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Showing posts with label Raging Speedhorn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raging Speedhorn. Show all posts
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.
“Solitude and Savagery” deserves serious attention
and is undoubtedly one of the breakout releases of this year
“Solitude
and Savagery” CD//DD track listing:
1. Enter the Hermitage
2. Black Mass
3. No Sleep
4. Beyond the Wall
5. Lifebreather
6. Reawaken
7. Laniakea
The Review:
Barbarian
Hermit
hail from Manchester
and play crushing stoner/sludge/doom. This is a band that is not afraid to play
aggressively- like High on Fire- but also slow; like any doom
band worth their salt you can name. The opener, “Enter The Hermitage,” sets it out for you. Straight in, no messing
about, just some huge and fuzzy riffs with some maniac (Ed Campbell- who
showcases serious versatility elsewhere!) shouting over the top.
There
is plenty of variety here, too. There are passages of more thoughtful and
melancholy music, both in the first and second track and beyond. There is quite
some range on display. Suffice it to say, that by track two (“Black Mass”) I was absolutely sold on
this album. This is what is needed in the underground and beyond at the moment-
a band sounding not like anyone else, but featuring the best elements of quite
a few bands. There is something here for fans of many different bands and sub
genres. You like Orange Goblin? Try these guys out. You like High on Fire,
ditto. In fact, from Sabbath to The Sword and from Conan
to Candlemass:
Barbarian
Hermit may just appeal to fans of all those bands.
There
are shades of the likes of Raging Speedhorn and The Rotted in “No Sleep” (and Motorhead, of course) while the
epic might of “Beyond The Wall” is
crushingly powerful with a fantastic solo. Nothing outstays its welcome here;
there are no short songs and most tracks stretch out over six minutes plus (the
closing “Laniaka” is eleven epic
minutes!) but it all feels like it flies by at a clip. The band's approach
makes this happen; each track is different and brings a slightly different
approach, while remaining consistent in vibe and feel. It's no small trick to
pull off but the band achieve it with ease. This is a proper album and I think
one that might become very influential going forward.
This
is not simple two chord/two piece sludge and nor is it just Sleep
worship or a cheap copy of any other band. The production, courtesy of the
effervescent Chris Fielding at Skyhammer studio is immense and as usual Chris
has achieved a crushing drum, guitar and bass sound. The clarity of the mix and
the sheer weight adds a good deal of muscle to the album and, having worked
with Chris myself, I can hear his audio-stamp of authenticity throughout the
record.
The
album is just as weighty down the stretch- “Reawaken” features a riff that Iommi would be proud of and some
guitar work that Mastodon might find a home for on any of their better work.
“Life Breather” before it is versatile
and deft in its mood swings. The aforementioned “Laniaka” is eleven minutes of schizophrenic and groovesome riffage.
It's a tour de force ending to one of the best albums I have heard in 2018.
Barbarian
Hermit
have it; that intangible factor that makes this album like lightning in a
bottle. “Solitude and Savagery” deserves serious attention and is
undoubtedly one of the breakout releases of this year. These guys could really
fly the flag for the UK
underground and reach the heights of Conan; as a singular band operating in a
field of one. They'll spawn imitators, sure, but I know the real deal when I
hear it. Superb.
Hull, jokingly referred to in some quarters as “hole”
and viewed by others as perhaps the worst place to live in the UK, it is
perhaps best known for its sea life centre “The Deep”, rather than home to some
of best upcoming UK bands, enter Battalions.
A four-piece band, formed in 2010, Battalions have forged their own sound, playing local shows
with great vehemence, sometimes to many, sometimes too few and in spite of
original members leaving the fold, Battalions are attacking the underground scene with a
renewed strength with their new album ‘Moonburn.'
Recorded at the renowned Skyhammer
Studios with Chris Fielding of Conan, the band would have to deal with
further setbacks, with members once again leaving and potential label support
not forthcoming ‘Moonburn’, will hit the streets on August 5th 2017 via their own ‘Hull Noise Collective’ imprint once again.
Today ahead of the albums official release, we
hooked with front man and bearded gent Phil Wilkinson to discuss the bands
formation, influences and the recording of the new album. Not only that, we’re stoked to be able to
present the first exclusive stream of “Moonburn”
in full all, of which you can check out below and remember in SLUDGELORD you can trust.
Can you give us an insight into how you
started playing music, leading up to the formation of Battalions?
I first started playing music when I was
around 15, me and a few friends started a bedroom band covering Raging Speedhorn songs, it never made it out of the bedroom. After that my first proper
band was a band called Centurions, followed by a stint in Introrectalgestation before a few years of doing nothing. Battalions came about from me and our original
drummer being bored of not playing gigs and wanting to start a band that stood
out in the local scene in Hull, big bass heavy riffs with tortured vocals. A formula
that stands to this day!
Although you are set to release “Moonburn” (your second full length), for
folks unfamiliar with your band, is there any bands on the scene
past and present that you would use as a reference point bands to describe your
band, and who or what continues to inspire you and push you to try new things?
There’s the obvious, that’s
evident in most of our songs – Black Sabbath, AC/DC & Clutch, we are also heavily influenced by the likes of Raging Speedhorn, St Vitus, and my
personal influence and vocal idol, Iron Monkey. Bands currently about pushing us to excel are
all the bands we’ve toured with this year, each band playing at the top of
their craft, and when you play with them each night you only want to do better
yourself – most notably, 1968,
Ritual King
& Regulus.
