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This is 'Liberation through Amplification.'
By: Richard
Maw Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 26/08/2022 Label: 7 degrees | Abyssal
Cvlt | Bad Moon Rising |
Black Omega Recordings | Black Terror Distro | BRC-30
Coups de Couteau | Hecatombe Records | Itawak Records |
Black Omega Recordings | Black Terror Distro | BRC-30
Coups de Couteau | Hecatombe Records | Itawak Records | Loner Cult | Sleepy
Dog Records | Terrain Vague | Ugly & Proud Records | Wrecking Crew Records
|Total Dissonance Worship
“Quand Bien Meme L’Enfer et le Deluge S’abbattraient
sur Nous”
CD//CS/DD//LP track listing: 1. De Guerre Lasse
2. Meurtrière
3. Entre Chien Et Loup (feat. Gabriel Dubko from Implore)
4. Maelström
5. Quand Bien Même L'Enfer...
6. Une Livre De Chair
7. Où Gisent Les Ancres
8. Au Prix De Tous Les Sacrifices
9. En Haut Des Cimes
10. ...Et Le Déluge The Review: Clearly, these French
blackened crust/death/grind merchants are not trying to be as accessible as
possible to non-French speakers; the titles are stretching my GCSE level of
French well beyond its meagre limits. Regardless of language barriers, this is
furious and ferocious stuff. There is a post metal element to their sound with
dissonant guitar work rearing up now and again. The bass tone is suitably
grimy, the drums thrash, blast and roll with admirable aggression and the whole
experience is one of being wrapped in barbed wire and thrown down a (French)
hill, perhaps landing in the moat of a chateau at the bottom. The album has the
speed and power to mix it with any band booked for the smaller stages at
Damnation festival and the record rattles by at a fair clip. The band do what
they do extremely well with real grind elements mixing with a very blackened
feel, “Maelstrom” (that one I can understand!) is exactly like the title
implies while elsewhere the band mixes hardcore, black metal, grindcore, post
metal and punk elements to concoct a heady mixture that works. It's an exhausting
listen and one for fans of genre blending bands. The band are active and
gigging in France- perhaps they will make the trip across from Rouen to the UK?
I’m confident that everyone from crust punks to black metal fans would enjoy
this both on record and in the live arena. Frightening stuff. “Quand Bien Meme
L’Enfer et le Deluge S’abbattraient sur Nous” is
available HERE
By: Richard Maw Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 26/11/2021 Label: Nuclear Blast
“Worship” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.Worship 2.Chemical
Whore 3.Greedy
Bastards 4.Dead
World 5.We’re
The Walking Dead 6.Brotherhood
Of The Serpent 7.Children
Of The Gray 8.Another
Day 9.They
Will Arrive 10.Bug
In The Net 11.Gods
Of The Underground
The Review: Hypocrisy return, quite
a few years after the very good “End of Disclosure” album. This
deathly group of Swedes are still ploughing their extra-terrestrial-themed
furrow and have managed to carve out and keep their own identity over thirty
years of hard work. The early days of “Penetralia” may be several
decades ago, but it is clear that the band are still pushing forward and are as
enthusiastic about death metal as they have ever been. Other
bands may have come and gone, but it really does seem to be the death metal
bands that hit on a theme that have managed to survive. Countrymen Entombed and Dismember may be the
first names in Swedeath for most fans, but Hypocrisy have a sound, longevity and theme
all their own. The same could also be said of the American bands Deicide and
Cannibal Corpse too? There are two bands who picked a topic and stayed with it.
Therefore,
with Hypocrisy,
you know what you are getting in terms of theme and delivery. It's a ready made
recipe for success with fans, essentially. So, has “Worship”
deviated from the expected? Thankfully: no. The
artwork tells you what the band are going to give the expectant hordes. As soon
as the title track kicks in proper, you know what you are in for. Yes; death
metal. Fast, well produced but also not without that important raw factor that
makes the best bands stand out. This is a weightier proposition than “End
of Disclosure” to my ears but it still maintains the somewhat dreamy
edge to some of the music.
