Hawkwind: All Aboard The Skylark (Cherry Red Records) [Paul Hutchings]
The remarkable thing about this album is that Hawkwind have never used this title before. Having benefited from a stable line-up for the past few years, Mission Control looks steady and focused on their forthcoming 50th anniversary tour including a night at the Royal Albert Hall which I am looking forward to. After last year’s diversion with the orchestral interruption of Mike Batt with Road To Utopia, album 32 sees the space rockers return to the direction that their previous two releases, The Machine Stops and Into The Woods had taken. A spine of tight psychedelic groove ensures that the album rarely drifts, with a relaxed feel allowing the band to showcase their own talents. Opening with Flesh Fondue, one of two classic space rock tracks with alien creatures sweeping through the galaxy feeding on life forms.
Flesh Fondue features a storming opening which allows the quartet of Dave Brock (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Richard Chadwick (drums), Niall Hone (bass, keyboards) and Magnus Martin (guitar, vocals) to grab the attention and envelope you in a swirling haze. Somethings never change with Hawkwind and there remains an element of madness which is integral to the Hawkwind sound throughout. Last Man On Earth and We Are Not Dead … Only Sleeping follows the destruction and resurrection of the planet with the former featuring some sweet saxophone courtesy of Michael Sonsa who also lends his instrument to the title track. We Are Not Dead … Only Sleeping is a typical soaring synth space foray, gentle harmonies and swirling elements which capture both the old and modern feel of this great band; the smooth jazz style breakdown mid-section is a welcome addition and surprise.
A smouldering blues-soaked journey awaits the listener who takes a punt on this Italian trio’s debut album. A mere 36 minutes in length, what the band lack in quantity they make up for in quality. The trio employ two basses as part of their set up and lyrically are inspired by the poetry of William Blake, Dylan Thomas and Henry Michaux. What is most impressive about The Elephant is the unique gravelly vocal delivery of Giovanni Murolo, who adds a truly interesting dimension to this album. With the blues and stoner fuzz combined to great effect, this is a genuinely exciting yet laid back release which deserved repeated plays and wide exposure. The band may be hamstrung by their name though, as there are numerous outfits with the same or similar moniker which distracts from the social media hunt. Regardless of that, The Elephant is an impressive release which is best served with a cold beer and a warm summer night! 7/10
The remarkable thing about this album is that Hawkwind have never used this title before. Having benefited from a stable line-up for the past few years, Mission Control looks steady and focused on their forthcoming 50th anniversary tour including a night at the Royal Albert Hall which I am looking forward to. After last year’s diversion with the orchestral interruption of Mike Batt with Road To Utopia, album 32 sees the space rockers return to the direction that their previous two releases, The Machine Stops and Into The Woods had taken. A spine of tight psychedelic groove ensures that the album rarely drifts, with a relaxed feel allowing the band to showcase their own talents. Opening with Flesh Fondue, one of two classic space rock tracks with alien creatures sweeping through the galaxy feeding on life forms.
Flesh Fondue features a storming opening which allows the quartet of Dave Brock (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Richard Chadwick (drums), Niall Hone (bass, keyboards) and Magnus Martin (guitar, vocals) to grab the attention and envelope you in a swirling haze. Somethings never change with Hawkwind and there remains an element of madness which is integral to the Hawkwind sound throughout. Last Man On Earth and We Are Not Dead … Only Sleeping follows the destruction and resurrection of the planet with the former featuring some sweet saxophone courtesy of Michael Sonsa who also lends his instrument to the title track. We Are Not Dead … Only Sleeping is a typical soaring synth space foray, gentle harmonies and swirling elements which capture both the old and modern feel of this great band; the smooth jazz style breakdown mid-section is a welcome addition and surprise.
At around 40 minutes All Aboard The Skylark represents standard Hawkwind fare but there is nothing routine about the music. The title track winds and meanders, percussion and synths combining to good effect as the underlying rumble of imminent take off ebbs and flows, haunting saxophones and guitars adding to the maelstrom. The contemplative 65 Million Years Ago when the asteroid crashes into and wipes out nearly all life on earth, another timeless space rocker. In The Beginning and the continuation of the journey onwards in the gentle The Road To …. lead to the intricate closing The Fantasy Of Faldum, at nine minutes the longest track and based on a Herman Hesse fairy tale. The special edition includes Acoustic Daze providing acoustic reworkings of classic tracks such as PSI Power, The Watcher and Flying Doctor. Some of these were pre-Mike Batt Road To Utopia recordings whilst the final three, Get Yourself Together, Ascent Of Man and We Took The Wrong Step Years Ago are live versions which capture the band in their natural environment. There is no evidence of the mothership slowing down. Those dates in November should be stunning. 8/10
Bruce Soord: All This Will Be Yours (Kscope Records) [Matt Bladen]
Inspired by the exploration he has been spearheading with The Pineapple Thief, the second solo record from multi-instrumentalist Bruce Soord is a beautiful record that pairs stripped back acoustic guitar slinging singer-songwriter style songs with samples and synths. The songs on this album are the sound of a soul being laid bare, he doesn't have to deal with being in a 'rock' band on this album so it's a lot more introspective than The Pineapple Thief songs without losing any of that bands emotional depth, reminding everyone that Soord can be considered to be the heart of The Pineapple Thief. I said this album was introspective and that's because it was written after a change in Soord's life as he and his wife welcomed their third child, he has reflected upon this juxtaposed with the local deprivation in his hometown of Yeovil.
