolutely bananas. The band fed off the levels of chaos and insanity in the room and played a glorious set which entertained and laid waste to the audience.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to make the Sunday of Eradication Festival but the experience I had was certainly memorable. Hats off to Gavin Davies for organising this festival as there's nothing else like it in South Wales at the moment and he managed to bring some incredible bands to Cardiff. With next years festival already confirmed and the first wave of bands announced I highly recommend any extreme metal fan in the South Wales area and beyond makes an effort to attend this fantastic weekend.
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A View From The Back Of The Room: Eclipse (Live Review By Paul)

April 27, 2017, 1:46 pm
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Eclipse & One Desire Thekla, Bristol

Whilst the dying embers of Eradication Festival continued to glow in Fuel in Cardiff, a slightly less intense and cranium crushing evening took place at the always quite bizarre boat that is the retired cargo ship Thekla on the Bristol waterfront.

A small but enthusiastic crowd had gathered for openers Franklin Zoo (7), a five piece from Copenhagen, Denmark. Showing a few signs of tension which is totally expected at the end of their stint on the tour, and struggling with some of the worst sound I’ve heard at a gig for a long time, the Danes battled bravely with their music a fine blend of Soundgarden, Alter Bridge, Alice in Chains and Mastodon. Heavier than the rest of the bill and led by the intimidatingly tall Rasmus Revsbeck, Franklin Zoo gave it their all in a short set with tracks from debut release Untamed and 2016’s follow up Red Skies. Just a shame the sound was so poor.

It didn’t improve much for main support One Desire (7). The Finns energetic and humorous approach almost disguised the fact that they were unable to hear anything apart from the keyboards on stage. With a single self-titled album released within the last month, lead singer Andre Linmann’s repeated introduction of songs from “our only album” was delivered with great humour.

Jimmy Westerlund showed some fine guitar work as the band delivered a set of competent melodic rock including the obligatory ballad. Interestingly, many of the crowd were word perfect to Hurt, This Is Where The Heartbreak Begins and Apologize, hinting at a hidden fan base. Appearing genuinely pleased that there was a reasonable gathering, the band battled gamely to the end of their set, bottling the frustration of a dog shit sound.

With their own stack of Marshall amps and their own sound man at the helm, things certainly improved for headliners Eclipse (9). The Swedes have been around for a long time, having formed in 1999. Their set was perfectly pitched, with a storming first 40 minutes full of harder rock than you might imagine. Frontman Erik Martesson, as fresh faced as he was almost 20 years ago a ball of energy, charging around the small stage as the band charged through a mix of older classics and a healthy serving from the most recent Monumentum release.

Guitarist and co-founder Magnus Henriksson, complete with smooth hat was totally at ease as he delivered solo after solo. Newer band members Magnus Ulfstedt on bass, a dead ringer for Nikki Sixx and drummer Philip Crusner were superbly connected, ensuring plenty of drive and secure platform as the show wore on. Crusner’s kit, ringed with lights was eye catching and as the impressive drum solo in harmony with O Fortuna split the set it came alive, a sinister glow cast over the front few rows.

Pacing a set is never easy but Eclipse made it look straightforward, with the breakdown for Black Rain, from the new release allowing Henriksson, Ulfstedt and Crusner to let rip with an instrumental blast that allowed Henriksson to let fly. An acoustic bridge paused the intensity, Martensson and Henriksson combining to deliver a stunning Live Like I’m Dying from Armageddonize and Battlegrounds from Bleed & Scream before the run in which concluded with the Eurovision challenger Runaways from 2016’s Melodifestivalen.

The band were in superb form, demonstrating a slickness that comes from those who’ve served their time. Once again, the melodic rock crowd showed why there is such a demand for this type of band. A double encore ending with Bleed& Scream and an enormous ovation. Whilst this type of music rarely floats my boat, the sheer energy, enthusiasm and effort that Eclipse put into the show was impressive
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Reviews: Vicinity, Slydigs, Perfect Blue Sky

April 28, 2017, 3:15 am
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Vicinity: Recurrence (Mighty Music)

Vicinity are a Norwegian progressive metal with a melodic streak. Similar to Circus Maximus​ and Haken in style with racks of keys, emotive songs and long run times, that are not really noticeable due to the constant light and shade keeping you hooked. The choruses are huge and encourage much fist pumping from the listener which is never a bad thing, when a progressive song becomes an earworm you can tell the quality of a band as this is no mean feat.

What really impresses me about this record are the vocals of Alexander, high and nasal but with wide range able to expertly adapt to get constantly undulating musical palate below. Now at 6 songs in length you won't be expecting 4 minute pop songs but they really outdo themselves with elongated tracks as the fantastic duo of Phoenix and the jazzy, drum heavy Mountainfall clock in at 10 and 12 minutes respectively linking together almost seamlessly.

It's the last track however that really defines the world epic in all senses, The Last Goodbye has a 21 minute run-time and numerous shifts in tone with the keys and guitars in harmonious unison underpinned by the virtuoistic drumming and four stringing. This is only the bands second album and it's incredible, it never really misses the mark but also looks toward the future and hints that Vicinity can really go wherever the hell they want next time. 9/10

Slydigs: How Animal Are You? (Self Released)

With high profile supports of The Who, Catfish and The Bottlemen, The View and Pete Doherty and two full European tours with Vintage Trouble, UK rock band Slydigs definitely aren't inexperienced when it come to performing, we actually saw them on the Vintage Trouble and were impressed by their distinctly British R&B. Do you remember the band Jet? Well Slydigs do what they tried to do with a bit more authenticity and grit.

They have lauded by The Who and Eddie Vedder with particular kudos given to Dean Fairhurst's raw vocals. How Animal Are You? is their second EP and it has 6 songs that show you what Slydigs are all about, 3 slices of acoustic troubadouring and 3 of bluesy, 60's tinged rock n roll that is reminiscent of The Stones and The Kinks but with a Northern honesty last heard from Oasis who have a sonic imprint on The Kids Feel Underrated.

This is the perfect kind of music for those that still cling to their afghan coats and John Lennon sunglasses, from the hip shaking title track, to the bluesy flavour of The Truth Will Be Found rounded out with the southern style slide rocking of Suburban Confinement. The lyrics are honest and thought provoking, commentating on modern culture both good and bad. Fairhurst is joined by partner-in-crime Louis Menguy on lead guitar and the funky bottom end of Peter Fleming (drums) and Ben Breslin (bass), together they make some very good music together, premium fodder for youth stations such as Radio 1, but with a bit of gravitas to it. To answer the question posed by the EP title I'm 80% bear so I hope that helps. 8/10

Perfect Blue Sky: The Eye Of Tilos (SMG/Right Recordings)

Perfect Blue Sky are the collaboration between Swedish metal guitarist/vocalist Pontus (Pna) Andersson and Australian female rock vocalist/guitarist Jane Kitto. The Eye Of Tilos is their full length debut, their sound is hazy, pastoral, psychedelic rock from the Woodstock era, think Paisley Shirts, long hair and mind-expanding narcotics. Both Pna and Kitto share vocals on the tracks and they blend perfectly throughout, tracks like Silvertram remind me of Mostly Autumn at their most folky, with the track built around acoustic strumming and Pna's Floydian guitars there also some Jethro Tull spread thickly over everything.

The album flows well and is the ideal accompaniment to relaxing on the grass in the sunshine moving between Big Brother & The Holding Company Psych rock and more stripped back folk meandering, speaking of BBHC their mark is given to the music by Kitto's soulful holler and the inclusion of  Dave Getz on drums who was in BBHC and provides the percussive groove he did to the original band. Elsewhere the duo are aided by Frank Bessard on drums (who plays the majority), guitarist Jerry Donahue, and keyboardist Danny Oakhill, they all add their talent to the songwriting of Kitto and Pna.

The Eye Of Tilos is great album that authentically takes from the Summer of Love and into the Californian rock scene of the early 70's if you had Lyndesy Buckingham and Stevie Nicks dropping acid rather than cocaine then this would probably be the result. Let The Sunshine In! 8/10
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Reviews: God Dethroned, Kobra & The Lotus, Samsara Blues Experiment, Adrenaline Rush (Reviews By Paul)

April 29, 2017, 4:04 am
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God Dethroned: The World Ablaze (Metal Blade)

It’s been seven long years since God Dethroned released Under The Sign Of The Iron Cross. Album number 10, The World Ablaze places the Dutch blackened death metal outfit firmly back in the field of vision and its an outstanding piece of technically diverse music. It retains all the ferocity of their back catalogue and continues the themes of war, with a particularly poignant cover of troops going into battle during the Great War. What it also has is a wide range of styles, with oodles of melody threaded intricately between the brutal blast beats, shredding riffs and slicing hooks. Escape Across The Ice (White Army) for example, is full of power whilst restrained in comparison from the break neck speed of tracks such as Breathing Through Blood and Annihilation Crusade which are just crushingly heavy.