Pleasingly,
the band have not drifted down an endlessly blasting rabbit hole and have delivered
a varied set of songs; “Greedy Bastards” is a mid paced and riffy
proposition that is anthemic as well as being hallmarked with death metal
tropes in terms of the vocals and riffing. Of course, there are speedier tracks
and sections but the band use dynamics better than most in the genre and thus
are strangely accessible with their stop/start riffs and song writing nous. The
band deliver deathly doom on “We're The Walking Dead” and play a similar
trick with “Brotherhood of the Serpent”- just upping the tempo and
guitar work enough to ensure that the mid part of the album doesn't stagnate
under slower tempos. I would have liked a few more tracks like “Another Day”-
a thrashy rager- but overall the album is heavy; without ever really being
'extreme' in the way that a lot of the US bands are.
Across
eleven tracks, the vast majority clock in between four and five minutes and if
this suggests that the band have a formula for writing, this is not really
accurate. There is a lot of variation here and for every track about alien
invasion or government corruption/conspiracy (“They Will Arrive”, “Bug
In The Net”) there are differing tempos and styles to compensate for the
familiar and homogenous subject matter. For
me, the strongest tracks are perhaps the opening title track and the closing “Gods
of The Underground”. The latter is a kind of summation of what the band do
well; themes, style and approach all coalesce into a convincing closing
statement. Whether
this will convert any new fans to the band, I have no idea. They've been around
for so long that most death metal fans must have heard them at some point, but
as they have their own niche, I suppose they must pick up new converts. There's
every reason for that to happen with this album as it is rock solid and another
worthy entry into Hypocrisy's
extensive and consistent discography.
By: Richard Maw & Nathan Harrison Album Type: Full Length Date Released: 09/04/2021 Label: Blaze Bayley Recordings
“War Within Me” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1.
War Within Me
2. 303
3. Warrior
4. Pull Yourself Up
5. Witches Night
6. 18 Flights
7. The Dream of Alan Turing
8. The Power of Nikola Tesla
9. The Unstoppable Stephen Hawking
10. Every Storm Ends
The Review:
Blaze roars back
with another solo album. The ex-Iron Maiden alumni has been building a real head of steam
over the last half decade- The “Infinite Entanglement” trilogy of
albums (one per year!) was uniformly excellent. A brace of live albums and an
acoustic record have been put out as well- all of that within a five year
period! You could never accuse Blaze of slacking. Indeed, he has earned
a reputation as one of the hardest touring and hardest working singers in the
business.
This
is metal solo album number ten, so what has Blaze got left to say? As it
turns out: plenty. This is a call to arms, a rallying cry for anyone who is
down but not yet out. Track by track, it is like this - with my own views
articulately and expertly augmented or argued with by none other than Nathan
Harrison of The Human
Condition and ace Maiden tribute act, Maiden's Shadow.
“War
Within Me”:
RM:
What an opener! The title track is fast and furious with a gnarly guitar tone
and hooks for days. It's anthemic and comes out all guns blazing (ha!). As a
first impression, this is good. It's high energy and pushes all the right
motivational buttons.
NH:
A Blaze mission statement if ever there was one – his lyrics have always
been about self-empowerment and nowhere is this more evident than tracks like ‘War
Within Me’. Furious riffing from Chris Appleton blends perfectly with Blaze’s
assured and confident flitting between a punchy staccato and his usual flowing
and powerful melodic approach, his voice still going strong and arguably
getting better and better as each year passes.
“303”:
RM:
A real stand out track for me. This is a classic tale of derring-do regarding
Polish fighter pilots in WW2 who greatly assisted in the Battle of Britain.
It's really catchy and exhibits, for me, the best of what Blaze can do.
NH:
Blaze has arguably been at his best on recent albums when things have
gone ever so slightly power metal (see the title track of “Infinite
Entanglement”, ‘Blood’ from “Endure and Survive”
and ‘Immortal One’ from the last album) and this track is no exception. Blaze
and co can write a damn fine chorus and this one just begs for a huge crowd to
sing along. The way the verses pack in their storytelling and lead straight
into the choruses with Blaze barely taking a breath is absolutely electric,
and Appleton’s solo is one of his finest – more Glenn Tipton than his usual KK
Downing-esque frenetic style – which suits the melody-led approach of this
track beautifully.
