Electric Six: Bride Of The Devil (Metropolis Records)
This is the 14th album from the Detroit powerhouse that is Electric Six. Track one, The Opener is possibly the heaviest track the band has ever delivered; a thunderous tune that sees Dick Valentine in superb form, whilst the crushing riffs and electro beat form an alliance that is unbeatable. Daddy’s Boy maintains the high tempo, with Tait Nucleus? keyboards taking centre stage. It’s Americana time on (It Gets) (A Little) Jumpy, with Valentine delivering his vocal wizardry, and more crunching riffs adding heft to the choruses. You’re Toast has shades of Clutch and a distinctly southern hook (That Smell anyone?) whilst the homage to 1980s disco Hades Ladies contains one of my favourite lines of all time: “When a disco nap is more fun than a disco”. Valentine is certainly the star but as I’ve said in many reviews of this fabulous band, the sum of the parts makes Electric Six such a tour de force.
After their deliberate experimental sounds of previous releases, including their 2017 How Dare You?Bride Of The Devil is an instantly more accessible release, the songs memorable and catchy. The title track is immense, a guitar driven sing-a-long in the classic Electric Six tradition. Full Moon Over The Internet is reminiscent of Valentine’s solo work before yet more crashing guitar fleshes it out whilst the disco flavour that Electric Six always bring to the party explodes into action on Grey Areas. A change of style and pace on The Worm In The Wood closes off another spectacular release from a band who remain as versatile as ever. 9/10
Tokyo Blade: Unbroken (3Ms Music)
Anohter band that emerged in the early 1980s under the NWOBHM banner, Tokyo Blade were, at one point, big enough to headline 2-3000 arenas in Europe. Originally called Killer and then Genghis Khan, the band finally settled on Tokyo Blade and released two well regarded albums, their self-titled debut and sophomore album Night Of The Blade. Having split in 1984/5, the band reformed in 2008, with vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnov, and released Burn Down The Night in 2011. Now the Mark II line up is back together, with Alan Marsh on vocals alongside guitarists John Wiggins and Andy Boulton, bassist Andy Wrighton and drummer Steve Pierce. Unbroken contains 11 tracks of compact heavy metal. It’s all competently played and at times rather enjoyable.
Boulton and Wiggins can certainly play their guitars, and Marsh’s vocals are clean and strong, at times incredibly reminiscent of James Hetfield [Bad Blood, Burn Down The Night and The Man In Black are all Metallica heavy] but also switching to elements of Robert Plant and even Trucker Diablo’s Tom Harte. It’s a decent range alright. The songs themselves are solid heavy metal played tracks, proficiently performed. I like the Maiden stomp of Black Water, which allows Wrighton to thunder along on his bass ala Steve Harris. NWOBHM seems to have woken up many bands who would have been better to have remained in a permanent state of hibernation. Not so Tokyo Blade, who prove with Unbroken that they have the quality that is worth making that return. 7/10
Ravens Creed: Get Killed Or Try Dying (Xtreem Music)
Dirty, sleazy old school death metal from London based Ravens Creed, a band who’ve been around since 2006 and for whom this is album number four. Rod Boston, Jay Graham, Steve Watson and Al Osta have created a rather tasty beast with murderous riffs and thunderous bass lines in the best Venom, Hellhammer, Master and Discharge tradition. Its fast and furious, with all the tracks over within two and a half minutes. It may only be 28 minutes in length but there is groove and stomp as well as pig bludgeoning speed.
An absolute wrecking ball of a release, and with titles such as Rats Beneath Our Feet, Hymns And Hearse and The Trauma Of Being Hunted, and the Devildriver style Remember The Hammer, you know that this isn’t going to have a ballad or slow section. With riffs that even Power Trip would kill for, Get Killed Or Try Dying may well be one of the hidden behemoths of 2018. What is for certain is that this bastard shouldn’t be allowed on the car stereo … that concrete motorway bridge would be getting a visit very quickly with the brutality contained within. Listen loud … but with caution. 8/10
Halcyon Way: Bloody But Unbowed (Agonia Records)
This is a curious mixture of an album. The band, from Atlanta, Georgia have been around since 2001 delivering several albums including 2014’s Conquer. Bloody But Unbowed doesn’t fit easily into any category, with a mixture of styles that times change through the duration of each song. Clean power metal style vocals from singer Steve Braun mix with death metal growls from guitarist Jon Bodan and bassist Skyler Moore, whilst the music varies from progressive complexity to heads down thrash. Consequently, it becomes a bit of a challenge at times. The obvious influences are Dream Theater, as demonstrated on tracks like Burning The Summit and Ten Thousand Ways. Technically excellent, it proves that metal doesn’t need to be labelled but that schizophrenic style may also be to the band’s detriment; it’s hard at times to see quite who this will appeal to. 7/10
This is the 14th album from the Detroit powerhouse that is Electric Six. Track one, The Opener is possibly the heaviest track the band has ever delivered; a thunderous tune that sees Dick Valentine in superb form, whilst the crushing riffs and electro beat form an alliance that is unbeatable. Daddy’s Boy maintains the high tempo, with Tait Nucleus? keyboards taking centre stage. It’s Americana time on (It Gets) (A Little) Jumpy, with Valentine delivering his vocal wizardry, and more crunching riffs adding heft to the choruses. You’re Toast has shades of Clutch and a distinctly southern hook (That Smell anyone?) whilst the homage to 1980s disco Hades Ladies contains one of my favourite lines of all time: “When a disco nap is more fun than a disco”. Valentine is certainly the star but as I’ve said in many reviews of this fabulous band, the sum of the parts makes Electric Six such a tour de force.
