Caskets - Lost Souls (Sharptone Records) [Matt Bladen]
So I've often lamented the modern style of metal with bands such as BMTH drawing my ire. Most of the time it's due to the emotional, often vulnerable lyrics, the radio baiting quality and the excessive use of electronics. However every so often I'm forced to eat my words, band such as Architects are a prime example for this, their metalcore sound has evolved into one that takes them into being one of the true future festival headliners. Other additions to that list are Wales' own Holding Absence, but I'm going to go out on a limb and put Caskets in that list of soon to be arena headliners too. The Leeds bands are a five piece and are following up their EP 2019 with Lost Souls their debut full length album.
So I've often lamented the modern style of metal with bands such as BMTH drawing my ire. Most of the time it's due to the emotional, often vulnerable lyrics, the radio baiting quality and the excessive use of electronics. However every so often I'm forced to eat my words, band such as Architects are a prime example for this, their metalcore sound has evolved into one that takes them into being one of the true future festival headliners. Other additions to that list are Wales' own Holding Absence, but I'm going to go out on a limb and put Caskets in that list of soon to be arena headliners too. The Leeds bands are a five piece and are following up their EP 2019 with Lost Souls their debut full length album.
Recorded in a garden shed, Lost Souls sees the band, and frontman Matt Flood especially bearing his across the 11 tracks here, with heady, introspective and emotionally difficult lyrical themes. It's a record that talks with uncompromising openness deal about loss, fear and abuse but also retain an hopefulness that comes from the move towards an atmospheric sound. The crushing metalcore/djent heavy riffs counterpointed by soaring melodies, of course are boosted by the use of electronic blips and synths adding yet another layer to this dense musical offering. The band initially wrote the songs in a similar ragey style to their debut but then decided to add mellower moments, relying more on passionate clean vocals and musical additions such as the synths and strings on the more introspective moments such as Hopes & Dreams.
The Ugly Kings - Strange Strange Times (Napalm Records) [Matt Bladen]
From the country that brought us AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and Airbourne, Australian band The Ugly Kings eschew that pub rock sound of these legends of the Aussie rock scene, for a musical palette that is a little more haunting and much darker. Their sound is rooted in the offshoots of the Sky Valley scene, brimming with dark, bruising desert rock, as it transitioned into riffy, blues driven garage rocking that comes from the locker room of Queens Of The Stone Age. Add to this some punk of Iggy Pop and the mysticism of Jim Morrison sliding in to the moody, razor-sharp rock n roll. There's also some influences that loom large in the Greek metal scene with bands such as Planet Of Zeus, 1000mods and Deaf Radio.
From the country that brought us AC/DC, Rose Tattoo and Airbourne, Australian band The Ugly Kings eschew that pub rock sound of these legends of the Aussie rock scene, for a musical palette that is a little more haunting and much darker. Their sound is rooted in the offshoots of the Sky Valley scene, brimming with dark, bruising desert rock, as it transitioned into riffy, blues driven garage rocking that comes from the locker room of Queens Of The Stone Age. Add to this some punk of Iggy Pop and the mysticism of Jim Morrison sliding in to the moody, razor-sharp rock n roll. There's also some influences that loom large in the Greek metal scene with bands such as Planet Of Zeus, 1000mods and Deaf Radio.
Frontman Russell Clark's deep, brooding vocal carrying the psychedelic, wooziness of Do You Feel Like Your Paranoid? or In The Shadows which has the start-stop riffing of Jack White building up into the the heaviest track on the record. Now there are a lot of bands that take from that alt rock sound of QOTSA, but The Ugly Kings are almost bang on to those early records, with a bit of oddness and danger in their music, packed into tracks that never give away too much about their lyrical content. The swaggering Spaghetti Western style of Lawman and the pulsing The Devil Comes With A Smile adding new strings to the stoner alt rock bow of The Ugly Kings.
Along with Russell Clark, we have a rocksteady engine room of bassist Nicholas Dumont and drummer Joel Martin, The Devil Comes With A Smile one that is definitely all about them, while cranking out those riffs is guitarist Christos Athanasias who attacks his guitar with indignation, ferocity, while also being keenly aware of a move to slower, adroit playing for tracks such as Another Fucking Day which closes the record. We are indeed living in Strange, Strange Times so crank it up and let The Ugly Kings' guide you through the madness. 8/10
Lorna Shore – And I Return To Nothingness (Century Media Records) [Megan Jenkins]
Though the band have been regularly releasing music since 2010, And I Return To Nothingness has forced me to start paying attention to Lorna Shore. At only three tracks long, I expected to listen to the EP from start to finish within 10 minutes and be mildly content, yet I cannot stop listening to it. The first track, and the title track of this release, is full of blast beats and in my opinion is an extremely solid start to the EP.
