Ryo Okumoto - Myth Of The Mostrophus (Inside Out Records)
20 years since the release of his last solo record, Spock's Beard keyboard maestro returns with his fifth solo album Myth Of The Mostrophus, a 6 song progressive rock wonder book ended by Mirror Mirror and the title track which are the two longest songs on the album at 9:27 and 22:14 respectively. According to Okumoto, who collaborates with I Am The Manic Whale singer/bassist Michael Whiteman on this album, they are the two songs that best represent the idea of Ryo's Beard, as they both feature Spock's Beard members Nick D'Virgilio, Dave Metros, Alan Morse and Ted Leonard. The vocals on both shared between Nick and Ted for those lush SB harmonies. These two songs are the ideal intro and outro for this album as they as close to SB as they can be, enticing fans of that band into this solo album. This duo really entrenched in that virtuoso prog sound the band have been a part of for so many years.
Away from Spock's Beard the remaining four songs are star studded affairs that stay in the progsphere but bring in AOR on the melodic rocker The Watchmaker (Time On His Hands), blues on the soulful Turning Point, a bit of Bowie meets Yes on the quirky Maximum Velocity, deviating from Spock's Beard style but still coming from the prog rock heart while also adding plenty of other stylistic elements to keep you guessing as to what comes next. Joining Okumoto and Whiteman as the core trio on these other tracks is drummer Johnathan Mover. For the guitars he brings in Lyle Workman and Steve Hackett along with Mike Keneally and Marc Bonilla. Elsewhere the folk whimsy of Chrysalis features Living Colours' Doug Wimbish, while behind the mic on these other four tracks is Whiteman, Randy McStine and Michael Sadler (Saga), all bring their own style.
It's a who's who of talent making for a record that bristles with high quality progressive rock music. Recorded and engineered by Rich Mouser who also did the same for all the SB records, Myth Of The Mostrophus is monster of prog rock album from one of the most experienced men in the business. Come for the Spock's Beard epics such as the gigantic, Kaiju inspired title track but stay for some impressive prog rock pomp. A must buy for progressive rock fans. 9/10
My Sleeping Karma - Atma (Napalm Records)
It's been a long seven years since the purveyors of intergalactic, psychedelic, instrumental music released any new explorations. Atma though is not a follow up to Moshka (2015), it's a continuation of this bands evolution as they come closer to a 20 year career, the line up remains Matthias Vandeven (bass), Norman Mehren (keys), Seppi (guitar) and Steffen Weigand (drums) the four men closer than many brothers, weathering storms together and playing all across the world. It's these experiences that are brought forth on Atma as the band have experienced their toughest years ever (as so much of the music industry has) this means that this album in particular is their most personal yet, inspired by tragic events and filtered through their exploratory music, it's their deepest, darkest recording to date.
Across 8 sprawling soundscapes they tell a story of tragedy. Maya Shakti builds from a single hypnotic repeating riff into more astral, percussive realms but keeps the same motif as it has at the beginning. It's a slow burning opener that segues into Prema which is shorter but features some driving post-rock, twinkling synths and ambient moments, Avatara comes from a place of post rock ambience as it builds into some epic riffing across a near 10 minutes run time. Atma is a sound of our times, dark, brooding and despondent but with elements of wonder. More than just a fifth album from this German band but a fresh start from a bad place. 8/10
Steel Mage - As The Chapel Falls (Self Released)
As The Chapel Falls is the debut album from Sheffield band Steel Mage. Surprisingly they aren't a swords in the air cheesy power metal band. Instead they play melodic hardcore but they use fantasy/satanic imagery in their album cover. Still enclosed within is melodic hardcore bristling with sharp, distorted riffs, grooves galore, shouted vocals and a lot of melodic elements that are such a prime part of the American metalcore sound, with some Killswitch Engage, Trivium (This Is The Day) and Pantera all clear influences. The Betrayed gets us going with groove driven riffage and growls from Joshua Watson that come straight from the Cowboys From Hell. Unspoken Words is a showcase of the dual guitars from Oliver Parker and Chloe Cartwright, while Jealousy brings us some clean vocals.
A Beautiful Confession takes us down a EDM intro before Petrified and Disfigured bring back the heavy, the former the one with the most hardcore while the grooves of Jack Haigh and Thomas O'Malley on the latter one of the heaviest here. This Is The Day is also crushing. Steel Mage bring more electronics on Bitter Truth as well as a knuckle dragging breakdown that shifts into sludge. It's the final track Lost In Ambivalence that really displays how good Steel Mage can be, an a atmospheric, anthemic track which hints at where they may go from here. As The Chapel Falls is 36 minutes of melodic hardcore that will excite genre fans as well as the wider metal community. 7/10
The Rusty Nutz - We Tried To Make It Big But Something Somewhere Went Wrong, We Can't Work Out What That Something Is (Lavender Sweep Records)
If you've had any exposure to the West Wales stoner/doom/punk/noise scene then you'll know it's as eclectic as it can get, many of the bands involved with Lavender Sweep Records, which recently released a compilation of many of the active and defunct bands from that diverse scene. If you've have any contact with the Welsh you'll know on the whole we don't take ourselves seriously and that we are a land of tall tales and whimsical flights of fancy often juxtaposed with historical hardships and poverty due to being the main country ignored by those in power in Westminster.
The Rusty Nutz - We Tried To Make It Big But Something Somewhere Went Wrong, We Can't Work Out What That Something Is (Lavender Sweep Records)
If you've had any exposure to the West Wales stoner/doom/punk/noise scene then you'll know it's as eclectic as it can get, many of the bands involved with Lavender Sweep Records, which recently released a compilation of many of the active and defunct bands from that diverse scene. If you've have any contact with the Welsh you'll know on the whole we don't take ourselves seriously and that we are a land of tall tales and whimsical flights of fancy often juxtaposed with historical hardships and poverty due to being the main country ignored by those in power in Westminster.
This has always been reflected in our music which is often written as an outlet for humour (The Hennessy's being one of the most well known for those of us in the capital) and nostalgia to outweigh the trouble and strife affecting the country. The latest entry into both the Lavender Sweep Cannon and that tradition of writing escapist music, with locally drawn inspiration are The Rusty Nutz who draw influences from bands such as Pixies, Super Furry Animals and the Manic Street Preachers (the strings are in full force) but with a punk/stoner/prog edge and acerbic, often tongue in cheek lyrics that reflect the West Walian outlook inspired by miles of endless coastline and plenty of quirky characters. From the surf rock styling of Man On A Surfboard, complete with Wurlitzer, to the shouty, clothes stealing legend of Jonny Siwmper, through an ode Hyper Value (a store founded in Wales dontcha know?).
Musically The Rusty Nutz experiment with all manner of styles and sounds making for an intriguing listen for anyone that loves the stoner/punk/alt rock sound, as the emotional Where The Vetch Used To Be leads into the punk fury of Sniper, an ode to Swansea City Football Club, Who Needs The Thames (When We've Got The Tawe) is darkly romantic track with a touch of Nick Cave while the atmospheric title track feels like modern Marillion. The album will be released on every format imaginable, literally every single format (21 in total) you can record music on to, retro and modern they have put this album on. Possibly to annoy completists I don't know but if I were you I would try to get it on as many formats as you can as We Tried To Make It Big... is a superior example of Welsh rock music. 9/10