Triumph Of Death - Resurrection Of The Flesh (BMG Records) [Matt Bladen]
Just as a heads up to anyone recording a live album, do not place the audience mic next to the loudest woman in the audience. At the beginning of this live album from Tom Gabriel Warrior's Triumph Of Death, there is a woman who screams so bloody loudly it hurts, luckily, there's an "Urgh" and The Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation) gets this tribute to Hellhammer started.
Only existing for two years Hellhammer have become one of the most mythologised bands in black metal history, founder Tom Gabriel Warrior has gone on to bigger and better things with Celtic Frost along with Martin Eric Ain of Hellhammer and now Triptykon, but neither band played much of Hellhammer's music.
Ever the creative Warrior created Triumph Of Death for the express purpose of playing Hellhammer's music. Naming the band after their debut demo, Triumph Of Death is a band that is specifically designed to pay tribute to Hellhammer and perform their songs live, so we have this live album recording the Swiss band at three festivals throughout 2023 in the US, Germany and Portugal. Being able to hear Warrior revisit these songs with a shit hot band behind him is brilliant as the songs of Hellhammer come alive.
Those gruff, growled vocals of Warrior, shout the lyrics he wrote so many years ago while his biting downstroke guitars are joined by André Mathieu, cutting through the thundeous bass of Jamie Lee Cussigh with buzzsaw precision, Cussigh a jackhammer I'm union with Tim Iso Wey's drums. Hellhammer were the early days of black metal so much of this can also be considered thrash/speed too.
I could focus on individual tracks but if you e not heard the originals then go into this album with an open mind as it's a piece of history. If you're a fan you'll buy it anyway so I don't have to convince you. 8/10
Dead Cosmonauts - Parasomnia (Do It Thissen/Trepanation Recordings) [Rich Piva]
The debut solo album from now former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini has little, if anything to do with prog, I repeat it has no prog. It does however feature Tony Dickinson (Trans Siberian Orchestra, Jeff Scott Soto) on bass, Ivan Keller (Trans Siberian Orchestra) playing rhythm guitar, Jen Majura (Evanescence) plays some guitar on Deep Inside and sings, the solos and leads coming from Gus G of Firewind.
Just as a heads up to anyone recording a live album, do not place the audience mic next to the loudest woman in the audience. At the beginning of this live album from Tom Gabriel Warrior's Triumph Of Death, there is a woman who screams so bloody loudly it hurts, luckily, there's an "Urgh" and The Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation) gets this tribute to Hellhammer started.
Only existing for two years Hellhammer have become one of the most mythologised bands in black metal history, founder Tom Gabriel Warrior has gone on to bigger and better things with Celtic Frost along with Martin Eric Ain of Hellhammer and now Triptykon, but neither band played much of Hellhammer's music.
Ever the creative Warrior created Triumph Of Death for the express purpose of playing Hellhammer's music. Naming the band after their debut demo, Triumph Of Death is a band that is specifically designed to pay tribute to Hellhammer and perform their songs live, so we have this live album recording the Swiss band at three festivals throughout 2023 in the US, Germany and Portugal. Being able to hear Warrior revisit these songs with a shit hot band behind him is brilliant as the songs of Hellhammer come alive.
Those gruff, growled vocals of Warrior, shout the lyrics he wrote so many years ago while his biting downstroke guitars are joined by André Mathieu, cutting through the thundeous bass of Jamie Lee Cussigh with buzzsaw precision, Cussigh a jackhammer I'm union with Tim Iso Wey's drums. Hellhammer were the early days of black metal so much of this can also be considered thrash/speed too.
I could focus on individual tracks but if you e not heard the originals then go into this album with an open mind as it's a piece of history. If you're a fan you'll buy it anyway so I don't have to convince you. 8/10
Here is a band I know nothing about, Sheffield, UK’s Dead Cosmonauts, who have labels in their bio like doom, metal, post rock, stoner, and heavy psych to name a few. So far so good. Now as to what it sounds like, I could get behind a combo of all the below and more, as this mostly instrumental five piece bring some cool heavy soundscapes that go in all sorts of different directions on their new album, Parasomnia, and provide a satisfying post-rock experience for the listener.
The opener, Liminal Space (65 mins REM, vitals = stable) is a very cool and dark post rock instrumental that has some great guitar work and some excellent drumming. I said instrumental, but occasionally there will be a vocal snippet that is included that could do without, as it distracts from the killer instrumental jamming. Beneath The Choking Sky paints the title’s picture with musical instruments only, which is something that is not easy to do, though it could have been a couple of minutes shorter as the first three minutes did not have a lot going on but when it kicks in look out. Kenopsia is the highlight track on Parasomnia.
Mangini - Invisible Signs (Mike Mangini Media) [Matt Bladen]
The opener, Liminal Space (65 mins REM, vitals = stable) is a very cool and dark post rock instrumental that has some great guitar work and some excellent drumming. I said instrumental, but occasionally there will be a vocal snippet that is included that could do without, as it distracts from the killer instrumental jamming. Beneath The Choking Sky paints the title’s picture with musical instruments only, which is something that is not easy to do, though it could have been a couple of minutes shorter as the first three minutes did not have a lot going on but when it kicks in look out. Kenopsia is the highlight track on Parasomnia.
