Spellbook: Magick & Mischief (Cruz Del Sur Music)
We throw the term 'Sabbath Worship' around a lot in this blog, like many reviewers and even labels, it has come to mean any band that blends occult doom, stoner and proto-metal, well if there was any phrase to describe Pennsylvania band Spellbook it would be 'Sabbath Worship' I mean the influence of Osborne, Iommi, Butler and Ward is so pronounced hear that on Ominous Skies you'd be forgiven if you thought it was a Masters Of Reality outtake. Formerly known as Witch Hazel they released three records but this is their first under the new moniker they have embraced a much more classic sound with elements of Purple and BOC but mainly it's the Brummie originators of heavy metal that truly weave their magick over this record.
From the grooves of Not Long For This World to the thumping percussion and bass rumbles of Motorcade you can't help but think of massive crosses and white fringed jackets. At a mere 8 songs long it's very much in the 'retro' vein and while the occult rock vibe is very much en vogue at the moment *coughs* Ghost *coughs* Spellbook have just that little bit more too them especially as this record draws to a close, Amulet:Fare Thee Well is much more melodic and in a hard rock vein while the opening of Dead Detectives is a jazz influenced Film Noir detective thriller that runs to over 10 minutes and sounds like it could be something from an Ian Gillan fever dream. It's certainly an odd way to finish things off but it definitely gives you a feeling that Spellbook could very much move away from the 'Sabbath Worship' tag with their next album, all they need to do is embrace the prog and their Magick & Mischief could work it's way to a wider audience. 7/10
Tomorrow's Rain: Hollow (AOP Records)
Yet more death/doom, this time from Athens Greece. Sic Semper Tyrannis roughly translated to "Always Governed By Tyranny" (ain't that the truth) is Crimson Sunsets debut album which has been a long time coming, the band formed in 1994 but split up in 2002, two of the members forming death metal band Slavebreed. After 17 years they decided to reform and consolidate the depressive heavy metal they started out with into this debut. Unlike Tomorrow's Dream there are no guests here just the four members of the band playing some ear bending low slung heaviness with riffs that shift from the grunting thick distortion of the title track to the throbbing We Happy Few that has some haunting clean vocals that gives you hints of My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost.
Winter's Verge: The Ballad Of James Trig (Pride & Joy Music)
Winter's Verge have been flying the flag for Cypriot metal since 2003, The Ballad Of James Tig is their seventh album and is nautical/pirate themed conceptual record written in conjunction with renowned local author and playwright Frixos Masouras, it's an ideal way for Winter's Verge to show off their cinematic/theatrical style of symphonic metal. I've always mentioned the band in the same breath as Sonata Arctica, Stratovarius and Serenity due to their massive use of keys (Stavry Michael) and folky/orchestral elements on top of the galloping rhythm section of Miguel Trapezaris on bass and Danny Georgiou on drums. The six piece are one of the most successful Cypriot bands and it's clear to see why this is on The Ballad Of James Trig as their songwriting has an epic feel to them.
Tracks such as Dead Reckoning bringing the dual guitar power from Deniel Pavlovsky and Savvas Parperi who trade off throughout as it moves into some plaintive piano taking things in to the massive folky ballad Timeless which is a gothic styled duet between George Charalambous and opera singer Teodora Stoyanova Freya who reappears on the more direct and faster I Accept and The Sea. As I said the musical style here suits a conceptual record and The Ballad Of James Trig has a fantasy based storyline that is ripe for the sprawling musical palette here. I will say there a probably a few too many ballads on this record meaning that pacing wise is probably not as immediate as it could be, and most of the music here is fairly standard too. Still Winter's Verge have been doing this long enough that this album will be lauded by their fans as it is a slick symphonic metal record performed by a band of veterans, that is a little overblown, even lacklustre at times. 5/10