If you want the biggest riffs of the year then stop at Messina Ridge, which tells the story of the allies attempt to take land southeast of Ypres in 1917. This track is immense, sitting alongside the mighty Memoriam in terms of absolute suffocating power. Founder father Henri Sattler continues to deliver the vocal goods, whilst his guitar work is superbly bolstered by new man Mike Ferguson. Album closer The 11th Hour honours the end of World War, Armistice Day and is stunning. A slower paced melodic death metal approach containing some technically blistering guitar work and massive control from drummer Michiel Van der Pilcht and bassist Jeron Pomper. The World Ablaze is an album that should appeal to all who like metal. It is a massive return for one of the genres most important bands. 9/10

Kobra And The Lotus: Prevail I (Napalm)

Canadian outfit Kobra and the Lotus led by the enigmatic Kobra Paige have now been around for eight years and Prevail I, the first of two albums to be released this year, is their fourth full release. I must admit I’ve been unimpressed by their live performances when I’ve seen KATL live, although last year’s opening slot for Delain was a vast improvement on their show at BOA a few years ago. Prevail I contains some very powerful symphonic metal combined with the more routine metal which works well. First single TriggerPulse is a smouldering bruiser of a track, with Paige’s voice impressive.

The rest of the band work hard to provide a solid platform, Jasio Kulakowski’s heavy duty guitar work giving the album the metal edge. In a challenging field where the quality of female fronted bands is currently high, KATL have their work cut out to make an impact. Prevail I will do no harm to their profile and is worthy of an hour of your time. Check out the head banging penultimate beast Hell On Earth, a rip snorting battering ram of a track with the heavy duty drumming of Lord Marcus Lee and the slick time changes effective. Another release that’s worth devoting an hour of your time to. 7/10

Samsara Blues Experiment: One With The Universe (Electric Magic)

Any album that opens with a track that lasts 11 minutes is going to be a crazy ride. So it is with One With The Universe, the fourth album from German's Samsara Blues Experiment. Samsara means ‘wandering’ or ‘world’ in Sanskrit, a word very apt for the vast number of blends that flow through this quite astonishing release. The band, who were formed in 2007 by guitarist and vocalist Christian Peters, deliver five of the most brilliant psychedelic/stoner tracks which lasts over three quarters of an hour.

Each track is a complex exploration, full of meandering travel and tangent side streets. Vipassana opens the proceedings, just under 11 minute, shifting from stoner Clutch type riffage to heavier doom laden passages before drifting effortlessly into the astral plain. Sad Guru Returns sticks a little closer to the blueprint, with some swirling synthesisers adding to the Mastodon-esque maelstrom before the pace slows to a calm and gentle middle section. Glorious Daze has elements of Jim Morrison and The Doors, steeped in the late 60s/early 70s sound, trippy bass and drums and fuzzy guitar work combining with some haunting keyboards as it builds.

It’s the title track which really allows the band to let rip, with Thomas Vedder’s drums and the bass of Han Eisett working magically with Peters’ guitar work, the synths and the odd bid of sitar to provide a palate of sounds that is ethereal and enchanting. It burns slowly, flashes of fire appearing as the intensity flares before returning to a more relaxed journey as the track builds to a stomping majestic finale. Superb! Overall, if you like a bit of trippy shit then this is right on the button. Well worth a go. 8/10

Adrenaline Rush: Soul Survivor (Frontiers)

2014’s debut release was a collaboration between vocalist Tave Wanning and the immensely talented Erick Martensson of Eclipse who performed many the instruments on the melodic rock release. Three years on and things have changed slightly and quite interestingly with a collaboration with Firespawn’s Fredrik Folkare although Martensson remained around to contribute and act as a sounding board. With a new band on board, Soul Survivor is a heavier and darker release than the self-titled debut, whilst retaining the melody and sleekness. New discovery Sam Soderlindh acquits himself well with some very sharp guitar work and the band is technically tight. Tave Wanning’s voice is something else though, and you’ll either love it or hate it.

To me it’s far too close to pop diva style and the saccharine soaked title track is one that curled the stomach. When the band do let rip they so with aplomb. Album opener Adrenaline, the throw away Stand My Ground and the Kiss style stomp of Shock Me (not the original don’t panic) are all decent if lightweight rock tunes. If you love your rock with a tongue in cheek fist pumping and a large slice of Gorgonzola you will be over this like a fat bird in a cake shop. If you struggle with the Def Leppards, H.E.A.T. and FMs of this world then you might want to ensure you have an empty stomach before getting involved. It’s a Marmite album alright. 6/10
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A View From The Back Of The Room: Krysthla (Live Review By Paul)

April 30, 2017, 1:37 am
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Krysthla, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff

A night of crushingly heavy metal at the under threat rock club with three bands for a mere £5 proved an excellent night out. Opening up proceedings was local outfit Slob (6) playing their first ever gig. The grind death growls of Alex Lord were intense whilst the noise from drummer Wayne Fingerz and string man Phil Brookes sounded like a quartet, not a duo. Grind isn't my bag but full marks to the band for getting things moving. A decent number of supporters roared Slob on throughout their short set. Promising beginnings.

Merthyr metallers Chaos Trigger (7) have been familiar faces in the South Wales scene for some time. Skull crushing metal since 2006 no less. With their excellent very fresh debut Degenerate Matter still on the playlist the band started at 100mph only to have the wind rudely removed from their sails by a broken string for guitarist Mark Llewellyn. This slowed their momentum somewhat, but after a few minutes the guys were back on it and blasting their heavy technical death metal. Tracks such as Fucking Machines and Release The Hounds got the faithful moving with Ben Duffin Jones high energy movement on and off the stage complete with his swinging dreads a fine sight. The band have played many venues across the country including a stellar set at Bloodstock a couple of years ago yet they still have that local band in the pub approach at times. Their loyal following lapped it up all the while. Good stuff.

If there is a UK band with a more professional approach than Wellinborough's Krysthla (9) then I'd real like to see it. These guys do things by the book and it is demonstrated in the quality of their work. Bizarrely nearly all of the crowd had disappeared when the band kicked off their set, and the bemusement on Adi Mayes face as five of us stood in front of them was evident. This didn't stop them and the band launched into 45 minutes of the most bone breaking heavy metal. Of course, with Eradication Festival only the weekend before I wouldn't dream of saying that these guys are the heaviest to play at Fuel but they must have hit the top ten for foundation shaking.

Their blasting technical, thrash, progressive and death metal, combined with the sheer aural assault of Adi Mayes was a delight and as the tardy audience filed back in things soon heated up. Tracks from the fantastic new Peace In Our Time already sit comfortably alongside older stuff from 2015's A War Of Souls And Desires. Visually the band are impressive with bassist Carl Davies and guitarists Neil Hudson and Noel Davies shredding and relentlessly head banging. Mayes prowls the stage, coercing the crowd to participate, resulting in a couple of female stage invasions and some of the weirdest crowd surfing you've ever seen.

Meanwhile the battery from drummer Wayne Minney was just relentless. As the on stage sound blew a fuse, the band closed their set possibly a little early but 45 minutes was sufficient to fill the Krysthla banks once again. This is a band on the up. They work exceptionally hard, they know their stuff and they deserve bigger things. If they are in your town, you owe it to yourself to check them out.
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Save Womanby Street

May 1, 2017, 7:35 am
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The huge social media response to the submission of planning applications for flats and a hotel in Womanby Street, combined with Fuel Rock Club being hit with a noise abatement order ensured that the march to City Hall was well populated and supported by a community that is wierdly attached despite the wide range of cultures and tastes that exist within it.

Arriving at Fuel only 15 hours since I left it summed up why I was there. On Friday evening I'd seen local band Slob play their first ever gig to about 30 punters, Merthyr death metallers Chaos Trigger lay waste to venue and headliners Krysthla destroy everything in their path. There is no where else in Cardiff where you'd have got this line up playing.

The Street was packed from top to bottom and there were smiling faces. Everywhere! A protest march against decisions made by soulless bureaucrats whose intention is to concrete over everything that is different and independent, a march about something that has the potential to impact on thousands of lives and everyone had the biggest smiles. This was brilliant. It got better. Campaign organiser Daniel Minty appeared above the newly reopened Moon Club and, after some thoroughly entertaining megaphone cock ups, he stirred the crowd with a lovely heartfelt speech which accurately captured the views of the assembled masses. Protection of the arts and live music in a unique environment. Huge thanks to Daniel for his consistency and determination.

