Tony Martin - Thorns (Battlegod Productions/Dark Star Records)
If you don't know who Tony Martin is then stop reading immediately and educate yourself. Now if you do (or you've come back from reading) then you'll know he is the second longest serving vocalist of Black Sabbath, fronting the band when it basically became a Tony Iommi solo project. He was also the singer on the best album not to feature Ozzy or RJD, Headless Cross and it seems as if Martin is trying to return to those days again on his third solo album.
Thorns comes two previous solo records an numerous vocal slots with other bands such as The Cage, Phenomena and most recently Magnum offshoot Kingdom Of Madness. So there is quite a body of work behind Martin away from the Sabbath mothership but he will probably be forever associated with the Birmingham originators of heavy metal. In two words, I can describe what Thorns sounds like, Black Sabbath, I mean it is always going to sound like Black Sabbath but Thorns strays more into the style adopted since the Dio years rather than the early Ozzy albums.
Opener As The World Burns feels very Dio-esque with the bouncing riffs of Scott McClellan (who co-wrote the record with Martin) underpinned by Venom sticksman Danny Needham who is more Cozy Powell than Bill Ward, despite his day job. The record features two bassists, I assume sharing the low frequency duties, one being session four stringer Greg Smith and the other is ex-Hammerfall man Magnus Rosén. They take the position of Geezer's thundering rhythms, getting to show off a bit with slap playing on Black Widow Angel as Scott McClellan plays riffs that are part-Iommi, part-Zakk Wylde.
As with a lot of Martin's career there is theatricality to his performance, Book Of Shadows adding a choir to make things more dramatic, it is a song that slows the pace of the album but does show that Martin still has a brilliant set of pipes at 64 years old as does the Crying Wolf which features some acoustic layers to it. We jump back into the heavy rock style with No Shame At All which is in the vibe of Evil Woman, but it's on the psychedelic, doomy sounds of Nowhere To Fly that will get the pulses of Sabbath lovers racing (or as much as they can for a doom fan) as will punching Run Like The Devil.
Closing out with the title track where Martin duets with Pamela Moore (of Operation:Mindcrime fame) and there is a Queensryche sound to this final number. Thorns is a great slab of heavy metal that will appease any fans of Black Sabbath/Dio. With the current Ozzy tour being continually postponed and Sabbath now just a memory I'd love to see Tony Martin touring this record soon! 9/10
Eliminator - Ancient Light (Dissonance Records)
Don't confuse them with the multitude of bands with the same name from the USA, this Eliminator come from Lancaster and play NWOTHM, which of course used to be called NWOBHM. They released an album in 2018 called Last Horison which was well received but Ancient Light is a record that will see them take their place in the upper echelon of the NWOTHM style.
Produced by the amazing Chris Fielding at Foel Studios in Wales, he gives the album the same treatment he has to bands such as Conan and Alunah, making it feel like an old analogue recorded release but also sound huge particularly the bottom end of Jamie Brandon (bass) and Dave Steen (drums). They drive the rampaging gallops of opening number Arrival and rarely take their foot off the gas as this 10 tracker explodes out of your speakers.
Packed with a few nifty bass rundowns and the driving drums Ancient Light of course has plenty of twin axe harmonies from Jack MacMichael and Matt Thomas, they play off each other with skill and technical ability duelling in not only the solos but throughout the riffs too as there's a flourish here and a arpeggio there to move things out of what can sometimes be quite a well worn style.
Having toured with bands such as Toledo Steel and Midnight Force, their experience is on show here, joining them to claw back the NWOTHM from North America to it's spiritual home. The title track adds a little goth flavour while anthemic Goddess Of Light gets you fist pumping. Vocalist Danny Foster giving you a taste of his impressive vocal, scaling the highest highs but with that gritty low as well and everything in between.
You can feel all of the NWOBHM bands from the past coming through Eliminator's music but they stay very much in their own version of where those bands like Maiden, Priest etc have led. Ancient Light is a brilliant heavy metal album fusing, faster speed metal offerings with some more anthemic tracks such as Mercy and the longer Foreverless. Watch out for Eliminator as 2022 will be their year! 9/10
Darkness Divine – Departure (Self Released)
The Bad Electric - The Bad Electric (Self Released)
Swansea band The Bad Electric feature some noted names in the Swansea music scene but here they perform under the pseudonyms of Karl Dandleton (guitar/synth/vocals),Willie Dustice (guitar/vocals), Todd Bonzales (bass/vocals) and Bobson Dugnutt on drums. Decked out in orange cagoules they slam through five songs of "Robo Punk", which seems to riotous riffs, gang choruses and tongue in cheek/acerbic lyrics. Tracks like the fuzzy Double Science, the laid back psych vibes of Banana Peel or the punchy Drink To Get Through It are all done with the right amount of punk energy, pop sensibilities but also some nods to the members psych/stoner and doom 'day jobs'. It's a rocking EP that never pulls punches the best track on the whole thing being Mental Paul (and who doesn't know a mental Paul?) as it's a punky shout along that is a indicative of The Bad Electric's ethos. A cracking little EP from The Bad Electric announcing their intentions. 8/10