“Warrior”:
RM: After a
melodic and clean intro, it's blast off time again. Again it's catchy, again
it's full on metal. I think that Blaze's band deserve a special mention
here. Three quarters of Absolva
are once again present and correct and Messrs Appleton, McNee and Schramm play
a blinder. Chris Appleton seems to have hit just the right balance between
metal and melody for Blaze's material. The riffs and solos are very
strong and Blaze meets their challenge with a powerful baritone
performance.
NH:
That voice though! The quieter moments like the one that opens this track really
show off the nuances of Blaze’s vocal quality – simply goosebump
inducing stuff. Introducing the full band is impactful none the less, and the
moment they kick in oddly has more in the way of noticeable dynamic range than
when the opener gets going – more on this in the mix section later, though.
“Pull
Yourself Up”:
RM:
Once again, we are in self-help territory here - or metal motivation mode if
you prefer. Blaze reminds us that we must press on, we must overcome. Blaze's
explanation of this track is interesting and worthy of mention here. The first
verse and part of the chorus are owed to a serious motorcycle accident he was
involved in just after joining Maiden- what timing! He was told that he would thereafter
walk with a limp and that he would not be back to anything like normal mobility
for at least a year. Naturally, he had opportunities that he had to grasp. He
beat the doctor's prognosis and now exhorts the listener to stop doubting
themselves and walk with him. The other lyrics deal with criticism Blaze
has faced and how he simply forged ahead. I love this track. It's motivating
and quite profound. I can't help but sing along.
NH:
Something a little different here, and the experiment pays dividends. The guitar
generally stays in the higher register, wailing and soaring throughout, while
the bass and drums lock in tightly with Schramm and McNee providing a solid backing
to the more wayward guitar approach. Blaze’s rich tones sit perfectly on
top of the cacophony to make for a solid mid-tempo foot tapper with a sing along
section that stands out as a result of the approach to the rest of the song.
Definitely one for the live set.
“Witches
Night”
RM:
This offers up a kind of mid tempo point - faster than one of the preceding tracks
but slower than the others. Nice guitar refrains throughout and a hooky chorus.
It's a solid album track, but not a stand out for me.
NH:
Another slightly odd track, which doesn’t land quite as well as ‘Pull
Yourself Up’ thanks to a slightly meandering sag in the middle, but the
ideas here are solid and the transition from verse to chorus is surprising
every time. Said chorus offers a solid, simple riff but with more guitars
working their way around it and making for a really interesting listen.
“18
Flights”
RM:
Ah! My first thoughts on this one: SAXON. It is exactly the kind of track that Biff's
Yorkshire heroes would and have delivered at any point in their forty year
career. The main guitar lick is strong and the verses and choruses are
delivered with utter conviction. It tells the story of Blaze and band
being caught up in an earthquake in South America and the surrounding chaos. It
also contains a stormer of a solo. It's unashamedly fun and bombastic and
although it could come across as very Spinal Tap, I find it charming.
NH:
Yes, this one is pure ‘And the Bands Played On’! Songs about touring
experiences often don’t quite hit the mark, but as a novelty with a cheesy chorus,
this is a nice pallet cleanser before the more serious fare of the last few tracks.
“The
Dream of Alan Turing”
RM:
This is the first of a trilogy of science themed tracks that form a kind of
nucleus of the record. Each track deals with a giant of their field and each
one is quite different. Turing, of course, cracked Enigma and thus turned the
tide for the allies in WW2. That he was treated so disgracefully by the British
establishment thereafter due to his sexuality is a sobering and souring
epilogue to the life of a man who really can be described as a true hero. The
song is great, the subject stellar and this is another standout, if a tad on
the short side.
NH:
Little pockets of concept or thematically linked songs in albums of otherwise
standalone tracks always appeal – this is something that Blaze himself
did so well on “Promise and Terror”, dealing with an intensely
personal and heart-breaking subject. While these tracks deal with subjects and
figures unrelated to Blaze’s own life, the opener of this little trilogy
is certainly epic and is fitting for the impact that the three men concerned have made on the world both during their lives
and after their deaths. Alan Turing’s story is presented in a rather dark and
melancholic but powerful 3 minute package.
“The
Power of Nikola Tesla”
RM: Another giant
of science and a champion of the greater good - and again a man who did not get
his just desserts or the respect he deserved in his lifetime. It's safe to say
that Tesla changed all of humanity with his work. Again, it's a rollicking
track with a strong chorus that quite literally screams “POWER!”