Off we went to City Hall, a huge human snake comprising the different members of South Wales alternative community, as we appear to be badged. You all looked pretty normal in my eyes. Heavily inked ladies chatted with bearded rockers, youngsters waved placards on their parents shoulders and the samba band blasted out their tunes as they led the way, accompanied by the three local MPs, Jo Stephens, Kevin Brennan and Stephen Doughty. Towards the back of the procession chants of "oggi oggi oggi" were matched by Fuel's Rob Toogood whose own megaphone antics included the chant "what do we want", response "metal", "when do we want it?" to be met by a wall of death metal growls "nnnnooooowwwwww". Brilliant stuff.

It was astonishing to see the looks of the average punter in the streets as we marched by, as it was clear most didn't have a clue what we were about. I didn't see any negative responses as we passed some of the plastic chain bars and restaurants and most shoppers were friendly with a couple even coerced into joining the march. These are the same people whose night out in Cardiff involves the horrendous St Mary Street mile, lined with bars that play the same manufactured music, serve the fight inducing lagers and shots and where every weekend the police are tested. Walking through St Mary Street a few hours later in the evening was both frightening and intimidating, and for a 47 year old bloke in the City I had lived in from birth until three years ago this makes me sad. The sanctuary of Womanby Street was so welcoming by comparison ... and we were not alone in expressing this sentiment.

The march arrived on the lawn outside City Hall where the crowd, by now a thousand plus in number gathered to listen to a couple of speeches. One of SWS's organisers, Ewan Moore kicked things off with an emotional narrative. And then we had the politicians. The leader of the Cardiff Lib Dems was up first, and after the hecklers had been hushed Elizabeth Clark provided the first sound bites of the day. With local council elections only days away, this was a fantastic opportunity to make a real statement. Despite some references to past time spent in the Horse and Groom there was little in her speech which reassured me that Womanby Street would be any safer in the hands of the Liberal Democrats. Next up was Plaid AM Neil McAvoy, whose recent conduct record has been less than impressive. His aggressive response to a heckler at the front was interesting, and whilst I appreciated that some may be unimpressed with his record, he did work hard to get his point across. Whilst I dislike the man and his manner, his stark message that the real issue for protection of live music venues sits in Cardiff Bay was accurate. The final speaker was Phil Bale, labour councillor for Llanishen and leader of the City Council. His limp and generic speech was lacklustre and again didn't provide me with any reassurance whatsoever about any protection for Womanby Street. The hushed crowd didn't heckle, just listened with the resignation of those who know that the fight is far from over.

Ewan's final thanks were echoed with cheers and applause before the crowds melted away, many back to Womanby Street. We had a detour, grabbing some drinks and food before heading back to Womanby Street about 8.30pm. The street was bouncing, The Moon busy and full of live bands, Clwb open for business and in Fuel the first round of the Metal to the Masses competition.

A day of high hopes, of solidarity and of a clear demonstration of the strength of feeling. The disappointment of the local politicians' performances was understandably high. This is however, just the start and the strength and commitment of all those who gathered and use any of the venues in Womanby Street is growing. Look up the pages on Facebook and twitter. Womanby Street must not die.
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Reviews: Labyrinth, Pteroglyph, Walk On Fire

May 2, 2017, 12:53 am
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Labyrinth: Architecture Of A God (Frontiers Records)

Italian power metal group Labyrinth have a potted history forming in 1991 their debut record wasn't released until 1996 but it was their 1998 record Return To Heaven Denied that was to become their signature records, a symphonic power metal masterclass it put Italian power metal on the map and along with Rhapsody, Labyrinth became one of the most recognisable names in power metal. Since then they have changed multiple members and after their 2010 release Return To Heaven Denied, Pt. 2 - A Midnight Autumn's Dream they went on a hiatus, but seven years later they have returned with original guitarist's Andrea Cantaraelli and Olaf Thörsen along with longest serving vocalist Roberto Tiranti.

Their eighth album is their first for Frontiers records and it takes their power metal sound and expands it with melodic rock tendencies on Still Alive although the rampaging classic power sounds are still present on Take On My Legacy which has duelling guitars and keys set to a furious percussive power. This is progressive record one that takes Labyrinth into the modern day with a sound that has been adapted and refined to take Labyrinth into the next period in their existence, with Frontiers behind them and stable band that has had an injection of new blood the future is bright for this Italian metal institution. 8/10

Pteroglyph: Death Of A Prince (Self Released)

No it's not a tribute to the Purple one, Death Of A Prince is a thundering slab of modern technical metal that takes elements of Gojira, Meshuggah and Devy at his most Hevy, this Leeds based mob take angular riffs, clean/harsh vocal delivery and a percussive barrage and mix it with more ambient soundscapes for a record that catches your interest from the first palm-muted chord. There are so many bands doing this at the moment that adding your own slant as a band can be difficult, Pteroglyph try hard but bands such as Tesseract (who's Acle Kahney mixed the record) do this kind of music much better, it's the vocals that are my bugbear, the cleans are a little flat and the harsh not as powerful as they could be. With nine tracks the record should fly by but you does feel a little like treading water in the middle, they are trying to do something different but unfortunately acts such as Gojira are far superior. If you love this techincal, groove heavy metal then Pteroglyph will be soemthing to sink your teeth into, however I just think they should evolve or they will become extinct. 5/10   

Walk On Fire: Mind Over Matter (Escape Music)

It's been nearly 30 years since British melodic rockers Walk On Fire released their debut album Blind Faith when the album didn't perform as expected, despite high critical praise their relationship with record label MCA soured and they disbanded joining other projects and bands as session musicians. Well now they have released their second album and the band sound exactly the same as they did in 1989, big AOR hooks, David Cairns' heavy use of keys and Alan King's gravelly, soul vocals, the songs dwell on love everything that goes with it and the band have the funky, bluesy riffs of compatriots Little Angels, Skin, Tyketto et al.

This album serves as a tribute of sorts to Walk On Fire's guitarist Michael Casswell who reunited with founder members King and Cairns for this record but tragically died in 2016, his guitar playing is slick, adept to the faster rockers such as the title track as it is to open power chords on ballad The Price Of Love. Mind Over Matter is an AOR album that sees the band show no real differentiation from their 1989 debut, but that's a positive, they haven't let the years chip away at their sound, quality British AOR. 7/10 
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Reviews: Coldstone, Prayers Of Sanity, Darcee Fox (Reviews By Paul)

May 2, 2017, 12:51 pm
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Coldstone: Behind The Words (Self Released)

French power trio Coldstone (not to be confused with at least four other bands from around the globe with the same name) formed in 2005. Behind The Words is their second release, and it’s a high-octane ride of quality hard rock and metal. Sitting very much in the same camp as Tremonti, Godsmack and Staind, it’s full of driving riffs and crashing drums which will be perfect for a hot summer day on the motorway.

High energy from start to finish, the band comprise Cyrille F on guitar and vocals, Phil F on bass and the crazy pounding of drummer Marc S. Tracks like Never Die and It’s Not Over are impressive power, causing the foot to tap and the head to nod. It’s powerful stuff and whilst the sound is quite generic at times, it’s competently played and well worth a listen. Cyrille’s fuzzy guitar and gritty vocals impress from start to finish and the cohesion of the band who also slip in some neat Metallica style chugging is noticeable throughout. Well worth getting an earful. 8/10

Prayers Of Sanity: Face Of The Unknown (Rastilho Records)

Portugal is one of my favourite places to visit but until recently my knowledge of metal from that beautiful country was pretty limited; yeah, Moonspell and Malevolence and a couple of others and that was about it. Prayers Of Sanity hail from Lagos and have been plying their intense thrash since 2007. For a three piece they make a fine noise, with Tiao’s straining howls a welcome fit to their retro sound.

With a mix of influences, the best way of comparing their sound is to merge the aggression of Exodus and Overkill with the speed of Death Angel and Lost Society and the stomp of Anthrax. It’s nothing new but good thrash is always a joy to listen to, a genre that when done well is fantastic and when delivered poorly is abysmal. Face Of The Unknown sits in the former category. Slicing guitar work, huge riffs, machine gun drumming and snarling vocals. It may not be big, it may not be clever but it’s a very decent third release. 7/10

Darcee Fox: Islands (Self Released)

Islands is the debut release from Aussies Darcee Fox and it’s a good ‘un. In a shock change from the usual type of music hitting us from Melbourne, this isn’t thrash or beer soaking balls out down n’ dirty rock but quality blues drench rock n’ roll with of course, the typical Aussie swagger. I’ve played this release a few times now and it gets better every time. The band comprise vocalist Elliot Okerstrom who has an uncannily similar sound to RavenEye’s Oli Brown, the twin guitars of Nick Casalini and Mark Day and the powerhouse rhythm combination of Jay Morgan on bass and drummer Karl Mallet.

