ALBUM REVIEW: Alter Bridge, "Pawns & Kings"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 14/10/2022
Label: Napalm Records

“Pawns & Kings” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. This Is War
2. Dead Among The Living
3. Silver Tongue
4. Sin After Sin
5. Stay
6. Holiday
7. Fable Of The Silent Son
8. Season Of Promise
9. Last Man Standing
10. Pawns & Kings
 
The Review:

Alter Bridge are now one of a very few select rock acts who hold arena headlining status- or at least one of the few who have existed for less than twenty years- there is no shortage of should-be-retired-bands around. On that basis, I greet every release of theirs with interest as they represent a gateway to harder rock and metal as well as being a fine band in their own right. They have a surprising breadth of styles within their sound- from soaring melodies to thrashing riffs- all delivered with a slick production sheen that is ready made for rock radio and arena stages.
 
“Pawns & Kings” is their seventh studio effort since their 2004 debut- testament to their work ethic. It is also much more focussed than recent outings. There are ten tracks here- a proper album length! After some poppier diversions on “The Last Hero” and synth-ier diversions on “Walk The Sky”, the band are back to what they do best here: guitar pyrotechnics, rock songs, rock sounds.
 
This is easily the best AB album since “Fortress” and sits nicely alongside their holy trinity of “Blackbird”, “AB III” and “Fortress”. The album starts pretty heavy with “This is War” and the band makes use of the thrashier leanings of Mark Tremonti on “Silver Tongue” with its lightning fast riffage and time changes. Even on the slower material- such as “Sin After Sin”- the band sound darker and more focussed than they have for some time.
 
In terms of musicianship, the drumming from Scott Philips is excellent throughout- varied, great use of the kit and some tasteful double pedal work here and there. It blends seamlessly with the bass of Brian Marshall and the two together form a distinctive rhythm section that sound fluid no matter what the tempo. The guitar work- as per- is sublime. In Myles Kennedy the band have a frontman with a golden voice- no signs of deterioration whatsoever even in his 50s.
 
The band still have some melodic syrup too- “Stay” is slick and sweet in equal measure and closed the first half of the album. Side two kicks off with a pretty belting rocker in the form of “Holiday”, though. From there, it is more melody and less foot on the pedal. However, the likes of “Season of Promise” and “Last Man Standing” are well crafted songs; with no shortage of solos and riffs. The title track closes this impressive selection of songs in some style. The band have a knack for strong title tracks and this is no exception. It’s dark, varied, anthemic and essential Alter Bridge.
 
Overall, then, this is strong throughout and an impressive return to the kind of dark heavy rock that the band do best. Indeed, everything good about the band is to be found over the course of these ten tracks and “Pawns & Kings” is easily up there with the best in AB’s catalogue.
 
“Pawns & Kings” is available now

Band info: Official

ALBUM REVIEW: Stonekind, "Spirit of the Void"

By: Peter Morsellino

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 11/06/2021
Label: Salem Stone Records

 
“Spirit of the Void” DD track listing:
 
1. Ashes, Pt. 1 
2. Ashes, Pt. 2 
3. Spirit of the void 
4. Nowhere's home 
5. Untethered
6. Swamp stomp 
7. Dust 
8. Behold the stone 
9. Nomadic
 
The Review: 
 
Mixing a heavy progressive rock sound with a distinct stoner rock groove, North Carolina’s Stonekind offer up a uniquely haunting sound that must be heard to be fully appreciated. With a fuzzed-out desert rock base to work from, “Spirit of the Void” mixes genres into a finely balanced witches brew that is sure to delight anyone in search of a new sonic experience.  
 