In fact Soord has talked extensively about being constantly surrounded by sirens and he has used these sounds throughout the record. Those looking for big rock anthems won't get that here, what you do get are songs that can be compared to those of Blackfield (Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen) but also Lunatic Soul, Tim Bowness and even Portishead, especially on the insistent, trancy title track, but his always warm, I'd even say comforting vocals work their best on the fireside number Time Does Not Exist which closes out the first half of this record. I say first half as this has been mixed to let both distinctive halves flow into each other, for the best listening experience. All This Will Be Yours is another feather in the cap of Bruce Soord, a distinctive, creative record that is simple but effective, layered but stark it's a record for tumultuous times but underlined with hope, because sometimes that's all there is. 9/10
Mayhem: Daemon (Century Media) [Val D'Arcy]
Five years since the release of Esoteric Warfare, comes Daemon; the sixth studio album from infamous True Norwegian Black Metal masters, Mayhem. Co-written for the most part by Teloch and Ghul Daemon takes yet another creative turn for the band. It's immediately clear this album is it's own entity with a distinct persona that is none of its predecessors. That said, there is an indisputable return to the old school at the very heart, in it's foundations this bears closer resemblance to the older guise of Mayhem. The band have shed some of the avantgarde, experimentation that were characteristic of recent albums for a more direct, traditional approach to Black Metal. Having recently completed a two hundred set tour of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, its probably not unreasonable to hear some influence from that record on Daemon, which of course is no bad thing. That's not to suggest the two sound in any way alike, they don't. Rather think of it as having left an imprint on the essence of whatever this band could have put out next. That dark, primitive presence of evil that imbued De Mysteriis is present here; like the ghosts of childhood returning after nearly three decades to haunt once more.
The production, as you'd expect is discernibly crisp with a real focus on the instrumentals. There is less of a divide between this and Attila's vocals than in previous albums. Particularly in Esoteric Warfare where quite often the vocal passages almost stood out as a solo act over a backing track; here everything combines to form a singular force of musical harmony. There's an equilibrium between the two that allows this album to flow with a beautifully natural cohesion. Vocally, this may be my favourite of Attila's recordings. Nekro's bass has not been ignored in the mix; audibly complimenting Hellhammer's superbly simple, succinct drumming. There's nothing outlandish or particularly complex in either of the latter, but the perfection of their execution provides a solid structure and drive to the songs throughout.
At just under sixty minutes it's not a short album, twelve tracks of varying pace but each an important movement in the overall composition. Having listened to the band talk on the subject of writing Daemon and having heard the record itself it's clear this is a very intentional album and more than just a collection of songs. There is a deliberate consistency and flow to its monolithic form. Equally, there are twists and turns along the way as we trace over the surface of this beast that keep you fascinated and guessing. There's almost a melodeath like quality to the riff in Falsified and Hated reminiscent of Emperor's Loss and Curse Of Reverence. The solo in Bad Blood is beautifully eerie; combined with the blast beat and melodic tremolo picked riff either side of it reminds me of the feeling I get listening to the (brief but perfect) solo in Dissection's Retribution. Synths have been used more liberally here than in previous albums which adds a somewhat different quality to the atmosphere than we may be accustomed to with Mayhem. Indeed the nods to the mid-nineties are plentiful, but Daemon succeeds in maintaining an overall feeling of progression without succumbing to indulgence in nostalgia. This is a modern classic in Black Metal. 8/10
The Elephant: The Elephant (Karma Conspiracy Records) [Paul Hutchings]
Bruce Soord: All This Will Be Yours (Kscope Records) [Matt Bladen]
Inspired by the exploration he has been spearheading with The Pineapple Thief, the second solo record from multi-instrumentalist Bruce Soord is a beautiful record that pairs stripped back acoustic guitar slinging singer-songwriter style songs with samples and synths. The songs on this album are the sound of a soul being laid bare, he doesn't have to deal with being in a 'rock' band on this album so it's a lot more introspective than The Pineapple Thief songs without losing any of that bands emotional depth, reminding everyone that Soord can be considered to be the heart of The Pineapple Thief. I said this album was introspective and that's because it was written after a change in Soord's life as he and his wife welcomed their third child, he has reflected upon this juxtaposed with the local deprivation in his hometown of Yeovil.