Just shy of 50 minutes, Islands has a range of styles which all contain some heartfelt blues which get the foot tapping from the start. There’s bits of everything on this release. There’s the acoustic Night Owl, with some superb guitars and layered vocals, Teeth which is a rocking good track and the title track which opens the album with a large stomp and some chunky riffs. If you like Rival Sons, The Black Crowes and all stations in between then Darcee Fox should really float your boat. 8/10
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Reviews: Kepler Ten, Art Nation, Jupiter Falls

May 3, 2017, 1:59 pm
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Kepler Ten: Delta V (White Star Records)

Starting out as a Rush tribute called R2 (which they still perform as) the trio of James Durand, Richard Cahill and Steve Hales have their own band playing original music called Kepler Ten (also the name of a Sun-like star in the constellation of Draco that lies 173 parsecs from Earth). Delta V is their debut record and it's quite possibly one of the finest progressive rock albums I've listened to this year. Ultraviolet opens the album in fine style moving from Floydian textures into harder rocking territory driven by Hales' unbelievable percussive skill (well he does try to emulate Neil Peart) it's got a heavy groove from Durand's bass and Cahill's guitar, there are little beeps and twitches underpinning the song that runs at 9 minutes long but you don't notice as the band's songcraft is magnificent.

Time And Tide has a much more recent sound with the electronics of Muse powering it, The Stone has heavy Rush-like feel and is the nearest thing on this to the Canadian prog legends. The trio are all multi talented with keys, synths and the obligatory bass pedals handled by all three members but what separates the band from Rush are the soul-drenched vocals of Durand who sounds a lot more like Glenn Hughes and Doug Pinnick.

Especially on the dramatic Swallowtail which is a superb middle section to the album orchestral and inspiring with a massive sound however we go back to Rush on The Shallows which has the band's post Signals era nailed. Delta V is progressive rock masterpiece, taking from the glory days of progressive rock but dealing with it in their own way, ambitious, musically interesting and full of virtuosity Kepler Ten are a band that shine bright like their namesake. 9/10   

Art Nation: Liberation (Sony/Gain Music Entertainment)

Art Nation's debut record was an AOR tour-de-force, managing to perfectly encapsulate Scandi-AOR perfectly, the keys and choruses were as big as the hair and this young band looked to be the newest band to follow in the wake of countrymen Eclipse and H.E.A.T, if there was one criticism to be levelled at the band was that they were afraid of experimentation, their songs were strong, played by an accomplished band but lacked variation on repeated listens. Second album Liberation redresses this balance, from minute one you can hear the evolution of this group.

The buzzing synths have been ramped up for this album, touching on the euro dance hard rock amalgamation of Amaranthe and Reckless Love, so many of the songs on this record could fit in both rock and dance clubs due to the heavy beats, blazing solos and the excellent melodic vocals. There are thumping rockers such as A Thousand Charades, Ghost Town, power pop with What Do You Want and also massive ballads suitable for Eurovision domination in Take Me Home and the punchier I'm Alive. Liberation takes Art Nation to the next stage of their development and for the better, bringing AOR into the modern era. 8/10

Jupiter Falls: Faces In The Sand - Part One (Broken Road Records)

Swirling orchestras, choirs and a storm open this record, before they segue into acoustic guitars that set the scene for a killer guitar solo, the riff kicks in and Welcome To My World starts off the second full length album from Leeds metallic rockers Jupiter Falls, it's sublime opening song with a huge head banging riff, a chant along chorus and more guitar fireworks throughout, the song and album are multi-tracked to a polished American sound and that is no easy feat, this record sounds like something Avenged Sevenfold, Alter Bridge could release, the production is stellar the songs move between massive rockers, ballads and the occasional misogynist sleaze rocker for good measure, Nothing To Me has vintage Motley Crue feel to it complete with some female moans of pleasure and talkbox guitar ala Kickstart My Heart.

In fact the songs on this record sit between the dramatic rocking of Sixx:A.M and Slash's solo project although with vocals that are neither James Michael nor Myles Kennedy but fit the music due to their gruffer nature. A massive attraction to this record is the incredible guitar playing heard throughout and just the general audacity of the band to sound like the heavy hitters of American radio rock and pulling it off, ballads like Call Me are corny, the wall of acoustic guitars driving the emotive lyrics with it all culminating in yet another solo, yes it sounds like Alter Bridge at their most lighter friendly but you can't argue with just how well these Leeds lads do it. Jupiter Falls aren't going to win any awards for originality but when a pastiche is this good awards don't matter, you listen with smile on your face and I promise you'll be humming the songs for days to come, whether you want to or not. 8/10
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Reviews: Dimmu Borgir, Riverside, Metal Church (Review By Paul)

May 4, 2017, 6:06 am
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Paul delivers his verdict on three live releases

Dimmu Borgir: Forces Of The Northern Night (Nuclear Blast)

It’s been a long time coming but what a tour de force this double release is. Dimmu Borgir are without question one of the most important bands not just in Norwegian Black Metal but in the metal world over the past 20 years. Forces Of The Northern Night captures an amazing evening at the Oslo Spektrum way back in 2011 when the band performed with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and the Schola Cantorum Choir, who had also guested on 2010’s Abrahadabra. It is simply astonishing and highlights the power and majesty of the band in full flow, with a full symphonic backing. Although performing with orchestras has long been accepted in the metal world, and to be fair, classical music and heavy metal are at ease and linked to each other with their intensity and loyal followings, there are few bands whose music is so compatible as Dimmu.

Side one opens with the symphonic Xibir before Galder hits that riff for Born Treacherous. The rest of opening salvo focuses on tracks from Abrahadabra, including the orchestral version of Dimmu Borgir, followed by the full-throated version which is blistering, the arrival of Agnete Kjolsrud for Gateways and a magical Eradication Instincts Defined, the first of three tracks from Death Cult Armageddon given the full orchestral make-over. Shagrath, Silenoz and Galder are in full flow, supported by bassist Cyrus, Gerlioz on keyboards and Daray’s magnificent powerhouse drumming.

Side two goes back in time with some quite breath-taking performances. Vredesbyrd is imperious, heavy as hell with battering blast beats and skull crushing guitars laced with spiralling whilst Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse, complete with soaring choral parts is simply epic. And then we come to The Serpentine Offering. Possibly the most imposing and stunning song the band has ever released, this version, with the combination of balls out metal riffs, explosive drumming interchanging with swooping string sections and stirring choral harmonies is as inspiring as anything I think I’ve ever heard. It is overwhelming in both its ferocity and gracefulness.

The audience are in fine form with huge roars throughout, unsurprising when you listen to penultimate track Mourning Palace, another quite captivating collaboration with huge horn sections embellishing the song superbly. Forces Of The Northern Night is a statement of just how good this band are. The orchestral arrangements of Gante Storaas, conducted by Rune Halversen quite brilliant. Rumours are that the band will have new material released later this year. I won’t hold my breath given the hiatus the band have been on but it will be a memorable day when new Dimmu arrives. Until then savour possibly the most essential purchase of the year. Miss it at your peril. 10/10

Riverside: Lost ‘N’ Found (InsideOut)

Live albums are often insipid affairs. Black Sabbath’s Live Evil always comes to mind when wondering if the band were performing in front of anyone. The crowd sounded so far away. Every decent one is balanced with an album that you wonder why it was even released. Kiss Alive! Brilliant. Kiss Alive 3? Oh no. Polish Progressive legends Riverside’s latest offering, Lost ‘N’ Found is, thankfully, a beautifully delivered release, which captures the band at their peak during the 2015 European Tour which prompted the excellent Love Fear And The Time Machine album.

Having been fortunate enough to have witnessed this tour, I can testify that the album really does allow you to relieve the concert. Of course, it is poignant, with the dearly missed Piotr Grudzinski’s guitar work throughout a reminder of what a superb player he was. From the opener Lost through to the closing Found, which book-ended the album and the gig, the band, Marius Duda, Piotr Kozieradzki and Michel Lapaj, are in stunning form. With a new tour hitting our shores in a matter of days, this is a stunning reminder of why Riverside is a band that no-one should miss. 9/10

Metal Church: Classic Live (Rat Pak Records)

The return of Mike Howe to the ranks of Metal Church was one of the most welcome personnel changes in recent years. The man who followed the great David Wayne and who made the microphone his own was back. The album that followed, XI, was damn fine and the band proved that in the live arena they are still a ferocious act. Classic Live is a selection of live recordings from their 2016 World Tour, and focuses on the first five albums from the band’s 1980s and early 1990s period.