Stonekind’s emotive sound stems straight from the heart, and that comes across fully on the album’s finished product. You can tell at first glance that the musicians involved threw themselves wholly into this project. Songs are masterfully crafted into full spectrum musical experiences that will take listeners on a journey. I can’t stress enough how much heart is presented in each bit of this album. It feels special and it invites the listener to become a part of it.       
Songs like “Swamp Stomp” showcase the band’s heavy grooves while offering up high doses of psychedelia for listeners to revel in. Grooves are infectiously catchy and easy to get into. This is an album that you can dance to all night long. Best experienced, in my opinion, in one solid listen, the musical experience that Stonekind  
offers up is simply extraordinary. It’s a sound that you can completely lose yourself in.         
 
I would recommend this one to anyone who might be suffering a bit of a lull in their musical enjoyment. This is exactly the type of thing that will get listeners out of the deepest of ruts. A varied mash of genres coming together to create something new and wonderful. Give it a listen. You will not regret it.       
 
“Spirit of the Void” is available HERE 

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp || Instagram
 

ALBUM REVIEW: Elder, "Omens"

By: Andrew Field

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 24/04/2020

Label: Stickman Records

“Omens” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Omens

2). In Procession

3). Halcyon

4). Embers

5). One Light Retreating

The Review:

“Omens” is the destination Elder have been promising to arrive at since 2011’s “Dead Roots Stirring”. If “Lore” (2015) and “Reflections of a Floating World” (2017) were the building blocks, “Omens” is the finished product and a staggering summation of all that makes this powerhouse quartet so essential in 2020.

The fearlessness with which they’ve approached this record is testament to their confidence and maturity, gained from 15 years of honing their craft. Across five songs and 56 minutes Elder take the listener on a sonically beautiful journey whilst lyrically – as ever – things are notably darker. That light and shade pays off time and time again as “Omens” envelopes you. Put on your headphones and wonder at the detail, which is at times breath-taking.

Nick DilSalvo is on record as saying the writing process for “Omens” was long and tedious but rewarding. You honestly wouldn’t know. It all sounds so natural, with the ebb and flow of their technically dense music made fully accessible for the first time. “Omens” is by far the best-sounding Elder album: every instrument breathes and has its own clear space in the mix.

The appeal of “Omens” is encapsulated in its title track, which opens the record. It’s an 11-minute modern progressive psychedelic masterpiece featuring chiming guitars and Michael Risberg’s keyboard flourishes and wooshes. It brings to mind, wide open spaces, traveling and moving, forward motion. It is both of the 1970s and of now. Much like Jack Donovan’s beloved Rush, “Omens” is their Clockwork Angels to Lore’s Moving Pictures: an album that could only have been made when you’ve paid your dues and really learned how to do things. Donovan’s fingers still delightfully run up and down his fretboard. DiSalvo still picks at his strings and creates delightfully original motifs. The dirt under the fingernails of their stoner doom years has largely gone now, and that’s not a bad thing at all based on the evidence presented here.

“In Procession” is stunning. It builds from a wah guitar entrance into a DiSalvo picked riff over which an echo-drenched keyboard tinkles and chimes, before abruptly opening up into a massive heavy passage which is pure “Lore”. The second half of this 13-minute epic is where Elder really fly. It’s a majestic, serene, dynamic passage built over a deft and light George Edert shuffle. It will cover you in goosebumps.

Elsewhere “Embers” throws you right off guard, starting like The Tragically Hip with its college rock vocals before morphing into a pure prog section full of time changes and sweeping chords.  Album closer “One Light Retreating” is a better sounding “Reflections”: the spirit of “Lore” meets jamming of “The Gold and Silver sessions”. Yet whilst it pays back to those albums, it sounds completely distinct from them. 

Like all the best albums, “Omens” rewards repeated listens. Once familiar with its themes and structure you will find yourself focusing on the intricacies which lie within its grooves, those magic moments which make the record so interesting and special. Once it’s under your skin you’ll likely want to immerse yourself in it for an extended period of time, coming back to it time and again. 

It’s exciting that Elder are still exploring, still diversifying, still developing their sound and style. The results of their recent labours are masterful and electrifying. We might only be in April, but “Omens” is an early candidate for album of the year.

