Reviews: Troy Redfern, Abdicatrix, Wasteland Coven/Nothing Is Real, Smiling (Reviews By Matt Bladen)

This experience and the magical surrounding of that studio has imbued The Fire Cosmic with a real sense of something special. Take a track like Love & War which is a mid paced anthem that I'm sure you'll hear on a rock radio station near you soon, but then compare it to the harder edged On Fire which features Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal on additional (double neck) guitar solo duelling with Redfern. Elsewhere Ghosts is a proper country pickin' slice of Americana that explodes into a killer solo. While Saving Grace comes straight out of the introspective balladry of Mr Big. A great album of blues/Americana flavoured rock which shows why Redfern is held in such lofty regard as a guitar player and also as singer/songwriter. I will also say it's got a properly cool album cover ala surfing with the alien. The Fire Cosmic will surely he Redfern's crowning achievement so far. 8/10

Abdicatrix - Melancholia (UKEM Records) 

Warning before you press play on Melancholia, the debut album from London based black metal band Abdicatrix, will probably wilt your plants and make the clouds draw in on even the brightest of days. This is a record that draws heavily from the seminal second wave of black metal, with a cauldron of  Darkthrone, Immortal and Emperor, the band stylistically are covered in black and white corpse pain, long metal spikes and from their promo pictures hang around in woodland clearings a lot. Of course there's little information about the band, to keep the identities of those involved a mystery (as is the black metal way), but in stark contrast to the genre as a whole Abdicatrix are 3/4's female, not that this is important in a musical sense but in the very male dominated black metal scene it's a rarity. 

Now musically there is a mix of all the bands named previously, as we get the discordant doomy delivery of Soteria which is punctuated by the explosive tremolo riffing that is so linked to the black metal sound. Tempest Quintessence once again is a long, slow creeping evil style track that bursts into an all out black metal assault. There is a lot of atmospheric gloom here, I mean the album is called Melancholia but there's also a lot of melodic flourishes on tracks such as Polarity's Blade where the guitars get cleaner and early on tracks such as Into The Depths bring a progressive bent that is reminiscent of Celtic Frost. 

The pace of these songs undulate and shift across their run times, once again having an affinity to bands such as Emperor, vocally as well it's a vicious, biting croak that tells these macabre tales with malice. A wicked treat for any black metal lovers Melancholia is an atmospheric, technically skilled record that has lofty ambition for a debut. I for one will be keeping a close eye on where they go from here. 7/10    

Wasteland Coven/Nothing Is Real - Turmoil Split (Transylvanian Recordings & Cursed Monk Records)

Turmoil is a split from two US heavy doom bands, taking the first three tracks on this split EP is Toledo, Ohio four piece are very much in the classic doom metal sound of Saint Vitus and Candlemass, the fuzzing basslines of Susan Mitchell are flanked by the crunchy gallops of Bill Anderson and Brandon Collins with a rhythmic drive from drummer Jason Wilcox. They've followed up their April 2020 EP with this split and Wasteland Coven's style remains full of groove as Susan's echoed, Ozzy-like vocals that works well with the D.I.Y stripped back production of the three songs they made for this record. 

Now as it starts off with the classic booming doom of Wasteland Coven, the split takes an esoteric turn for the three tracks from LA act Nothing Is Real. It's the solo of project of Nicholas Turner and he really unleashes his dark side with an experimental sludge attack. The three songs are all part of one suite where Turner shifts through various kinds of heavy and abrasive soundscapes giving you a peek into the music he has already composed on his March 2021 album. It's a swirling cacophony of noise with the sludge doom sound that does well in juxtaposition to Wasteland Coven more straightforward sound. Doom splits are always interesting and much like the Heavy Psych Sounds Doom Sessions Split records this one showcases both bands well. 7/10

Smiling - Devour (Rogue Wave Records)

Smiling is the wild, reckless psych rock project from guitarist/vocalist/composer Annie Shaw. She has plied her trade with numerous bands supporting bands like Against Me! Devour is her latest foray into the world of mind expanding, kaleidoscopic rock with a dark pop edge. The recording began in 2016, with Josh Pollock (guitar), Mark Nelson (bass) and Sonny Pearce (drums). The record was laid down on to analogue tape with analogue instrumentation. After the initial sessions the record was overdubbed, for that hazy layered vocal sound of psych rock and the post-punk of bands like Siouxsie And The Banshees. 

Especially when songs such as The Well features violin from Sivan Lioncub for that quirky, dark pop sound though one focussed through 90's alt rock fuzz and dream pop mystery. Now Devour is a pumping record that rampages through its 10 song setlist that fans of Rosalie Cunningham will dive headfirst into and swim in the oceans of oddness. The record was completed not long after the recording sessions but house moves and pandemics slowed the release but finally it's here in all its retro, quirky glory. From the punky title track to the euphoric FPS, Devour is a look into Annie Shaw's musical mind, taking you with her into a journey of musical exploration. 7/10