There isn’t a duff track on this release, it just seems a little bit of a filler. Sure, Beyond The Black still gets the hairs standing on the back of the neck, Watch The Children Pray haunts just as much now as it did then and Badlands and The Human Factor never fail to get you moving. The band are tight, Howe is on top form vocally and the duel guitars of Kurt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt are sharper than a butcher’s filleting knife.

The duet between Howe and Queensryche’s Todd La Torre on Fake Healer, the bonus track on the release is strong and La Torre’s higher pitch supports Howe’s lower delivery. Classic Live is on a par with Armored Saint’s recent Carpe Noctum offering. Absolutely nothing wrong with the tracks, the performance or the production. It just feels a little needless. I’ll still probably buy it when I lose my shit in Bristol next month but I’d mark it as a “fans only” purchase. 7/10
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Reviews: Pyramaze, Alestorm, Unleash The Archers

May 5, 2017, 12:46 am
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Pyramaze: Contingent (Inner Wound Recordings)

Formerly fronted by Lance King and then Iced Earth's Matt Barlow, Pyramaze was formed by guitarist Michael Kammeyer in 2002 the band continues to forge ahead without him after his retirement after their only album with Barlow.

Taking the guitar position since their previous record the incredible Disciples Of The Sun was Jacob Hansen who made his name behind the producer's chair for Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica and Evergrey and he does an incredible job here adding his perfectionist touch to the soundscapes of this record making the songs sound positively huge while handling the bass and the guitars along with Toke Skjønnemand. On the last record Pyramaze spread their wings, the album added new touches to their sound and this progression continues on this their fifth album.

It's a post-apocalyptic science fiction concept album built on cinematic songs such as Kingdom Of Solace which highlights the incredible synths and keys of Jonah Weingarten who really ramps up his contribution meaning the songs manifest themselves as epic pieces driven by his synths and the expressive drumming of Morten Gade Sørensen. On Disciples Of The Sun I noted that Terje Harøy was an ideal fit for the band and once again I'm enthralled by his vocal performance passionate and uplifting sometimes at odds with the darkly, progressive music behind him, his duet with Kirsten Foss is one of the album's major highlights.

Pyramaze have always been one of those bands that sit as a satellite to the heavy hitters of the genre with Contingent they will shine brighter than ever, it's a mature, technical, intelligent and quite brilliant metal album. 9/10

 Alestorm: No Grave But The Sea (Napalm Records)

Yes that's right everyone, lock up your daughters, drink up your rum and set sail once again with Scotland's premier exponents of privateer based power/folk metal, being from the home of the greatest pirate of all time (Captain Henry Morgan history fans) it's only right we review their latest album. So what is it like? Well it sounds like Alestorm this time they've still got the dual keys of frontman Chris Bowes and Elliot Vernon duel with the guitars of Máté Bodor for furious blasts of power metal on the both the punchy title track and the epic closing track Treasure Island. In between these bookends we have the 8-bit folk of Mexico (a song about drinking), the jig happy acoustic Bar Und Imbiss (a song about drinking) and Pegleg Potion (another song about drinking) so you can see a theme recurring here, most of the songs are sing-along shanties built for the live stage and encouraging drinking and craziness.

Every Alestorm album has one or two songs that are wacky or foul-mouthed enough to be repeated ad nauseum by drunken blokes at Bloodstock every year and No Grave But The Sea is no exception the Pirate-core of Alestorm has a chorus that name checks "rum, beer, quests and mead" as the main things a Pirate needs but the one that I'm sure we will hear at every festival this year is the incredibly obscene Fucked With An Anchor which even drops a few C-bombs for good measure, it's not a song to play to your Gran but brilliant while inebriated with a bunch of mates. So the songs are childish and profane, the music is upbeat and ripe for bouncing too, Chris Bowes still can't sing rather drawl but it's immaterial Alestorm are fun, they release albums to tour and they write songs to play live so just relax and enjoy the voyage. 8/10

Unleash The Archers: Apex (Napalm Records)

Vancouver band Unleash The Archers return with their second major label full length (fourth in total) and off the back of their excellent major label debut Time Stands Still the band have adopted an if it ain't broke don't fix it approach, the blend of traditional, power and symphonic metal is unleashed from the opening few seconds Awakening has some insane skull rattling drumming from Scott Buchanan who keeps the entire album running at several hundred beats per minute, he and his other half Brittney Slayes are the predominant influences on this band.

Buchanan destroying his kit as the guitars and bass shred with skill and precision while Brittany exhibits her huge vocal range tackling the thrashier songs such as The Matriarch effortlessly hitting highs that can only be heard by dogs, but also she can croon with the best of them on the slower more deliberate anthemic tracks such as False Walls.

I've always taken Unleash The Archers as a female fronted Manowar or Amon Amarth and with the harsh vocals of guitarist Andrew Kingsley they demonstrate this with the epic battle hymn lyrical content on Ten Thousand Against One and Cleanse The Bloodlines. Bands such as Battle Beast, Crystal Viper and Seven Kingdoms releasing albums this year there is a lot of competition for Unleash The Archers but they play it as good as anyone, maybe even better. 8/10
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The Spotlight: Interview With Corroded (Interview By Paul)

May 6, 2017, 9:09 am
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Recently we reviewed the new release by Swedish rockers Corroded, so when the opportunity came up to ask them some questions via email we jumped at the chance.

Questions by Paul, Answers from Tomas Andersson (Lead Guitar)

MoM: Thanks for fielding the questions by email. Many congratulations on Defcon Zero which I think is a very solid release. It’s your fourth album so let’s start by asking you how you feel it stands in terms of the progression of the band?

Tomas: Thanks! As you said, we also think it´s a very solid album. It kind of sums up all of our albums and still takes our music a step forward. One thing that has enabled Corroded to keep growing is maybe the line-up changes over the years. With every new addition to the band the chemistry and feel of the band has changed a bit. I, as the new guy, can only give an objective view on the history of the band and when it comes to the present time and recording of this album the only thing I can say is that we wanted it to be honest. Corroded has always been an honest band when it comes to the music. We do what we want to do musically and it´s been that way since day one, even long before I got in the band.

MoM: How did you find the writing and recording process for Defcon Zero in comparison to previous recordings?

Tomas: The first three albums had similar proceedings. The band worked together with producer Patrik Frisk and came to the studio with some ideas and took it from there. This time around we had come to a sort of crossroads with the label/producer so it just happened to be that we did most of the album ourselves. Except for a couple of songs we worked all alone in the studio and even did the mixing and mastering ourselves. This is probably one reason to how the album sounds. It is our vision from start to end. We could probably have done some things better now that we think about it, but still the album is exactly like we wanted it to be. We did it like we did before everything started to sound the same. We recorded most of material live and we haven´t tried to manipulate everything into perfection. On the other hand, perfection to us is when it sounds perfect, not IS perfect.

MoM: There is a track on the album called Fall Of A Nation. It seems very apt given the political unrest across Europe and of course recent events in your own country. Tell us about this song, what prompted it and what it’s actually about?

Tomas: The song itself got into the process pretty late. We missed a song that was fast and thrashy so we started playing around with some riffs and we just loved it from the beginning. I remember the process was really fun since we haven´t done anything like it before and Per got to play some old school double-bass drum. I know Per is really into the old drum heroes like Bonham and such and doesn't fancy the new way so much. Even if he admires and respects the awesome musicians of modern music I know he likes groove over technique. It was fun to watch him grow into the more modern style of playing on this record though. Lyrically Jens write most of the lyrics when the song is already recorded, as did he with Fall Of A Nation. The song was written 4 years ago so things weren't really as fucked up as today, but still we all could see where we were heading. The title says it all, that´s what the song´s about.

MoM: There is a difficult line to tread when making social and political commentary in music. Many bands in the metal genre steer well away, hence the dungeons and dragons fantasy lyrics of power metal in particular and of course the anti-religious themes of many of your countrymen and neighbours in the black metal fold. How do you approach your themes for song writing?

Tomas: I know that the previous producer didn't want the band to take any political stand points and maybe scare some people off and also Jens had many dark feelings he wanted to write about so therefore we haven't been so political before. It´s a two-way street I think. On the one hand we're in the entertainment business and on the other hand we have the best chance to make difference. All I can say is that there's nothing holding us back from making political statements and when it comes to religion none of us are active members of any religious community. Personally, I believe in the cosmos and surrounding energies, both good and bad.