“Omens” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Domo, "Domonautas Vol. 1"

By: Peter Morsellino

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 15/12/2019

Label: Independent

“Domonautas Vo1.1” DD//LP track listing:

1). Oximoron

2). Astródomo

3). Ritual del Sol

4). Planisferio

The Review:

Alright folks, let's get weird. I listen to a lot of music. As such I tend to have to work harder at times to find something that really lights my fire. I found myself at one point not listening to a whole lot of music at all, finding myself dulled to the whole thing from not finding what I was looking for. This particular low point lead me to my discovery of doom and sludge, some of the great musical loves of my life. And yet, every now and again, I still feel the need for a little extra bit of a freaky booster shot to keep my spirits up. If you are currently in need of a little something on the fringes to help bring you back to center, I present you with Domo.

I've always said that I wanted a metal band that could conceivably cover “Ummagumma” era Pink Floyd and neither sound cheesy, nor like a bunch of lunatics set loose upon an unsuspecting recording studio. Domo has granted me this wish.

Riffs crunch hard into the earth when not floating into space, with experimental interludes occurring frequently. Notes of early 70's experimental rock flow throughout the album. My mind keeps returning to the thought of a Black Sabbath/Tool mashup that I didn't know I wanted.

“Oximoron” starts the album off as something off an overture, letting you know what you've given yourself into. With dense atmospheres, psychedelic guitar work and exotic horns creating an incredibly dense tone that prevails throughout the album.

“Astrodomo” starts out strong with doomy riffs reminiscent of an early Electric Wizard track, before dropping into a distinctly Pink Floyd like piece and right back again. “Ritual Del Sol” kicks off with an amazingly mellow jazz jam that puts the bass on center stage before giving us some more of that hard rock power, right when we need it. “Planisferio” opens with another bass heavy Tool type of jam before descending into pure metal mayhem.

This album is expertly put together. No part feels like it clashes with another, with Domo skillfully gliding from one genre to the next.

“Domonautas Vol. 1” was released in late 2019 and was promised to be the beginning of something much larger. I for one will be keeping my ears open for the next installment. I'm hooked.

“Domonautas Vo1. 1” is available HERE

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM PREMIERE: Ambassador deliver a cavernous and explorative musical masterwork on "Belly of the Whale"

Debut album “Belly of the Whale” by Ambassador, is a cavernous musical quest fusing heart rending doom, shoegazing aesthetics, and a deeps pop sensibility. Hailing from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, “Belly of the Whale”, is set to drop on September 28, 2018. Eluding the stale tropes of modern rock, Ambassador evokes a sense of maturity and sonic exploration but with their emotional and vulnerable sounds remaining rooted in post rock, progressive metal and southern blues. The band has been compared to groups like Dredg, Pink Floyd and A Perfect Circle, featuring introspective and ethereal lyrics supported by concise grooves all defined by an ominous sense of melody. Each composition exposes new colours and textures with its own distinct energy and today at THE SLUDGELORD we’re proud to be able to premiere this truly one of a kind record, check it out in full below and you can order it now (HERE)

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Causa Sui - “Vibraciones Doradas”

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 17/11/2017

Label: El Paraiso Records

 “Vibraciones Doradas” is a mélange of fuzzy, jam-rock. It flourishes, squirms, grooves and rides the wave of cool. Their rhythms are repetitive, innovative and progressive. These are the elements that define Causa Sui. It’s how the band puts these elements to use that makes Causa Sui one of the best.

“Vibraciones Doradas” CD//DD// LP track listing:

1. The Drop (7:12)
2. El Fuego (11:24)
3. Viborera (2:07)
4. Seven Hills (7:24)
5. Vibraciones Doradas (9:05)

The Review:

And just when you thought 2017 was winding down, Causa Sui comes at us with one last release before the Christmas shopping begins. What a drag, right? One more heavy-psych release to revel in before all that family time. One more psychedelic freak-out to take into account when throwing together your Happy Holidays Mix Tape.

