Ozzy Osbourne - Patient Number 9 (Epic Records) [Rich Piva]
A new Ozzy record means a few things. First, that he is still with us, which is the best part of new Ozzy content. Second, at this point you are going to have a whole host of amazing guests that will show up in studio, belt out a ripping solo, and make whatever pedestrian Ozzy track that has been produced something that is totally next level. You will also get Sharon doing whatever she can to milk her legend cash cow even if it kills him, but that is a different review. For this one, the new record, Patient Number 9, is chock full of fun tunes with just amazing guest performances that makes the last Ozzy record, Ordinary Man, look just that, and I really enjoyed that one too. This one is way better.
Patient Number 9 has Ozzy’s voice sounding suspiciously strong, but let’s overlook that and bask in the glow of the unbelievable guitar work of Jeff Beck on the title track. Good luck replicating that (really or any of them) on tour, Mr. Andrew Watt. Zakk is back doing his signature thing; ripping and squealing on strong tracks like Parasite, Evil Shuffle, and Mr. Darkness. Parasite could have been a track on No Rest For The Wicked, take that for what it is. What more could an Ozzy fan ask for then songs with the riff god himself, Tony Iommi, who guests on the best tracks on the album, the doomy No Escape From Now and the heavy low ended Degradation Blues which is the highlight of the record with Ozzy pulling out his harmonica once again setting us on a trip back in time where these guys created what is THE heavy music catalogue we all still worship today.
I have heard some negative comments about this record, but you must take it for what it is. You have Iommi riffing, Jeff Beck shredding, Zakk squealing, an appearance from Mike McCready (who hangs just fine with those guitar greats) and some well-crafted late period Ozzy solo stuff. It is fun. What more can you ask for at this point from the man? Check this out and don’t try to pick it over with a fine-tooth comb. Listen for the fun of hearing new Ozzy stuff while he is still walking this earth, because even though he claims it on track two, he is not Immortal. Check it out. 7/10
Vanda - Covenant Of Death (Majestic Mountain Records) [GC]
Majestic Mountain Records newest signing Vanda hail from the death metal mecca of the world, Sweden and are about to unleash their debut album Covenant Of Death upon the unsuspecting world.
I always tend to find that opening with one of your longest songs as Vanda have here to be an odd choice but the sprawling and grand Light The Fire leaps out of the blocks and is a solid statement of intent mixing a bludgeoning mix thrash and black metal to exhilarating effect and on Violence And Mayhem they offer another shorter and sharp mix of the same styles but up the tempo considerably and this blast of audio terror is an absolute joy, Omnis Hyopcrita has another thrashy beginning but now they throw a bit more texture into the verses and is probably the most death metal sounding track so far and offers a slower tempo that is just enough to not fall out of line with what has proceeded it but is just the right mix to keep you interested then Brinnande Hat decides to then slow the pace right down and mixes some ominous doomy sections interspersed with some savage death metal which leads into some classy guitars solos during the end section and all these changes of style and pace really keep you engrossed and paying attention.
World Reborn then brings back the thrashy black metal that has so far served Vanda very well, I do have one small gripe so far and it’s that the vocal range doesn’t really change too much throughout the tracks but it is only a small thing to be honest because so far all the varying styles of music have been mixed to exhilarating effect and kept me wanting more and World Reborn is a great example of all contrasting styles so far being melded into one body of a track Non Servium builds from its ominous and crawling riff that is full of depth and groove into a dark and brooding verse that is another great choice in the tempo changes of the album so far after all this we get the piano and guitar piece II that is a welcome break form the savagery we have been listening to so far and leads nicely into gargantuan final track Goddess Of Death which is a truly epic beast full of razor sharp black metal riffing and barbaric drumming that twists and turns its way through eight glorious minutes and feels like the perfect way to end this album.
Having never heard of Vanda previously I wasn’t expecting to get to get too excited about this album, but I was wrong this an absolute monster of a record and its only their debut its shows tons of promise and is full of intensity and aggression and the future certainly seems bright. Sweden has done it again!! 8/10
Electric Callboy - Tekkno (Century Media Records) [GC]
Having been around for over a decade and releasing numerous albums and EPs over the years the newly monikered Electric Callboy are back on the scene with another album and by now you would think they would know better? Obviously not.