MoM: I’ve listened to Defcon Zero several times and there are a huge number of influences in the mix. You have a crunchy sound similar to American bands like Godsmack, Soil, Shinedown and Alter Bridge but with a heavier edge, for example on Burn It Down and Rust And Nail. I’ve noted bits of Machine Head and even Baroness in certain tracks. Who are the major influences for the band?

Tomas: We all listen to both the old goldies and the modern bands like Lamb Of God, Slipknot, Meshuggah and so on. I think you summed it all up pretty good. We don´t ever try to mimic anyone. We are very proud of our sound and we know that if we just do what we want to do it´ll sound awesome and people will make cool babies listening to our music.

MoM: It’s only been out a couple of weeks. How has the initial response been to Defcon Zero ?

Tomas: It´s been over the top! We are so happy that people love the album as much as we do. Most recordings I've done in the past I was already fed up with before release but this one has been ready for three years and I still love it so that´s a good thing. I know that the album will keep on growing on the listeners for years to come. A wonderful feeling. I think it will open a lot of doors for us in the business and maybe close some as well. But we don´t care, we move forward, not backwards!

MoM: Back in 2009 your song Time And Again received a lot of exposure – how did that help and/or hinder the band?

Tomas: It helped the band to reach a broad audience by being used as the theme for Swedish version of the TV-show “Survivor”. I don´t know if you have that show in Wales, but it was huge here in Sweden for a long time. Bandit Rock, a national rock radio station played the song about six times a day during long time so that was awesome as well, but as stupid as it sounds it made some of the metal community yell sell-out. We didn't care though, they were just pissed it wasn't their song playing around the clock on the radio hahaha!

MoM; Moving to the metal scene in Sweden for a minute, we get to review huge numbers of Swedish bands which range from the crazy 70s psychedelic rock all the way through to crushingly heavy black and death metal. It would appear to the outsider that Sweden’s metal scene is very healthy. How would you describe it?

Tomas: I would have to agree. It IS very healthy, but the music scene as a whole is not. It´s getting harder to get good gigs and decent pay since all these great bands are playing for almost nothing and the venue owners are really using that to drop the prices even more. Internet is a blessing and curse in that way. Today you have the entire world of music in the palm of your hand at any given point. That wasn't the case 20 years ago. I loved going to see rock shows even if I hadn't heard the band. Today you need to sell platinum to be sure to fill a decent size venue. IT SUCKS!

MoM: I have some friends who love Eurovision; in fact they are obsessive about it and each year its huge business to get to the Meldodifestivalen. I saw Eclipse recently and Eric Martensson talked about their entry last year where they came in at a reasonable position with Runaways. How integral to the Swedish music scene and culture is the whole Melodifestivalen? Can you as a metal band relate to it?

Tomas: Hahaha oh my god! I can tell you this: For the public it´s a huge event. People sit in front of the telly every Saturday to watch the “semi finals” and in the end the big final and there's nothing else being discussed on media except Melodifestivalen and the competing artists. BUT - If you are a rock/metal fan it´s the worst case of profanity against the whole scene! We have seen mighty bands get ice cold after being on there. It´s funny to hear how popular it seems to be outside Sweden, but for a metalhead inside these borders it´s a big no-no.

MoM: Obviously I have to ask if there are any plans to enter?

Tomas: We will enter when hell freezes over and the only way to get a blanket is to enter that competition. Hahaha (Still a chance then - Ed)

MoM: I can’t find any reference to Corroded having gigged in the UK so far. Is that right?

Tomas: Corroded did a tour there back in 2008 I think. It might have been 2007 as well, I wasn't in the band at that point so I´m not really sure. They played a handful of shows in England and as far as the legend goes it was a total success. Like with everything we do. Hehe

MoM: It must be a nightmare trying to arrange tours and the UK has the added difficulty of being an island hence flights or ferries. Do you have plans to tour the album and if so, do they include any dates in the UK?

Tomas: There are worse things than planes and ferries, believe me! When we toured Europe with Airbourne and The Black Spiders (god have mercy on their souls, may them rest in peace) we were denied to go through the tunnel from… I don´t recollect from what country, but the destination was Italy. So we had to go over the alps in the middle of the night. Our bus driver tried to navigate best he could and at one point he came to a dead-end. He had to back the bus for several kilometers because the road wasn't broad enough to turn the bus around. I've never been so glad to be asleep my whole life. According to what he said it was a nightmare with mountain on one side and a huge death drop on the other. We will definitively tour with this album and we have a couple of support slots we hope to get. Otherwise we will have to make it over to you guys on our own, it´s been far too long since we toured the UK.

MoM: Hopefully we we can get to see you guys live over here some time. You received rave reviews for your support slot with Airborne. How was that for you?

Tomas: We had a wonderful time, best tour so far. We learned a lot from touring with those guys. They are really professional and great guys as well. It was fun to be on the road, longest tour we've done and we hope to get back there. Hopefully with Airbourne once again! It would be a blast! We met so many cool people and we got to meet fans we normally don´t play for so that's something we really miss. We got a whole bunch of new fans as well and we can´t wait to get back on the road to see them all again!

MoM: Airborne are a band I’d always put on if I was going for a run or if I needed something energetic to listen to. I don’t know if you are keen on exercise but if so, apart from the new album (which is a great workout album) what would you recommend as ideal for high intensity listening?

Tomas: For me it would be Slipknot, no questions asked. They have the best music to get your heart pumping and adrenaline flowing. Great band all together. There´s another band we´d love to tour with by the way!

MoM: Finally as we are Welsh we have an obsession with sheep so what is your favourite sheep
from the 2 Sheets we've attached?

Tomas: Hahaha! Sure thing! I´d have to go with Jacob. They have the same markings as a cow and who doesn't love cows? I mean, we love both sheep and cow so Jacob´s the sheep for Corroded, hands down!

MoM: Many thanks for taking the time to answer these questions and best of luck with the album.

Tomas: Thank you sire, it was a pleasure. Delightful questions indeed! See you on the road! Baaaaaaaaaa!
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Reviews: Cirith Ungol, Night Demon, Mythra, Midnight Messiah, Cloven Hoof (NWOBHM Mayhem)

May 7, 2017, 3:41 am
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Cirith Ungol: King Of The Dead (Metal Blade Records) [Review By Paul]

The decision by Metal Blade to release the ultimate version of the 1984 classic from Californian cult metal outfit Cirith Ungol prompted a quick reflection on an album that I played repeatedly when it first came out. I hadn’t listened to it for a long time and it brought back some excellent memories. Listening to it now with over 30 years’ additional music stuck in the head, the first thing that struck me was how inventive it was for the time. Massive doom soaked passages, crushing riffs and intricate guitar work combined with the unique vocals of Tim Baker, not to mention the stunning album cover which was another of Michael Moorcock’s Elric novel covers expertly created by Michael Whelan.

Tracks such as album opener Atom Smasher, the epic Master Of The Pit and the thrashy Death Of The Sun which has one of my all-time favourite riffs still hold their own with today’s current artists. The legendary line-up of Baker, guitarist Jerry Fogle (who sadly passed away almost 20 years ago), drummer Robert Garven and bassist Michael Vujea really laid down a classic. The latter two really excel on the Sabbath doom-fused Finger Of Scorn, a mighty slab of a tune. With the band back out on the gigging scene since 2015 dusting down this mighty opus was a real joy and one can only hope we get to see these US legends on UK soil sometime soon. 9/10

Night Demon: Darkness Remains (Steamhammer) [Review By Paul]

Having reviewed the routine and uninspiring latest release by NWOBHM veterans Cloven Hoof (Below-Ed), it was somewhat ironic to receive a copy of Darkness Remains from Californians Night Demon. Ironic because Night Demon are so steeped in the NWOBHM sound that you’d be forgiven for expecting them to be one of those bands that time forgot from 1982. Hell no, this power trio have only been up and running since 2011, with their first EP hitting the shelves a year later. A full release, Curse Of The Damned followed in 2015 and now their sophomore album, Darkness Remains has arrived.

What I really like about Night Demon is that they have recreated the honesty of the NWOBHM sound and added a bit of American muscle to it. It’s slick, extremely well put together and is thoroughly listenable from start to finish. With themes that stick to evil and the occult, it’s not going to win the Sunday School album of the week award any time soon. To be honest, Darkness Remains sounds like a NWOBHM album. It’s solid heavy metal. Songs such as Dawn Rider, Hallowed Ground and Flight Of The Manticore all deliver exactly what you want.