For those who have the room to pile more releases onto their plate, here’s one fuzz-filled main course that you should take a scoop of. The album in question is “Vibraciones Doradas” and it’s been put together by Jakob Skott, Jonas Munk, Jess Kahr and Rasmus Rasmussen.  The four Danes play drums, guitars, bass, and synths, swirls and other fun stuff respectively. The album’s first run of vinyl is already sold out, and rightly so. It’s that good.

Hitting its mark quickly, Munk starts things off with one of those riffs that are going to come to full fruition in a live setting. In the grander scheme of things, this opening swing is a pretty standard riff, but keep in mind, this is just the starting point. It’s a way for the band to create an immediate connection with the listener. It shows that Causa Sui, as progressive as they are, are still indebted to their stoner rock roots.

The guitars go on and on and on. The jams ring true and the band is locked in. Munk phrases his licks like lyrics, making up for any lack of a front man. His riffing is drenched in fuzz and the grooves that unfold over the course of these five songs are as sun-bleached as can be. These Danes will forever bask in bright tones and on “Vibraciones Doradas” – loosely translated as Golden Vibrations – they proffer up more of these lush grooves.

At a mere 37 minutes in length, “Vibraciones Doradas” gets in and out quickly and leaves the mark it’s meant to. There are still plenty of jams, that’s what Causa Sui is great at. Their musicianship and connection with each other has always translated well to their recordings. Be it how Skott sets the groove in the album’s standout, “El Fuego,” or how they follow his double attack of the snare on the rough and rugged “Seven Hills,” there’s unity in this quartet and this unity is felt down the bone.

Jams, jams and more jams. That’s what you’re going to get on a Causa Sui album, and that’s what you’re getting on this new slab, too. “Vibraciones Doradas” is a mélange of fuzzy, jam-rock. It flourishes, squirms, grooves and rides the wave of cool. Their rhythms are repetitive, innovative and progressive. And as psychedelic as the squealing guitars are or how laid back that bass tone is, the music still manages to hold on to some form of song structure. These are the elements that define Causa Sui. It’s how the band puts these elements to use that makes Causa Sui one of the best.

“Vibraciones Doradas” is available on CD//DD//LP here

Band info: Facebook

REVIEW: Howling Giant - "Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2 [EP]

By: Ernesto Aguilar

Album Type: EP

Date Released: 25/08/ 2017

Label: Independent

For such a new outfit, Howling Giant brings sophistication to the lyrical and musical aspects that you might not expect. The result will astonish those fans who have been eagerly awaiting this sequel.

"Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2" CD//DD track listing:

1. Henry Tate

2. The Pioneer

3. Visions

4. The Forest Speaks

5. Circle of Druids

6. Earth Wizard

The Review:

Nashville, Tenn.'s Howling Giant, a relatively new addition to the stoner rock lexicon, has generated high hopes early. The first EP in this thematic series gained reams of positive reviews. Such coverage was earned fairly. Part One of the story was quite fuzzy, as well as robust, and drew comparisons to Electric Wizard, among other performers.

Yet can "Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2" draw the same lofty praise as the initial recording?

The concept recordings – it is still a bit unclear if the story will carry on into a third EP, or more than that – tell the tale of humankind's rise and ultimate vanquish through the eyes of a protagonist. Such a heady vision can easily collapse under the weight of presenting that depth of a story with any hope of coherence. Howling Giant indubitably plumbs this mythology, but make it clear the music comes first. Arrangements are dexterous and vocals plaintive when needed, urgent the next. For such a new outfit, Howling Giant brings sophistication to the lyrical and musical aspects that you might not expect. The result will astonish those fans who have been eagerly awaiting this sequel.

Howling Giant has garnered a lot of support for its sound and been likened to bands like The Sword. Although you can hear many classic-tinged acts in Howling Giant's sound, repeated listens may conjure diverse parallels. The album's opener, "Henry Tate," for example, has a sound and vocal delivery reminiscent of NoMeansNo circa "The Day Everything Became Nothing." Given NoMeansNo's pioneering post-punk bona fides, that comparison is a high compliment, but it gives you a glimpse at how deceptively talented this young band is on the new release.

