Slower - Slower (Heavy Psych Sounds) [Rich Piva]
Let’s see…a Slayer covers album, done in the style of doom, with haunting female vocals, members of Monolord, Lowrider, Kyuss(!), Kylesa, and Year Of The Cobra, and Bob freaking Balch (the hardest working man in stoner rock along side Tony Reed) from Fu Manchu ripping it up? Where do I sign up and how quickly can you deliver the goods?
On paper this sounds amazing, but to some Slayer purists this has the potential to be a polarizing release, but the band known as Slower (such an excellent band name for this project) absolutely crushes this unique concept by making these classic metal tracks their own but never disrespecting the master that birthed these songs from the depths of Hell. Oh, and Mr. Balch is simply shreds on the self-titled debut.
Taking most of the lead vocals here is Amy Barrysmith (who I read never listened to Slayer before this) from Year Of The Cobra and wow does she deliver, transforming Tom Araya’s trademark voice and replacing it with her own trademarked haunting siren song. Take the opener, War Ensemble, which, unless you knew it, you would not be able to recognize on first listen.
Taking most of the lead vocals here is Amy Barrysmith (who I read never listened to Slayer before this) from Year Of The Cobra and wow does she deliver, transforming Tom Araya’s trademark voice and replacing it with her own trademarked haunting siren song. Take the opener, War Ensemble, which, unless you knew it, you would not be able to recognize on first listen.
The tracks is spread out across eleven minutes, with the original riff sounding less King/Hanneman and more Iommi, with a tuned down back end layered with Barrysmith’s vocals for something you didn’t know you wanted until it was right in front of you. The Antichrist is right there in quality, with the doomiest of riffs and Barrysmith creating layers of vocals that somehow makes The Antichrist float.
Esben Willems of Monolord does wonders on the drums for this track, not having to match Lombardo’s speed but does match his impact, and of course Balch kills here with a solo you would not expect as part of this song. This one slows down to a snail’s pace at one point in glorious, almost funeral doom fashion but with Balch just tearing apart a solo.
Sticking with Seasons for track three, Blood Red in doom form is wonderful, haunting, and somehow catchy. Seasons is very well represented as 60% of the songs come from my favourite Slayer album, with the unmistakable riff from Dead Skin Mask in close to original form, but the similarities end there as it is transformed into a sludgy doom masterpiece.
The final track, the God tier metal classic South Of Heaven, changes up the lineup a bit, bringing the legend Scott Reeder on bass and vocals from Kylesa’s Laura Pleasants to join Balch and Willems, but loses none of the quality or coolness of Slower. The classic riff is there but slowed down, and South Of Heaven as you know it is completely transformed into a slow burn dirge in the best possible way.
That Slayer purist mentioned up top could be me, as I have been a fan since I was in eight grade and was first exposed to Reign In Blood, but what Slower has done here is nothing short of amazing. The playing on here is incredible, especially Balch, and the arrangements of these metal classics are so unique and creative that I could not recommend this more. Let’s hope that this was not just a one-off project, because there is so much awesome Slayer stuff to explore that can be transformed like they are on this record. Amazing stuff. 9/10
That Slayer purist mentioned up top could be me, as I have been a fan since I was in eight grade and was first exposed to Reign In Blood, but what Slower has done here is nothing short of amazing. The playing on here is incredible, especially Balch, and the arrangements of these metal classics are so unique and creative that I could not recommend this more. Let’s hope that this was not just a one-off project, because there is so much awesome Slayer stuff to explore that can be transformed like they are on this record. Amazing stuff. 9/10
Lucifer - V (Nuclear Blast Records) [Matt Bladen]
Now signed to Nuclear Blast Records after albums on Rise Above and Century Media Records, the retro rock of Lucifer returns to have reaching for the absinthe and the acid, ready for that graveyard party you've been planning for months now. Lucifer have always delivered quality across four previous records, and with V, their fifth album they continue down a path forged by I - IV, the culmination of many years of rigorous touring and recording.
Lucifer are a band honed on stage, Johanna Sadonis' spectral, soulful wails at their very best, her lyrics macabrely but sharply observed and delivered with a knowing smile at the ridiculousness of singing about ghouls and spooks, especially on the pining necromance of Slow Dance In A Crypt. Beneath Johanna's vocals is some occult rocking par excellence, locked down by the driving drumbeats of Nicke Andersson and the hypnotic basslines of Harald Göthblad.
This fifth entry into the Lucifer canon shows how far they've come from the obvious Sabbath/Coven worshiping doom of the debut, their whole sound now much more rounded to include proto-metal, classic rock (The Dead Don't Speak), NWOBHM and even some glam stomping on A Coffin Has No Silver Lining. The rhythm section is a testament to this with the frequent changes in At The Mortuary guided by these two.