The band also has the audacity to chuck into two covers. The first is a mighty effort and a brave stab at the blistering Turn Up The Night, one of the Dio Era Sabbath’s most powerful tunes. Obviously, the limits are clear: Jarvis Leatherby is not RJD and Armand John Anthony is not Tony Iommi. Aside from that it’s a decent cover of one of my favourite all time heavy metal tracks with Anthony giving it a real go. The second is probably even more ambitious, with Queen’s We Will Rock You. I’m not sure this works as well, as Freddie and Co. are exceptionally difficult to cover. Still it’s not dreadful and it also provides a very powerful reminder of how fucking stunning early Queen really were. Fair play to Night Demon. An enjoyable release. Have a listen and transport back to 1983. Good times. 7/10

Mythra: Still Burning (High Roller Records) [Review By Paul]

So many NWOBHM bands have reformed in recent years, riding the wave of nostalgia which appears to have surfaced around bands of that era. South Shields based Mythra’s Still Burning is the latest to hit the decks at Musipedia Towers. Still Burning is a solid, clean and decent piece of classic British Heavy Metal. With three (I think?) members who were there when their Death & Destiny EP surfaced in 1979, the band can genuinely lay claim to being a proper NWOBHM band, unlike many of the ‘tribute’ outfits around today. Guitarist John Roach also did time in Fist, another familiar band from the same era and his guitar work, alongside Alex Perry is exemplary. Nothing fancy but all the bases covered with some slicing solos and powerhouse riffs. Vocalist Vince High has a gutsy style, slightly forced but fitting the music perfectly. The songs are short and to the point, anthemic and fast tempo, sufficient to get the head nodding.

Ride The Storm, A Call To All and Battle Cry are all examples of the tempo which heavy metal used to be played at. You can keep Sands Of Time mind, which is just bunk. Looking at the band’s Facebook page it’s clear that their fan base sits in mainland Europe, which is unsurprising given the never-ending thirst for hard rock bands that countries like Germany appear to have. Still Burning is a decent enough release, highlighting more than anything how much the genre of heavy metal has evolved since those heady days of 1979. Back then we lapped up everything that we could access. The diversity of metal today is astonishing by comparison. The availability of bands and music unlimited. You can’t fault the effort and dedication of Mythra. It’s just that we’ve moved on and they still sit in the 1979. 6/10

Midnight Messiah: Led Into Temptation (Cold Town Records) [Review By Matt]

We first encountered Midnight Messiah at Hard Rock Hell and highly rated their performance of meat and potatoes classic British metal reminiscent of Priest, Maiden and Saxon, due mostly to Paul Taylor being a vocal replica of Biff (hell he even looks a bit like him). Their 2013 debut album The Root Of All Evil got a few spins and now they have returned with their second record called Led Into Temptation, the band were formed out of the ashes of NWOBHM act Elixir and you can clearly hear the NWOBHM influence on this record.

It continues the band's form of subverting Christian dogma and terminology on it's head with Taylor casting himself as the sinner on The Sinner Must Die and  Hellbound. The songs are your typical NWOBHM fodder, enjoyable enough to listen too but nothing special, Taylor's vocal is impressive but the mix of this record lets it down massively, the drums are far too loud overwhelming the guitars and the vocals. I thought the band had called it a day, so it's good to see them back but they are far better live than on record. 5/10

Cloven Hoof: Who Mourns the Morning Star? (High Roller Records) [Review By Paul]

Metal fans of all ages will be fully aware of the burgeoning scene that erupted in the late 1970s in the UK. The New Wave of British Heavy Metal or NWOBHM delivered some of our most cherished bands such as Maiden and Saxon. It also spewed forth a right load of bollocks who were all riding the wave of optimism and enthusiasm. Most of those bands rightly crashed and burned. Ironically, the last few years has seen many of those bands return, encouraged by the enthusiasm born from nostalgia. Mainly middle aged males who look back on the halcyon days when they had hair, flat stomachs and the ability to stay up all night.

Cloven Hoof sat firmly in the middle of NWOBHM, alongside the occult sounding Demon, Angelwitch and Witchfinder. Originally from Wolverhampton, the band formed in 1979 and lasted until 1990 before original bassist Lee Payne reopened the can of worms and started again. With album number six, he remains the only original member and the rest of the band comprise jobbing musicians. Most notable is vocalist George Call, the American who has also done service with Omen. Unfortunately for George, despite his reputed five octave vocal range, his voice sounds awful on Who Mourns the Morning Star?

Although the band are competent and some of the songs have decent if pedestrian heavy metal, Call’s voice just destroys it. His falsetto strains to keep pace, and whilst he can hit a note, it’s all screaming high pitched horrible noise which I’m afraid detracts from opener Star Rider. It gets unbearable on the six-minute Morning Star where he’s all over the place. This is a shame because as I said, the musicianship isn’t bad at all. Morning Star has some very neat Maiden style guitar duels and Chris Goss and Luke Hatton’s fretwork is very neat throughout. The engine of Payne and drummer Danny White provides a solid platform. The Priest copy Time To Burn is possibly the best track on the release, a full out rocker with some powerful drumming and crunching riffs, albeit much of this is borrowed from the Midland giants (Painkiller and Grinder to name but two).

The problem with all the NWOBHM bands that are crawling back out into the light is that their writing was just not that good. A couple of decent tracks just doesn’t offer enough in today’s competitive field and whilst they offer a journey back to the days when we enjoyed anything that we could get our ears around, the world has changed. Cloven Hoof has updated their sound to an extent. Solid, uninspiring traditional heavy metal – listen to Go Tell The Spartans and be enthused or the “epic” Bannockburn which is just a Maiden tribute. Full marks for continuing to ply the trade. I have total admiration for that. It’s just not that good. 5/10
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Reviews: Firespawn, Hollowstar, Deserter (Reviews By Paul)

May 8, 2017, 1:42 am
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Firespawn: The Reprobate (Century Media)

Firespawn’s debut album Shadows Realm received a 7/10 back in December 2015. That release has grown on me over time and the arrival of album number two is very welcome. Firespawn pick up the pace and relentless assault exactly where they left it, and this album is the epitome of death metal. LG Petrov’s vocals are even more terrifyingly guttural than before, whilst the technical work of the rest of the band is incredible. Matte Modin’s drumming is just mind blowing, and the guitar work of Victor Brandt and Fredrik Folkare insane. Full Of Hate is a superb song, melody coursing through a majestic track which imperiously towers above all.

Album openers Serpent Of The Ocean and Blood Eagle set the tone for the album and the speed is just non-stop. Damnation Ad Bestias changes direction several times, intricate time changes demonstrating the technical skill that is often ignored in death metal. However, everything else on this album pales into insignificance when you get to the title track, which is almost classical in its composition. A spectacular song, blending rapidity with sections of commanding, devastating riffs. The album closer Nightwalkers is massive, crushingly heavy and an absolute battery. The Reprobate is a brutal, at times intensely heavy album that has built on Shadows Realm in so many ways. It’s as good as any death metal release this year. 9/10

Hollowstar: Some Things Matter (Self Released)

Classic punchy rock from Cambridgeshire delivered in a timeless manner. Say hello to Hollowstar. Formed in 2015 the four piece have delivered a six track EP of superb crafted blues soaked hard rock which really works. The soulful vocals of Joe Bonson are excellent, especially on the slower Feel The Burn, a smouldering track which allows the band to slow things down and show their skills. I can’t fault any aspect of this release. Foot tapping tracks such Holding It Together and New Age Lullaby are effortless, well-paced and competently delivered. The guitar work of Phil Haines and Tom Collett is slick and not over played. This is the music that you want at a sunny festival with a cold beer in your hand and your good friends by your side. Keep an eye out for Hollowstar. 8/10

Deserter: Coils Of The Lesser Serpent (Vile Records)

Now I’m all for silly bands having silly names instead of their real names; I don’t for one minute think that Dr Hell is the real name of the frontman of Evil Scarecrow. However, when you are asking the world to take notice of your chaos driven thrash metal, the names Neckbreaker, Dr Carnage, Bassbeast and Blastbeat Bastard tend to make you roll your eyes. So now I’ve spat that out, what about Deserter, a Brussels based thrash band who’ve been kicking around for several years.