Album opener and lead single Pump It Up, which by the way was so popular it almost got them the vote to represent Germany at Eurovision is all fairy simple Euro-pop meets A Day To Remember metalcore and while it is definitely not my thing I can see why people might enjoy it as its upbeat and easy to listen to and more of the same follows with We Got the Moves but the pop element is ramped up to maximum efficiency here and the metal parts have a nu-metal stomp attached but, now however very quickly it all starts to get a bit cringeworthy.
Fuckboi is next and it is just an absolute pile of shit and offers about as much as the type of person its named after, appalling and from here on in it all starts to get very grating as its all the same formula and the lyrics just keep getting worse and are just awful, I know these guys are meant to be wacky and have a sense of humour but seriously, fucking grow up lads! Nowhere more does the cringe factor and shitty lyrics show than on Spaceman which is the mix of rave, rap and nu-metal that nobody asked for and is probably one of the worst songs ever recorded, then out of nowhere they decide to stop fucking about and give us an actual decent track in the shape of Mindreader which picks up the pace and mixes in some decent beatdown style riffs and a bit of two-step to make this the standout so far as it feels like they aren’t just taking the piss.
Then straight off the back of that we get Arrow Of Love which is another dud of a track and reminds me of 3OH!3 and nobody needs that back in their lives and the vocals are really starting to grate on my very last nerve now but then they do it again and drop Parasite which has a decent trance beat running through the track mixing with some nu-metalcore sections and a decent beatdown tacked on for good measure, and just like that they decide its time to go back to nursery school humour and Tekkno Train is upon us and it sounds like Scooter have turned up for a cameo and is just an absolute joke of a song and the lyrics again are just absolutely embarrassing and they need to just fucking grow up. The next song is probably the most confusing as I just don’t even know what the hell is going on Hurrikan is a jaunty sea shanty one minute and the breaks down into pig squeals and deathcore beatdowns and then just finishes, please make it all make sense!!
Then its thankfully onto album closer Neon which if just horrible, the vocals have just burst my eardrums now and totally ruin this song which is basically one last blast of Euro-pop and an attempt to mix in an almost ballady ending to proceedings and end on a high which, shockingly it doesn’t achieve.
I don’t really know what to make of Electric Callboy because you can tell that 80% of the time, they are trying to be wacky and taking the piss, but the joke gets really fucking old, really, really quickly and they don’t seems to grasp this fact but, when they want to they can write a half decent track as heard on Mindreader and Parasite.
Its difficult to really know who this would be aimed at because it feels like its 2004 and Myspace is making a comeback but unfortunately its 2022 and all those fans should surely have grown up and moved on by now as the ‘’humour’’ is crude and outdated and some of the stuff on here is just plain embarrassing now?? A confusing, annoying, and all-round disappointing affair. 3/10
Motihari Brigade - Algorithm & Blues (Creative Destruction Records) [Rich Piva]
Motihari Brigade are a rock band with leanings toward indie and garage rock. This is not the normal fare we get on this site to review, but this could be right in my wheelhouse based on what I have read on paper so far. Unfortunately, their second album, Algorithm & Blues, just did not click for me. The songs and styles are a bit all over the place. You get some Steely Dan inspired classic rock with the title track.
A song that reminded me of The Specials with Reality Show, a somewhat out of place cover of The Stones Street Fighting Man, and an almost smooth jazz/psych track with Be Free. There are a few tracks that you may hear on Little Steven’s Underground Garage show, as I think that is the audience they are going for here, but none that have the urgency or danger that I want to hear on that show. I am OK with albums that go in many different directions, but Algorithm & Blues not only feels scattered, but the production sounds tinny and weak and we have some serious cringe lyrically.
This reminds me of what some local bands back in my college days would self-release with a few hundred dollars and a whole bunch of playing out for free beer. Again, that could be my wheelhouse, but this just falls flat for me. There are a few good ideas on here but nothing that would make me return for a second listen. 4/10