As it's all decidedly and deliberately retro from the styling to the production etc, there's obviously a guitar duo that harmonises with ease, Linus Björklund and Martin Nordin peel off some psych rock licks and groovy fuzz riffs on tracks such as Maculate Heart, with the ringing emotion draining out of the veins on Nothing Left To Lose By My Life.
Five records and Lucifer still deliver brilliance with lashings of retro occultism. Get down to your local graveyard and have a boogie! 9/10
Blood Red Throne - Nonagon (Soulseller Records) [Richard Oliver]
Blood Red Throne have spent the past twenty six years making absolutely bludgeoning music into a true art form. Despite a revolving door of members in the band, guitarist Død has been the one constant member from day one and the driving force behind the band. Since their formation in 1998, these Norwegian death metallers have been cracking skulls and destroying neck muscles and they continue on their path of aural devastation with their eleventh album Nonagon.
Blood Red Throne albums are always a guaranteed riff-fest and Nonagon is no exception with a set of riffs from guitarists Død and Ivan Gujić which slice and dismember. Mixed with the clanging bass lines of bassist Stian Gundersen and the powerhouse rhythmic attack of drummer Freddy Bolsø absolute carnage is guaranteed. This carnage and chaos can be heard at their maximum power in songs such as Ode To The Obscene and the title track.
Whilst their sound is very much rooted in 90’s death metal, there are some modern touches to their sound as can be heard in the breakdown section of Split Tongue Sermon as well as some melodic twists and turns such as in Every Silent Plea and in some of the lead guitar solos. Nonagon is also the recording debut for new vocalist (and current live bassist) Sindre Wathne Johnsen who impresses with a furious performance flitting between guttural growls and high pitch screams.
Nonagon is a bruising death metal album from a band that has been remarkably consistent throughout their existence though they really struck hard with their previous album Imperial Congregation in 2021. Nonagon picks up the momentum of that previous release and proves to be one of the strongest releases in the band's discography. Fans may clamour for the Blood Red Throne glory days of the early to mid 2000’s but the band prove that they are still an absolute force to be reckoned with in the pummelling world of death metal. Fans of bands such as Cannibal Corpse and Deicide should be all over this album. 8/10
Hearts & Hand Grenades – Where I Begin (Eclipse Records) [Paul Hutchings]
What does it take to stand out from the crowd? A difficult question to answer, in the saturated world of music today, where hundreds of thousands of songs are released across the globe each day. Don’t worry, this isn’t a thesis on music management, that’s not my bag in the slightest. But I pose the question after listening to the latest album by Hearts & Hand Grenades, a four-piece from Buffalo, NY, who were only recently over in the UK on tour.
Where I Begin is a solid hard rock album, combining a variety of styles that work to their strengths. In Stephanie Wlosinski they possess a singer (and bassist) whose fiery vocals add an extra dimension to their sound. Their third album, it has a confidence and swagger that only comes with time and experience. But does it stand out, grab you by the balls, and make you stop in your tracks?
Well, and of course, this is only my view, they don’t quite get across the line. Yes, they can craft an anthem, such as the title track, which has an edgy, driving style that should appeal to those who like their hard rock, and they bring it loud, but there is just something lacking a little in the overall vibe of the album.
That’s not to say it’s poor by any stretch. The riffs of guitarists Mike Bree and Kenny Blesy are thick, the hooks on each track dig deep and you’ll find yourself humming the melodies for hours afterwards. The songs come hard and fast, from the smouldering Boom, with its addictive groove, through to the bristling finale of Over Again, a track that provides a true palette of colour to close.
Elsewhere, there is splendid acoustic guitar on ballad Let Me Down, which has a Celtic lilt and feel, even if Wlosinski veers into Dolly Parton territory at times, and an alternative feel to several of their songs. Way Down Low is bursting with energy, vibrant and bouncing, and one that you can see audiences jumping along to in their live shows. The musicianship is high level, with each member of the band interlocked with each other. Bluesy provides some excellent lead work, whilst Wlosinski’s bass is very much locked in the low end alongside the engine of the band, drummer Cory Michalski.
So, competent as it is, there’s just something a little routine about tracks like Better Off Alone. They sound like many, many other bands, and that’s the key issue. You could play this on the radio, and you’d be shouting out a plethora of names in response to the “who is it” question. The exception, as there is to anything, is the multi-hybrid I Just Want My Rock, a horrible hybrid of hardcore, rap, pop, and country, all bound together with a psychedelic guitar breakdown. It’s a hideous song, and one that jars uncomfortably for it’s three-minute life. At least it doesn’t last too long.
Where I Begin is perfectly listenable. I enjoyed parts of it immensely. It just didn’t stick in the way that one might have wished. I can see others absolutely loving this record. And I’d be happy for them. It just didn’t grab me in the way I hoped. 6/10