Well, Coils Of The Lesser Serpent sounds exactly as you’d expect for a band that cite Kreator, Destruction, Death and Slayer amongst their influences. It’s fast, it’s technical, it’s at times dirty and at all times Teutonic in nature. I said recently that good thrash is always listenable and Coils certainly doesn’t have me screaming for the stop button. It’s solid, racey and hard based thrash metal as we like it. Tracks such as Headhunter and Bombing Flight give you an idea of the lyrical content whilst the standout track is Cry Of The Foresaken, a six minutes stomping beast which allows full expression and release. If you like your thrash this will tick your boxes. Just change the names. 7/10
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A View From The Back Of The Room: Save Fuel Rock Club Festival

May 9, 2017, 12:52 am
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Save Fuel Rock Club Festival, Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff

On the back of the march to save Womanby Street last weekend, this weekend saw Cardiff's 'only' rock club put on a one day festival to raise funds to soundproof the venue further, as it has been the subject of a noise complaint. With a true mix of bands playing the festival it shaped up to be a good day/night alas I only managed to attend in the latter part of the day due personal constraints but I swept into the venue (in my own unmistakable style) ready for the last few bands of the day. The first thing that struck me was how few people were inside the performance area, considering this was day to save the venue as a there didn't seem to be many people actually watching the bands, most preferring to stay in the outer bar area and play dreadful pop-punk on the jukebox.

Thankfully I managed to catch up with Brett and we paid our money to the cause, bought a beer and piled in for our first band. That band was Cranial Separation (7) formed by Ray Packer the former frontman of Sodomized Cadavar Cranial Separation don't do anything vastly different than SC with a set based around grinding death metal led by furious blast beats, intelligible lyrics and strong groove's between the explosive fury. The death/grind genre is very much of it's type and you get what you get, perfectly adequate way of opening the day for us with 30 minutes of extreme noise. Kudos to Packer for talking the way he sings, to bassist Chris Machin for his excellent shirt and for drummer Sam Heffernan who played in two bands on the bill, neither of which were slow and melodic.

Next up were a band I was all too familiar with having seen them open for Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard, Blackwood based heavy rock band Revival (8) continue to amaze with their sheer maturity and performance despite all of the members being 17-18. Thick juicy riffs are the order of the day with this band who owe a debt to both Sabbath and Pantera due to their fat grooves, Season Of The Wizard kicked the set off strongly and got heads banging. They debuted a new song called Captain's Quarters which was of the high quality I'd expect from this band, brimming with passion and fire vocalist Finley and bassist Alex throw themselves around leaving Luke to stoically riff with ease as Dafydd batters the drum kit. Tracks such as Danger have a melodic edge but Insanity cranked up the speed with thrashy breakdowns. The set finished with a near as dammit cover of RATM's Bullet In The Head and the youngsters won over more new fans.

Keeping the pace going next was a band that are no strangers to Fuel, Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters (8) are regulars to the club, Beth even taking a minute during their set to explain how important the club was to her when she moved here and found like minded folks. Since then of course the band have formed and gone from strength to strength having recently released their debut full length the band have carved their own path of ballsy hard rock with touches of Halestorm and KISS, Blade especially was decked out in a KISS shirt and played a Paul Stanley custom guitar. The influence of the band extends to the music too with chunky rock riffs, a voice full of attitude and flirty filthy songs about rock n roll itself. This band have really dialled themselves up since I first saw them, their debut full length has kitted them out with a number of sing along numbers and their rigorous touring schedule has moulded them into a slick hard rocking machine. The only comment I would make is that the sound was a little bass heavy meaning the guitars were a little drowned out.

As the day progressed more of the 'go to' Fuel bands played sets, with the hard rock of BBATBD setting the tone and building a fun atmosphere, darkness descended upon Fuel for South Wales blackest band. Named after the Celtic goddess of chaos and carnage Agrona (9) took to the stage replete with corpse paint, blastbeats, leather armour and more smoke than you can handle. I've always found po faced back metal a little hilarious and Agrona do nothing to change this but they do play incredibly well and have vocals from hell's undercarriage. Formed by vocalist S "Taranis" Morgan and bassist T "Kreulon" Hill the band are an immense sight to behold live, five large armour clad dude playing blackened metal that touches on death and thrash, the rest of the band is made up of S "Ankou" Heffernan (him again) on drums with the shredding courtesy of  A "Aeron" Hunter (rhythm guitar) and P "Phoenix" Griffiths (lead guitar).

With strobes galore throughout, a cursed baptism and even some bloodspitting the band have honed an effective live show that is aided immensely by some of the most violent metal Fuel has seen. They rightfully pulled the biggest crowd I'd seen all day. Agrona were here as they support the club and those in it but also because they were one of the bands playing  when the club got the noise complaint that led to this festival. Although personally if you live above a venue and complain about the noise you're a cunt. (Apologies to any sensitive types). As their set of ear-splitting aggression continued they added a female banshee Nadala for one song which gave a new dynamic to their already dual vocal-led assault, with the paint running due to the heat, the riffs were relentless levelling the venue throughout the set. They wrapped up and the room was a hot an sweaty mess from the windmilling and pitting that was happening down the front, I felt sorry for any band that had to follow that (Everyday Heroes) as it was a feat of pure metal power. Agrona were my last band of the day as I had an early start the following day but what and ending. Could I understand a word? Nope Did it matter? Nope. Were Agrona excellent? Well Hail Satan to that!

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Reviews: Ancient Ascendant, Disbelief, Midnight Rider (Reviews By Rich)

May 10, 2017, 12:44 am
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Ancient Ascendant: Raise The Torch (Candlelight Records)

Ancient Ascendant are a band I used to see perform regularly several years ago with the band seemingly always landing a support slot on many extreme metal shows I attended. In the years since the band dropped off my radar but have seemingly kept active as Raise The Torch is their third record which has been released through Candlelight Records and boasts a production job by the legendary Dan Swanö. Ancient Ascendant always had a bit of a different take on the death metal sound and the music on Raise The Torch is no exception sounding like a cross between melodic death metal, black metal and death 'n' roll.

 It's a winning formula generally with catchy melodies mixing with savage tremolo riffage and balls out rock 'n' roll swagger especially on songs such as Our Way, Scaling The Gods and Grasping The Torch. Also special mention must go to the more progressive leanings of Foreign Skies. Inconsistency is my main criticism of the album. The above mentioned songs are the definite highlights but the rest of the album generally does not reach the heights of these resulting in some forgettable songs. Where this album is good though it is very damn good indeed and I'm sure many of these songs will be amazing in a live environment. Ancient Ascendant have been pushing the boundaries of their death metal sound since day one and continue to do so with their third album. Let's just hope the next one has consistency to back it up as well. 7/10

Disbelief: The Symbol Of Death (Listenable Records)

Long running German death groove bruisers Disbelief return after a seven year gap with their tenth album The Symbol Of Death. There have been some line-up changes in the band since 2010's Heal! with new guitarists and a new drummer. The line up changes and break between albums seems to have done the band the world of good as The Symbol Of Death is a ferocious album. The sound of the album is what we've come to expect of Disbelief with groove heavy death metal tunes with hints of melodic death metal.

What's different here is how recharged and re-energised the band sound with tracks such as Full Of Terrors, The Unsuspecting One and Rest In Peace positively bristling with energy and intensity. Similarly tracks such as One By One and Embrace The Blaze explore the bands more melodic side with some progressive rhythms going on as well. Unfortunately with a running length of 63 minutes the album does contain its fair amount of filler material especially towards the end of the album where you start to feel it has outstayed its welcome. With a few songs cut out and a reduced running time this album would have been perfect but as it stands it is a flawed but brilliant piece of groove laden death metal. 7/10

Midnight Rider: Manifestation (Massacre Records)

The retro rock and metal movement seems to be in full swing in 2017 and the latest band to join the ranks are Germany's Midnight Rider with their debut album Manifestation released on Massacre Records. Midnight Rider have a retro sound harking back to the mid 1970's but taking major influence from two bands in particular - Black Sabbath and Judas Priest. The album comes across as if you mixed Black Sabbath's Master Of Reality and Judas Priest's Stained Class and the result is a triumphant batch of rifftastic heavy metal anthems.

 The vocals by frontman Wayne sound like a cross between Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford and Robert Plant but with a bit of added grit and really compliment the sublime riffs, groovy bass and solid drumming. Highlights include the Judas Priest leaning Tears Of Your Temptation, the Black Sabbath-like Creature Of The Night and Led Zeppelin inspired Unknown Woman Of The Seine. The band have very clear influences which they wear a bit too much on their sleeves but with such strong influences as these and songwriting as good as it is on the record it's safe to say I'm won over. Retro bands can be a bit hit or miss with me but Midnight Rider definitely get my seal of approval. Unoriginal but insanely enjoyable. 8/10
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