NH:
Power is certainly the word – this is the standout track of the trilogy and
briefly shows off the upper end of Blaze’s range in a way that’s bound
to knock heads off. The lyrics frame energy and power as something that Tesla
saw in every aspect of the world, and that is translated expertly into the approach
the whole band has taken here. Well, they could hardly have written a song
about a man so inextricably linked to the popularisation of electricity without
a little thunder and lightning, now could they?!
“The
Unstoppable Stephen Hawking”
RM:
The last of our scientific/intelligent holy trinity, Hawking is a man known to
most as the author of the book most purchased and least finished (A Brief
History of Time) that exists. Hawking's life obviously chimed with Blaze
- Hawking refused to accept his MND diagnosis and confounded doctors by living
on for decades longer than the three years he was given. As Blaze
pronounces, Hawking was unstoppable and a giant of his time. Verse wise, the
lyrics are classic Blaze, if a little clumsy in terms of phrasing. The
bridge and chorus more than make up for any shortcomings, though and again this
is a track that pushes forward relentlessly, inexorably, towards its
conclusion. The avian imagery that Blaze conjures up (“the eye of the
hawk”) is quite excellent and the song is a good example of more being more;
words, length, guitars etc. It's all there and all gloriously over the top.
NH:
It’s impossible not to be inspired by the late, great Professor Stephen Hawking
– even without his incredible scientific achievements, the man was a one off, defying
all the limitations put upon him by the terrible disease that ravaged his body.
Blaze takes Hawking’s story and incredible spirit and uses it as a lesson
to anybody who is ever told that they can’t do something. If there’s anything
that can be learned from Hawking (other than very advanced physics!) then that
is certainly the main candidate. The song uses all 6 of its minutes to great
effect and this closes out the trilogy perfectly.
“Every
Storm Ends”
RM:
How else to go out but with a big melodic ballad where Blaze gets to sit in his
most powerful register and deliver an emotional performance and summing up of
all the themes contained within the album. It's melancholy and hopeful at the
same time. It's a great closing track and can only fit at the end of the album.
NH:
A closer that gets to the emotional heart of the album as a whole and, as
stated in a previous piece on Blaze’s work, during these trying times we
all live in currently it’s hard not to get swept up by someone suggesting that
things might just turn out alright in the end! This one really shows off the
versatility of Blaze’s voice, as he goes from belting lines right at the top of
his range to low, sonorous and expressive lows. An impressive way to round things
off.
Mix
and Production:
RM:
My only criticism of the album would be the mix. The drums are a little low,
the bass a little indistinct and the guitars a little loud - to my ears at
least. Blaze and band worked within the limitations they had during, as
the BBC keep telling us, an unprecedented situation. The album was recorded
using modern technology and digital files being sent from each musician to the
other. Blaze and Appleton worked directly together in Birmingham for
much of the album's genesis, with Martin McNee and Karl Schramm recording as
and when they could. Consequently, the drums have a less than organic sound, but
are of course well played and feature all of McNee's trademark rhythms and
phrasing. I found that the louder you turn the album up, the better it sounds -
which for a metal record is... as it should be! The performances are uniformly
great and Blaze in particular really shines.
NH:
It feels like a bit of a cheap shot to have a go at the production given the circumstances
already outlined and the challenges thrown up by the pandemic, but it is necessary
to point out that the production does falter at times here. As previously
mentioned, the dynamic range is inconsistent – the title track has practically
none when a single guitar becomes a British metal band going at full pelt, but ‘Warrior’
manages to sound impactful in a similar situation. The drums are far too quiet
and the guitars far too high in the mix and this makes for an uncomfortable
listening experience through headphones, at times borderline painful when
cranked up, even through near top-of-the-range B&O cans. However, when
heard through a decent speaker, these issues are less evident and perhaps a
finished CD or vinyl copy when the album is released may prove a better
listening experience.
Summing
up:
RM:
This is another very strong entry into Blaze's discography. It's more
straightforward than any of the “Infinite Entanglement” Trilogy
and is relentlessly 'up' in a similar way that “Somewhere in Time”
is; it's enthusiastic and energised throughout. There are no bad tracks and
most are at the least very good. I hope it wins over new fans as it deserves
to.