In fact Soord has talked extensively about being constantly surrounded by sirens and he has used these sounds throughout the record. Those looking for big rock anthems won't get that here, what you do get are songs that can be compared to those of Blackfield (Steven Wilson and Aviv Geffen) but also Lunatic Soul, Tim Bowness and even Portishead, especially on the insistent, trancy title track, but his always warm, I'd even say comforting vocals work their best on the fireside number Time Does Not Exist which closes out the first half of this record. I say first half as this has been mixed to let both distinctive halves flow into each other, for the best listening experience. All This Will Be Yours is another feather in the cap of Bruce Soord, a distinctive, creative record that is simple but effective, layered but stark it's a record for tumultuous times but underlined with hope, because sometimes that's all there is. 9/10
Mayhem: Daemon (Century Media) [Val D'Arcy]
Five years since the release of Esoteric Warfare, comes Daemon; the sixth studio album from infamous True Norwegian Black Metal masters, Mayhem. Co-written for the most part by Teloch and Ghul Daemon takes yet another creative turn for the band. It's immediately clear this album is it's own entity with a distinct persona that is none of its predecessors. That said, there is an indisputable return to the old school at the very heart, in it's foundations this bears closer resemblance to the older guise of Mayhem. The band have shed some of the avantgarde, experimentation that were characteristic of recent albums for a more direct, traditional approach to Black Metal. Having recently completed a two hundred set tour of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas, its probably not unreasonable to hear some influence from that record on Daemon, which of course is no bad thing. That's not to suggest the two sound in any way alike, they don't. Rather think of it as having left an imprint on the essence of whatever this band could have put out next. That dark, primitive presence of evil that imbued De Mysteriis is present here; like the ghosts of childhood returning after nearly three decades to haunt once more.
The production, as you'd expect is discernibly crisp with a real focus on the instrumentals. There is less of a divide between this and Attila's vocals than in previous albums. Particularly in Esoteric Warfare where quite often the vocal passages almost stood out as a solo act over a backing track; here everything combines to form a singular force of musical harmony. There's an equilibrium between the two that allows this album to flow with a beautifully natural cohesion. Vocally, this may be my favourite of Attila's recordings. Nekro's bass has not been ignored in the mix; audibly complimenting Hellhammer's superbly simple, succinct drumming. There's nothing outlandish or particularly complex in either of the latter, but the perfection of their execution provides a solid structure and drive to the songs throughout.
At just under sixty minutes it's not a short album, twelve tracks of varying pace but each an important movement in the overall composition. Having listened to the band talk on the subject of writing Daemon and having heard the record itself it's clear this is a very intentional album and more than just a collection of songs. There is a deliberate consistency and flow to its monolithic form. Equally, there are twists and turns along the way as we trace over the surface of this beast that keep you fascinated and guessing. There's almost a melodeath like quality to the riff in Falsified and Hated reminiscent of Emperor's Loss and Curse Of Reverence. The solo in Bad Blood is beautifully eerie; combined with the blast beat and melodic tremolo picked riff either side of it reminds me of the feeling I get listening to the (brief but perfect) solo in Dissection's Retribution. Synths have been used more liberally here than in previous albums which adds a somewhat different quality to the atmosphere than we may be accustomed to with Mayhem. Indeed the nods to the mid-nineties are plentiful, but Daemon succeeds in maintaining an overall feeling of progression without succumbing to indulgence in nostalgia. This is a modern classic in Black Metal. 8/10
The Elephant: The Elephant (Karma Conspiracy Records) [Paul Hutchings]
A smouldering blues-soaked journey awaits the listener who takes a punt on this Italian trio’s debut album. A mere 36 minutes in length, what the band lack in quantity they make up for in quality. The trio employ two basses as part of their set up and lyrically are inspired by the poetry of William Blake, Dylan Thomas and Henry Michaux. What is most impressive about The Elephant is the unique gravelly vocal delivery of Giovanni Murolo, who adds a truly interesting dimension to this album. With the blues and stoner fuzz combined to great effect, this is a genuinely exciting yet laid back release which deserved repeated plays and wide exposure. The band may be hamstrung by their name though, as there are numerous outfits with the same or similar moniker which distracts from the social media hunt. Regardless of that, The Elephant is an impressive release which is best served with a cold beer and a warm summer night! 7/10