The new music seems like an impressive leap from Part 1. The washed-out vocals get a much better mix this go around. Drumming here is standout. The storyline, without spoiling anything, is furthermore going to keep you listening, especially if you enjoy a story with your songs. All said, Howling Giant demonstrates early accolades were deserved.

"Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 2" is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Stinking Lizaveta - "Journey to the Underworld"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 17/02/2017

Label: Translation Loss

Stinking Lizaveta’s new album “Journey to the Underworld” finds the band in deadly form, crafting music that is seriously weird and complex yet still delivers an addictive riff high.

“Journey to the Underworld” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Witches and Pigs

2. Chorus of Shades

3. Sharp Stick in the Eye

4. Six Fangs

5. Blood, Milk and Honey

6. Journey to the Underworld

7. Love Song For Jusu

8. A Stranger's Welcome

9. Allegro

The Review:

It’s an impressive feat for a band to be in their 23^rd year of existence to release an LP that sounds as raw and hungry as a debut. Stinking Lizaveta’s new album “Journey to the Underworld” finds the band in deadly form, crafting music that is seriously weird and complex yet still delivers an addictive riff high.

The Philadelphia trio have honed their idiosyncratic sound to perfection here, delivered with a telepathic tightness. The band’s style of riffage recalls retro rockers like of Earthless and Comets On Fire but is so vital and fresh it could only have come from the present. Instead of the endless molten jams into the outer realms of the previously mentioned acts, Stinking Lizaveta travel just as far into the unknown but tie themselves into carefully orchestrated labyrinthine constructions but still find room for wild unhinged solos.

The propulsive drive of opener “Witches and Pigs” contains traces of proper Thin Lizzy-esque classic rock while “Chorus of Shades” features some glorious shredding and irresistible leads that are steeped in NWOBHM. “Sharp Stick in the Eye” is an almost funky strut with a groove that winds itself tighter and tighter as the band’s playing gets more frenetic.  There is a heaviness and darkness in these songs though that sees them slip across into noise rock territory, an underlying nastiness that adds a sweet sharpness to proceedings.

The title track seems them ease up a little on the intensity to allow a little psychedelic rock to bubble to the surface. “A Stranger’s Welcome” sees them employ passages of acoustic guitar to bring a spaghetti western dustbowl feel which although brief provides a powerful contrast to the epic riffage that surrounds it.

“Journey to the Underworld” is another incredible release from a truly unique band. Stinking Lizaveta manage to make instrumental metal that sounds like nothing else out there. Here’s to another 23 years of madness 

“Journey to the Underworld” is available here

Band info: bandcamp || facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Purson - “Desire’s Magic Theatre”

By: Kat Hilton
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 29/04/2016
Label: Spinefarm Records

 

 

With all ten songs covering a wide range of sounds and with their anchor firmly planted in the soil of a 1970’s rock garden, the variety within offers solid coverage for various genres. Throughout the album they cleverly combine flecks of The Beatles and Iron Butterfly, with Jazz and Prog to create this smorgasbord of tunage, underpinned by superb production, the result is a warm, organic sound, with complex arrangements and superb melodies producing a rich musical landscape.

 

 

“Desire’s Magic Theatre” CD//DD//LP track Listing  

 

1). Desire's Magic Theatre

2). Electric Landlady

3). Dead Dodo Down

4). Pedigree Chums

5). The Skye Parade

6). The Window Cleaner

7). The Way it is

8). Mr. Howard

9). I Know

10). The Bitter Suite

 

The Review:

Purson made their presence known, as they emerged on the scene three years ago with their highly acclaimed debut “The Circle And The Blue Door”, gaining mass applause as well as hordes of fans with their impressive talent.  A band that amalgamated prog, hard rock and psychedelia with more flair than a pair of 70’s bell bottoms their second album was eagerly awaited by many.