NH:
Blaze has very rarely put a foot wrong in his solo career (the slightly
odd “King of Metal” proving the only real dud in his catalogue)
and, production aside, he maintains his confident winning streak with “War
Within Me”. He could hardly be blamed for wanting to take a bit of a
break or perhaps even for running out of ideas after releasing 3 interlinked
concept albums over 3 years with tours between each (and not forgetting also
that the band still regularly release their own material without Blaze as
Absolva).
However, it seems that stopping is simply not Blaze’s style and it
continues to work in his favour, with this latest release the fourth blinder in
a row. Roll on number five!
Raging Speedhorn are back in
business with their sixth record. Their previous album, “Lost Ritual”,
was pretty gnarly with just the right amount of grit and guts to see the band
firing on all cylinders. Since then, there has been a big change in line up; a
new vocalist, bassist and guitarist, while the core trio of vocals, guitar and
drums remains. Longtime vocalist John Loughlin has stepped down, while Dan Cook
is in.
Speedhorn have always
been at their best when playing very noisy rock n roll. It is what they do
best- they are not a sludge band or a whatever-core band. They are distant
cousins to Motorhead:
aggro rock n roll their speciality. Opener “Snakebite” is a fair summary
of where the band and what they do; it's rough, raucous and ready to kick your
teeth out.
From
there, the band drop the tempo to their pretty much trademarked swagger through
“Doom Machine” and “Spitfire”. The title track is headbanging
heaven; that rolling Speedhorn
groove- a throwback to their excellent second album “We Will Be Dead
Tomorrow” in attitude and approach. Again, the vibe of Motorhead is not too
far away- it's one of the reasons I first loved the band.
Speedhorn are a bit of a
British institution these days; they've been around over twenty years (!?) but
they have retained their venom and bite from the early days. I was a fan from
early on for a couple of reasons: they played the kind of music I like and they
bothered to play in Humberside. I never saw them there at that early stage in
their career, but my younger sister did and told me about them. I became a fan
instantly; a heavy band had bothered to trek to the arse end of nowhere
(Grimsby/Cleethorpes) and play for the metal starved youth there. I first saw
them in Leeds in 2002 (I think?) and that made me a fan for life. It was a standout
gig for me and I've followed them off and on ever since.
There
are few other influences that you might pick up on; you get some Down-esque riffage on “Hand
of God” and slow burners like Entombed did in their mid-period- but really this sounds
like Raging Speedhorn.
The double-vocal attack, the distorted bass, the straight-to-the-point drums
and riffs. It can only be one band. The tempos are varied; “Brutality”
is speedy, “The Beast” isn't and there is one huge curveball to finish
things: a T-Rex
cover. Yes, you read that right!
I
can't think of much more of a stark difference in guitar music than the effete
and androgynous Marc Bolan and the members of Raging Speedhorn who... are neither of those
things. Bolan wrote some cracking riffs, though, and one of them is the
backbone of this song. Speedhorn
do it justice, just as Paul Di'Anno did on “Murder One” by Killers thirty years
ago. Great song.
Overall,
this is business as usual for Speedhorn; reinvigorated by a new line up and a four year
stretch between records, this is one to pick up ASAP and play as loud as you
can. No higher compliment is needed.
Dearly beloved and bedamned, we are gathered here
today in the sight of our Almighty Sludgelord, to bring unto you our latest sermon.And lo! We listened, and it was good!
I bring to you, this day: a vision of future
grooves, that will instil, fulfil, satiate and satisfy.In the near future – March 13, 2020, to be
exact – the Ripple Music Label
will bestow unto the masses an “Acid Communion”, made by New
Haven, Connecticut’s Bone
Church.And there will be
much rejoicing, for the sounds will be sweet on this blessed day, and every day
henceforth.
“Acid Communion” is the follow-up to Bone Church’s2017’s self-titled release and features six
tracks of acid-washed doomer rock, guaranteed to make you sing ‘Hallelujah!’ to
the pantheon of Sonic Deities.These
five gents who make up Bone
Churchhave
obviously studied their holy scriptures of Sabbath, and the divine epistle that is “Sabbath
Bloody Sabbath”.