After their deliberate experimental sounds of previous releases, including their 2017 How Dare You?Bride Of The Devil is an instantly more accessible release, the songs memorable and catchy. The title track is immense, a guitar driven sing-a-long in the classic Electric Six tradition. Full Moon Over The Internet is reminiscent of Valentine’s solo work before yet more crashing guitar fleshes it out whilst the disco flavour that Electric Six always bring to the party explodes into action on Grey Areas. A change of style and pace on The Worm In The Wood closes off another spectacular release from a band who remain as versatile as ever. 9/10
Tokyo Blade: Unbroken (3Ms Music)
Anohter band that emerged in the early 1980s under the NWOBHM banner, Tokyo Blade were, at one point, big enough to headline 2-3000 arenas in Europe. Originally called Killer and then Genghis Khan, the band finally settled on Tokyo Blade and released two well regarded albums, their self-titled debut and sophomore album Night Of The Blade. Having split in 1984/5, the band reformed in 2008, with vocalist Nicolaj Ruhnov, and released Burn Down The Night in 2011. Now the Mark II line up is back together, with Alan Marsh on vocals alongside guitarists John Wiggins and Andy Boulton, bassist Andy Wrighton and drummer Steve Pierce. Unbroken contains 11 tracks of compact heavy metal. It’s all competently played and at times rather enjoyable.
Boulton and Wiggins can certainly play their guitars, and Marsh’s vocals are clean and strong, at times incredibly reminiscent of James Hetfield [Bad Blood, Burn Down The Night and The Man In Black are all Metallica heavy] but also switching to elements of Robert Plant and even Trucker Diablo’s Tom Harte. It’s a decent range alright. The songs themselves are solid heavy metal played tracks, proficiently performed. I like the Maiden stomp of Black Water, which allows Wrighton to thunder along on his bass ala Steve Harris. NWOBHM seems to have woken up many bands who would have been better to have remained in a permanent state of hibernation. Not so Tokyo Blade, who prove with Unbroken that they have the quality that is worth making that return. 7/10
Ravens Creed: Get Killed Or Try Dying (Xtreem Music)
Dirty, sleazy old school death metal from London based Ravens Creed, a band who’ve been around since 2006 and for whom this is album number four. Rod Boston, Jay Graham, Steve Watson and Al Osta have created a rather tasty beast with murderous riffs and thunderous bass lines in the best Venom, Hellhammer, Master and Discharge tradition. Its fast and furious, with all the tracks over within two and a half minutes. It may only be 28 minutes in length but there is groove and stomp as well as pig bludgeoning speed.
An absolute wrecking ball of a release, and with titles such as Rats Beneath Our Feet, Hymns And Hearse and The Trauma Of Being Hunted, and the Devildriver style Remember The Hammer, you know that this isn’t going to have a ballad or slow section. With riffs that even Power Trip would kill for, Get Killed Or Try Dying may well be one of the hidden behemoths of 2018. What is for certain is that this bastard shouldn’t be allowed on the car stereo … that concrete motorway bridge would be getting a visit very quickly with the brutality contained within. Listen loud … but with caution. 8/10
Halcyon Way: Bloody But Unbowed (Agonia Records)
This is a curious mixture of an album. The band, from Atlanta, Georgia have been around since 2001 delivering several albums including 2014’s Conquer. Bloody But Unbowed doesn’t fit easily into any category, with a mixture of styles that times change through the duration of each song. Clean power metal style vocals from singer Steve Braun mix with death metal growls from guitarist Jon Bodan and bassist Skyler Moore, whilst the music varies from progressive complexity to heads down thrash. Consequently, it becomes a bit of a challenge at times. The obvious influences are Dream Theater, as demonstrated on tracks like Burning The Summit and Ten Thousand Ways. Technically excellent, it proves that metal doesn’t need to be labelled but that schizophrenic style may also be to the band’s detriment; it’s hard at times to see quite who this will appeal to. 7/10