CB3 - Exploration (Majestic Mountain Records) [Rich Piva]
I have a complex relationship with instrumental bands. I tend to lean more towards music with vocals, even though the vocals are what ruin a lot of good music that has tons of great performances. Like I said, complex. CB3 has really been off my radar because of the whole instrumental thing. Turns out I have been depriving myself of awesomeness.The trio from Sweden are back, partnering with the excellent Majestic Mountain Records and have delivered a masterpiece with Exploration. Charlotta Andersson is an absolute wizard on guitar, and now that combined with her much more prevalent dreamy/spacey vocals, and Hawkwind meets My Bloody Valentine meets Spotlights with a dash of early Pumpkins and just enough stoner influence makes this an absolute, next level killer release.
Kicking off with Daydreams, you get a riff right off Siamese Dream and a fuzzy space trip led by those dreamy vocals from Charlotta that transitions into the perfect example of why she is a modern-day guitar goddess. This song is ten minutes of perfection. The MBV vibes are very present on To Space And Away which may be the most perfect title for a song I have heard in a long time. Catchy and dreamy, mid-way through the band goes full on Hawkwind on us, which of course, rules.
Going To The Horizon keeps up the awesome, with more of those dreamy vocals and a not so subtle Floyd vibe, and a continuation of that killer guitar work. I actually hear a bit of early Storm In Heaven era Verve in this track as well. You lose none of the trip to space with the next track, In A Rainbow With Friends, which is again a perfect song title where you can feel yourself being embraced by the colours that come off of the sounds CB3 are creating.
Even with my instrumental track issues, you do not need words for this one to know where it is taking you. So beautifully trippy and perfect musically imagery. The closer, Through Space And Time, channels more early Pumpkins with that riff and vocals. I hear a ton of early 90s influence on this track, and Mr. Corgan should be envious of what Charlotta and crew have created here. I am just in awe of her guitar performance throughout with the perfect example at about three minutes in. Look, I like a ton of stuff.
I tend to say things like “this will be in my top ten of the year” for like 50 albums. I also do not like to throw 10s around. But CB3 have left me no choice. This album is perfect. When I look at the numbers, it is the album I have listened to the most this entire year, even though I have only had in my possession for about a month. There is something otherworldly that CB3 have created here. With Exploration, CB3 have brought to us a beautiful and dynamic soundscape that must be experienced by all. 10/10
Trial (Swe) - Feed The Fire (Metal Blade Records) [Richard Oliver]
Feed The Fire is the fourth album from Swedish traditional heavy metallers Trial. It is the first album to feature new singer Arthur W. Andersson and his joining of the band and the sound of his voice very much shaped the album with lead guitarist Alexander Ellström finding himself inspired to write up tempo songs for the album with Feed The Fire being the end result.
Trial very much fall into the NWOTHM (New Wave Of Traditional Heavy Metal) movement with their sound harking back to the heavy metal of yesteryear, especially the heavy metal of the 1980’s. There is plenty of twin guitar, galloping rhythms and the powerful vocals of Arthur W. Andersson all encapsulated in songs such as Thrice Great Path, Snare Of The Fowler (which features some guest vocals from Tomas Lindberg of At The Gates) and the hook filled title track which are all fast and frantic yet very melodic songs. The pace is slowed down for The Faustus Hood and The Crystal Sea which have a more epic feel and are less hook driven.
Feed The Fire is a solid album of throwback heavy metal. It reaches its peak during the middle with a run of brilliant songs but tapers off towards the end of the album with some slower and less engaging songs. The album is brilliantly performed and new frontman Arthur W. Andersson certainly impresses with his vocals. This is not a wholly essential listen but it is a damn solid album and if you like old school heavy metal then a listen to Feed The Fire is certainly recommended. 7/10
Heads For The Dead – The Great Conjuration (Transcending Obscurity Records) [Matt Cook]
Death metal and horror. Not exactly two completely unrelated genres, it should go without saying. Thus, there have been a litany of musical acts that have tried (and in some cases failed) bringing the two ideas together. However, more often than not, at least in my opinion, it misses more than it hits. Overly-thematic songs that are basically ripped straight from movie scripts. Albums that feel like half of the playtime is occupied by sound clips from said movies.
Lo and behold, Heads For The Dead get all their death metal ducks in a row before plunging into themes of terror and gore, and because of that, The Great Conjuration plays like a punishingly brutal record that just so happens to also have a penchant for the macabre. Far from tacky, the artwork is a retro movie poster, and the distress comes not from external sources, but from vocalist Ralf Hauber (Revel in Flesh, ex-Immortal Rites). Shrieks of terror is the name of the game. Hauber fully embraces the demonic front man persona and convinces everyone he’s living in a real-life re-enactment of the Saw franchise.
Rotten Bastard and The Bloodline chills and unsettles. Except it’s not overdone or diluted – the technique is used sparingly and with purpose. In fact, The Beast aptly concludes with what sounds like a lycanthropic transformation. The Covenant houses hellacious, death-defying drums (courtesy of Jon Rudin) and descends into the very last sounds you hear as you walk to the gallows. The Great Conjuration, if you can believe it, additionally offers a positive, dare I say inspiring, mantra to live by: “You can rip my torso/you can tear my skin/but my spirit lives forever.”
That spirit being Heads For The Dead’s, of course. As for us, we’ve all been earmarked for what most assuredly will be gruesome and tenuous. At least there’s a killer soundtrack to accompany us. 8/10
SOiL - Play It Forward (Cleopatra Records) [Matt Bladen]
Covers records. They are usually bunk, a band playing other artists songs in their own style. That is the concept behind Play It Forward and it's about as good as a covers album gets. Where as they do tracks such as White Zombie's Thunder Kiss '65, Prongs' Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck and even Everlast's What It's Life with the right amount of heaviness, and aggression. SOiL always having that grooving style, but much of the rest of the record is admirable but not particularly entertaining. Songs such as I Wanna Be Sedated, Rockin' In The Free World and Runnin' Down A Dream don't need to be given the heavy treatment and are actually worse off because of it. This is an album by SOiL for SOiL and not much more I'm afraid. If you're a fan you'll pick it up but anyone else will probably just let it be. 4/10