Bone Churchhave teased the world at large with releasing the
track ‘Witch in the Cellar’ early, for us to better anticipate the
rapturous noise to come.Please listen
to it, and prepare yourself for the awesomeness to come.Vocalist Jack Rune sounds like a John Fogerty
that’s been pulled from another dimension, with his vocal prowess adding this
extra punch to the lyrical stories told in each sonic tale.
When listening to this album, I also felt the Holy
presence of Sheffield’s Black
Spiders in the mix.The riffs
may be slower, but there’s this familiar aggression and swagger that reaches
through the speakers and brings back sweet audio memories.The track ‘If They Float’, for
example, has this breakdown that reminds me of ‘Stay Down’ from Black Spiders’repertoire.Sabbathand
Spidersare the foundation of Bone Church.What’s not to love about that?
I say to thee, brothers and sisters of the Gods of
Rock, this album shakes and rattles and rolls with the mighty sounds of
festivals of yore.Each track feels
festival-tinged: a sound singed with summer heat, heady with the fumes of
illicit vapours, and topped up with the potent wines of the Merlot Melodious
and distributed via the decanter Distortion. Drink up, my brethren, and savour the
righteous power of the “Acid Communion”!
1.
Meltdown
2. Two Steps
3. Feel Alive
4. Love Me to Death
5. In Hiding
6. Death’s Anxiety
7. Skin Tight
8. The Scythe
9. Serene Obscene
10. DisasterValley
11. Become the Hunter
The Review:
When
approaching any review, I try to pull myself out of the fandom, and instead
listen with an objective ear. However, there are occasionally bands that hold a
particularly important place in my blackened metal heart, one of which is Suicide
Silence.
I
discovered Suicide
Silence way back in the days of MySpace, where I at one point
received a marketing care package from them to distribute. Somewhere in the
lost ruins of my things, is a box FULL of autographed Suicide Silence EPs and posters.
Sadly, years of travel and moving have buried them in obscurity…and dust. I
even remember having their direct email and attempting to buy a guitar from
them before they started one of their first major tours. I later saw them live
on several separate occasions, with both Mitch
Lucker and now Eddie Hermida.
Yes, this is a mild humble brag, and my love of this band may even deter some
readers from continuing, but the context is important to understanding just how
much of an impact Suicide Silence has had on the extreme metal
scene. For many, SS were the gateway into heavier subgenres, listeners like
me in particular.
“Become the Hunter” will be
considered by many the first proper follow-up to “You Can’t Stop Me”, as
2017’s self-titled release “Suicide Silence”, was such a drastic
departure from their style that it could hardly be considered more than an
experiment. Draped in controversy amongst various metal fandoms, Suicide Silence
always seems on the wrong side of community; too Core to be Death
metal, and sometimes, too Death Metal to be core. “Become the Hunter”
continues this trend, but in a far more palatable fashion, there’s a little
something for everyone to enjoy here.
Drawing
from their extensive library of sound, SS implements techniques from all throughout
the entirety of their discography on their latest release. Tracks like “Two Steps” and “Serene Obscene” sound like they could’ve come straight off “No
Time to Bleed” or “The Black Crown”, while tracks like
“In Hiding” and “Running on Empty” harken back to their
early Brutal Death Metal days. Rounding it all out, there’s a refreshing dash
of blackened influence across most tracks.
What
may surprise many listeners, is that Suicide Silence did NOT completely abandon the
hard rock/heavy metal approach from “Suicide Silence”, but instead
interwove it into something quite refreshing. “Skin Tight” may be the standout title from “Become the Hunter”;
starting out with an atmospheric almost Deftones style verse, then blasting into a
blistering Deathcore chorus, to then give way to a crunchy slam inspired
bridge. It’s drastic, energetic, and down right energizing, a real (head)banger
of a song. It’s these sensibilities that keep fans coming back for more.
Never
content with following the pack, Suicide Silence continues to try and direct
the flow. Sometimes they fall short, and other times they change the course of
metal. Regardless of the critical reception, at the end of the day, they are
always leaving an impact in their wake. Thankfully, with a return to form, “Become
the Hunter” may be their best release to date. Adept in execution, and
diverse in approach, Suicide Silence are back, and better than
ever!