A ten-plus minute proggy post rock epic journey that is more upbeat than the darker previous track and allows all the band members to shine. Now this is not to say this track is full of sunshine, because the overall dark vibe of Parasomnia continues, just a bit more up-tempo. I love the guitar work and when they get all heavy on us about three minutes in. In Spirals It Took Everything keeps the dark instrumental goodness going but could have been a 90 second track as it works more as a bridge to Swallowed In Dark Waters what starts of sparse until it kicks in with some cool percussion that leads to all sorts of stuff going on all at once, until there isn’t. Then you get a nice chunky riff and some blast beat drum work for your pleasure. A Vision From The Valley Of Dry Bones closes us out in similar fashion, creating a cohesive listen from beginning to end.
I don’t go instrumental too often, but when I do Parasomnia will fit nicely with that small group of my go to albums when I don’t want to hear anyone’s voice. Dead Cosmonauts can really play and have brought us a really good post rock instrumental experience that is worth your time to check out if you dig bands like Explosions In The Sky and other bands of that ilk. 7/10
I don’t go instrumental too often, but when I do Parasomnia will fit nicely with that small group of my go to albums when I don’t want to hear anyone’s voice. Dead Cosmonauts can really play and have brought us a really good post rock instrumental experience that is worth your time to check out if you dig bands like Explosions In The Sky and other bands of that ilk. 7/10
The debut solo album from now former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini has little, if anything to do with prog, I repeat it has no prog. It does however feature Tony Dickinson (Trans Siberian Orchestra, Jeff Scott Soto) on bass, Ivan Keller (Trans Siberian Orchestra) playing rhythm guitar, Jen Majura (Evanescence) plays some guitar on Deep Inside and sings, the solos and leads coming from Gus G of Firewind.
A strong cast of characters that lend their talents to this debut album from the virtuoso skin smasher. Now there are sections in these songs that were all written by Mangini and then built upon by the other players where odd time signatures are used but mainly Invisible Signs is a hard rock album, and a pretty decent one at that. Mangini's drumming takes precedence on these songs of course setting down the muscular rhythms along with Dickinson and Keller, bringing the swaggering mid pace riffs and speedy rocking.
Couple with that the rough vocal style of Majura who's and undiscovered gem as a singer. An album of rock tracks with some surprisingly intelligent lyrics surrounding physics and things that are of interest to Mike, including athletic overachievers on Freak Of Nature, topped off with Gus G's guitar fireworks. It seems that Mike Mangini has a strong enough fallback after his dismissal from Dream Theater. 7/10
Soledriver - Return Me To Light (Frontiers Music Srl) [Rich Piva]
Frontiers is at it again with Soledriver, which is a tag team of Michael Sweet of Stryper (and other Frontiers projects) fame and Alessandro Del Vecchio from bands like Edge Of Forever, Hardline, and Jorn. Now anyone who knows what Frontiers and the bands these guys come from are all about know what to expect here can pretty much guess what this is going to sound like, but let’s see if this combo can bring something unique or even listenable to the table with their debut album, Return Me To The Light.
Well, I mean it is not terrible or unlistenable, as this is some super slick, generic, radio friendly adult-oriented rock that sounds like 95% of what Frontiers puts out. Sweet Sounds good, but these songs are painfully bland and unmemorable. The “built in a lab” production is ever-present and does nothing to help the run-of-the-mill songs that the duo brings to the table. It is not terrible, as Anywhere is a nice track, which combines the best of the bands these guys come from, but there is not much more that I take away as keepers on Return Me To Light.
Frontiers is at it again with Soledriver, which is a tag team of Michael Sweet of Stryper (and other Frontiers projects) fame and Alessandro Del Vecchio from bands like Edge Of Forever, Hardline, and Jorn. Now anyone who knows what Frontiers and the bands these guys come from are all about know what to expect here can pretty much guess what this is going to sound like, but let’s see if this combo can bring something unique or even listenable to the table with their debut album, Return Me To The Light.
Well, I mean it is not terrible or unlistenable, as this is some super slick, generic, radio friendly adult-oriented rock that sounds like 95% of what Frontiers puts out. Sweet Sounds good, but these songs are painfully bland and unmemorable. The “built in a lab” production is ever-present and does nothing to help the run-of-the-mill songs that the duo brings to the table. It is not terrible, as Anywhere is a nice track, which combines the best of the bands these guys come from, but there is not much more that I take away as keepers on Return Me To Light.
Pieces Of Forever may be the most generic rock song I have ever heard, only saved a bit by Sweet’s vocals that remain strong after all these years. The sappy Hope’s Holding You doesn’t help matters but is better than Spinning Wheel which wishes it was 1988 and bands like Giant and Alias were trying to compete for most annoying level 5 ballad that they could get on dial MTV.
Soledriver is too produced, lacks heart, and is generic Frontiers output that hopes that the names involved in the project will help move a few units. Return Me To Light is only wanting me to stay in the dark with rock that has some balls and emotion. 3/10
Soledriver is too produced, lacks heart, and is generic Frontiers output that hopes that the names involved in the project will help move a few units. Return Me To Light is only wanting me to stay in the dark with rock that has some balls and emotion. 3/10