Though the band have been regularly releasing music since 2010, And I Return To Nothingness has forced me to start paying attention to Lorna Shore. At only three tracks long, I expected to listen to the EP from start to finish within 10 minutes and be mildly content, yet I cannot stop listening to it. The first track, and the title track of this release, is full of blast beats and in my opinion is an extremely solid start to the EP.
The change between guttural and high-pitched vocals is impressive and seems so effortless for vocalist Will Ramos. Though he’s only been in the band for just over a year, he’s truly cemented his place within the group and proves that he is most definitely the right choice for them. Track 2 Of The Abyss is my personal favourite of the three. It begins with operatic vocals and then quickly incorporates a kick drum that sounds like a machine gun, but it works so well together even though it really shouldn’t.
Intricate guitar playing quickly cuts to a breakdown that had me pulling gurns I didn’t even know my face could pull – absolute pure filth is the only way I can describe everything from the 3.5-minute mark. Then I’m given whiplash by the beginning of the final track To The Hellfire with an acoustic guitar riff that wouldn’t sound out of place on the soundtrack to The Last Of Us video games. Then of course it kicks in properly and we’re back to blast beats, gutturals and half speed breakdowns that are as disgusting as a broken septic tank but in the absolute best way. Thank you Lorna Shore for forcing me to pay attention to you. 10/10
Fearancy - Dæmonium (Black Sunset Records) [Paul Hutchings]
It may have been five years since the Austrian four-piece’s debut Paranoia but as the saying goes, all things come to he who waits, and in the case of their second album, it certainly has paid to be patient. 40 minutes of thrash blended with melodic death metal over ten tracks and each one brings something to the table. The band’s combination of styles brings a pleasing chug which underpins the fast and furious approach that is the blueprint throughout. Opener Last Disease provides a false dawn with a gentle intro that gives way to a thick groove-ridden thrasher which immediately piques the interest. Markus ‘Max’ Straub’s roaring vocals soar above the guitars, with Benjamin ‘Benji’ Jeram reliable and punishing drumming underpinning an overall ferocity that works well.
It’s fair to say that Fearancy aren’t going too far to reinvent the wheel with Dæmonium but their style should capture the interests of a fair number of metalheads. The title track weaves classic heavy metal in a way that should appeal to fans of more mainstream metallers although the vocals are slightly heavier and more demonic in sound and delivery. Elsewhere Voices is neatly crafted with an atmospheric intro which soon gives way to one of the fastest bludgeoning songs on the record. This is where the band ensure that there is no confusion in approach, but still manage to include some quality melody amidst the mayhem and frenetic aural assault.
It may have been five years since the Austrian four-piece’s debut Paranoia but as the saying goes, all things come to he who waits, and in the case of their second album, it certainly has paid to be patient. 40 minutes of thrash blended with melodic death metal over ten tracks and each one brings something to the table. The band’s combination of styles brings a pleasing chug which underpins the fast and furious approach that is the blueprint throughout. Opener Last Disease provides a false dawn with a gentle intro that gives way to a thick groove-ridden thrasher which immediately piques the interest. Markus ‘Max’ Straub’s roaring vocals soar above the guitars, with Benjamin ‘Benji’ Jeram reliable and punishing drumming underpinning an overall ferocity that works well.
It’s fair to say that Fearancy aren’t going too far to reinvent the wheel with Dæmonium but their style should capture the interests of a fair number of metalheads. The title track weaves classic heavy metal in a way that should appeal to fans of more mainstream metallers although the vocals are slightly heavier and more demonic in sound and delivery. Elsewhere Voices is neatly crafted with an atmospheric intro which soon gives way to one of the fastest bludgeoning songs on the record. This is where the band ensure that there is no confusion in approach, but still manage to include some quality melody amidst the mayhem and frenetic aural assault.
Rise Again brings chainsaw guitars and has a welcoming Arch Enemy feel. Fearancy have delivered a robust sophomore release, with a solid mix and mastering courtesy of J-F Dagenais (Kataklysm) and a stunning piece of cover art from Diego Gedoz de Souza (Hatebreed, Cypress Hill, Heathen, among others). I’d be very interested in seeing and hearing how this can be delivered in the live arena. 8/10