 

From the off, the signature Purson funk is evident, lighting up the speakers with charm, sophistication and shrouded in the heady scent of sandalwood incense, taking the listener on a chilled out, vibe filled trip. Rosalie Cunningham; singer extraordinaire imbues each lyric with soulful underpinnings, harmonising beautifully to produce a tour de force of excellence, through mind boggling melodies and effervescent sound penetrating the ears as well as the psyche.

 

The standout track for me is “Electric Landlady”, a twinkly, funk laden “In A Gadda Da Vida” style throw down with flecks of Hendrix(of course). An ultra-catchy, fuzzy, pop filled number that will fast become an ear worm. “The Window Cleaner” is a mixture of hazy, chilled out verses and brain fogged choruses and “I Know” a sombre acoustic-tinged balled playing on the heart strings. A full eight minutes of “The Bitter Suite” is pure prog perfection really pushing the band firmly into the memory banks of progliness.

With all ten songs covering a wide range of sounds and with their anchor firmly planted in the soil of a 1970’s rock garden, the variety within offers solid coverage for various genres. Throughout the album they cleverly combine flecks of The Beatles and Iron Butterfly, with Jazz and Prog to create this smorgasbord of tunage, underpinned by superb production, the result is a warm, organic sound, with complex arrangements and superb melodies producing a rich musical landscape.

“Desire’s Magic Theatre” is available here

 

Band info: facebook || twitter

REVIEW: Howling Giant - “Black Hole Space Wizard”: Part 1” (EP)

By: Victor Van Ommen

Album Type: EP
Date Released: 13/08/2016
Label: Independent

Howling Giant come across as a confident band that are bursting at the seams with invigorating hooks that sound as familiar as they are new. They have the discipline to take their time fleshing out riffs without losing sight of the song, their energy and passion is felt throughout, which is the glue that holds this EP together.

“Black Hole Space Wizard”: Part 1”CD//DD track listing:

1). Mothership

2). Exodus Earth

3). Dirtmouth

4). Clouds of Smoke

The Review:

As much of a fan of country music that I am, it’s refreshing to hear a product coming out of Nashville that doesn’t tote the Dave Cobb stamp of approval. Bring in Howling Giant, a progressive metal band that upped their Bostonian roots and moved out to the weird cosmos of the American South that is Nashville. No twangy guitars here and don’t even begin to think that Howling Giant are “whisky soaked” or “bluesy.” Howling Giant has a sound that is as clear and crisp as it is raw and spacey. They dive deep into the well of progressive rock as well as take off for joy rides into space. They mix these trips with a healthy dose of youthful humor and beer drinking, coming out on the other end sounding like the bastard child of Elder and Red Fang.

This cleverly titled EP, “Black Hole Space Wizard: Part 1,” is the start of a four part series and judging by these songs, this EP is also the start of a new force in the realm of good time heavy rock. The opening notes of “Mothership” echo through a dark alley in the dead of night. Once the rest of the band fades in – organ and all – it’s abundantly clear that Howling Giant are going to leave big footprints. Be it in the hypnotic nod of “Exodus-Earth” or the growing groove of the seven plus minute closer, Howling Giant come across as a confident band that are bursting at the seams with invigorating hooks that sound as familiar as they are new.

Special attention should be given to the EP’s single, “Dirtmouth,” that we premiered the video of here a few weeks ago. Tom Polzine’s intense shredding on the six string lies adjacent to Roger Marks’s buzzing bass, only to be pushed into their respective corners by Zach Wheeler’s commanding roll. The song is vocally diverse, too, which brings to mind punk stalwarts Rise Against. The fact that this song is a true band effort is what makes it stand out.

Howling Giant has the discipline to take their time fleshing out riffs without losing sight of the song, their energy and passion is felt throughout, which is the glue that holds this EP together. Assuming Howling Giant is able to continue down this path on their own terms, the band will have no problem adding a few respectable releases to their discography.

“Black Hole Space Wizard”: Part 1” is available here

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

RIYL: Elder, Red Fang, Melvins, Rush