What can you tell us about your upcoming
record and where do you feel it sits within the context of current metalscene?
“Moonburn” is 7 tracks of pure rock fury, with a little more
diversity than our first album ‘Nothing
to Lose’. Written and recorded within a year of releasing our first album,
to us it is an advancement of our sound, bringing the big bouncy riffs to the
forefront, whilst also keeping the song short and snappy, keeping with our
members punk and hardcore roots. We feel it sits comfortably straddling various
heavy genres, from sludge and stoner, with nods to classic rock and big riffs!
Does anything
spring to mind when you think about the completion of your upcoming record and
how is the mood in the camp at present?
We are just excited to
finally get it out there, a lot of hard work has gone into releasing this
record, especially so as we are doing it completely DIY. The mood is one of
pure excitement, things are stepping up a gear and it’s great to be involved
with something that people seem to appreciate and enjoy.
What stands out as your overarching memory from the
recording sessions?
Having Sam Orr (of the
amazing 1968,
if you haven’t already, we implore you to check them out!) come down and hang
out for a few days around recording his solo for “Amazonian Woman” was
great, and helped the mood stay very positive. Other than that, I must say the
biggest memory is the morning after the night before, when our Dennett drank a
bottle of gin to himself, and had a few hours sabbatical to pray to the
porcelain god.
With
a solid gold album in the bag, how is your schedule shaping up over the next 12
months?
Firstly, thank you for
calling it solid gold! We are extremely proud of the record and the songs. We
have a very busy schedule, starting with headlining the Rock Stage at Humber
Street Sesh, a local festival that last year saw 35,000 people attend.
Following that we have just been announced for the New Blood stage at
Bloodstock festival. After that we have a short Scottish run with Psychotic Depression, along
with a tour in the works with California’s Armed for Apocalypse. Other than that we
just aim to tour the album as much as possible!
Finally,
do you have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon us?
Give
everything you do 110%, the rewards are there, its hard work going it alone,
but worth it when you have something you can truly be proud of. Be friendly,
make friends with the bands you play with, enjoy every minute of the ride.
Following
a recording absence of 9 years, much heralded Corby
hate machine Raging
Sppedhorn roared back into action with one of the finest comeback
albums of recent memory, with the release of “Lost Ritual”.
What we found was a more measured beast. Gone were almost all of the out of
control frenetic changes and overall delivery, and what we have instead is a
band still capable of viciousness and aural violence, but approaching their
craft in a more measured manner.As
Comebacks go “Lost Ritual” was
great and the band has lost none of their power, releasing an album of uniformly
good quality. Raging Speedhorn
produced an album well worthy of your time and a perfect antidote for these
troubling times.
So
if that write up hasn’t garnered your attention, perhaps this will.We’d like to offer two lucky winners the
chance to win two pairs of tickets for the upcoming Skindred/Speedhorn show in
Holmfirth, two pairs of RagingSpeedhorn shirts and two pairs of their new
album "Lost Ritual"
All
you have to do is answer the following question?
Q. John from Speedhorn
joined another band during his time with the band. What was the name of the
band?
All
you have to do is email your name and answer for the attention of Tom here.The
closing date for answers is 2nd Feb and prizes will be allocated on
a first come first served basis.
Raging
Speedhornexploded onto the scene way back in 2000, reaching
the heady heights of the UK Singles chart in 2001 with their song ‘The Gush’,
but for me, it was with the release of their debut full length ‘Raging
Speedhorn’ that I really took notice of the band, having a sound
reminiscent of Eyehategod
and Iron Monkey,
there really wasn’t many bands like them at the time. With an incredible
follow up ‘We Will All Be Dead Tomorrow’, produced by members of Biohazard, Speedhorn were destined
for great things.
Following the
release of their 3rd record ‘How The Great Have Fallen’
Frank Regan split from the band in 2005, to be replaced by Blood Kev of Helvis fame and they
subsequently released one further record ‘Before The Sea Was Built’ in
2007, a record which strayed from their original sludge sound. That is
their history but fast forward back to 2016, and with the arrival of a brand new record entitled “Lost Ritual” it almost feels like a rebirth, the stage is their spiritual home and with it, ‘Speedhorn have come to destroy once again.
A couple of
weeks ago, I caught up with Jim Palmer, guitarist with Raging Speedhorn and we discussed new
beginnings, touring with Amen and the bands renewed passion for being part of a
scene, they helped create. It’s time to get Amped & Doomed.
SL: Jim thanks for taking the time to talk to us, can you give
us a brief history of when you started playing guitar?
Jim Palmer: I
first picked up the guitar when I was 8 years old. I learnt classical
initially, moving onto other finger picking styles such as folk and bluegrass.
My first electric guitar soon followed with my interest in blues guitarists
such as Ry Cooder
and Stevie Ray Vaughan. By about the
age of 14 I was playing in local bands and gigging in youth clubs and the like.
By the age of 20 I’d swapped to playing bass and joined the band Integrity and then a band called Fracture in the mid 90’s touring the UK
extensively. By about 97 I swapped back to guitar and joined Charger. During my time with Charger I also formed the group Murder One along with my friends from Medulla Nocte and Iron
Monkey. I toured extensively through the UK and Europe for many
years until I just stopped in 2007 due to illness. In 2011 or thereabouts I
joined the band Space Witch and
started playing again and later formed the band Harlot
Church. In 2014 I was asked to join Raging
Speedhorn and here we are.
SL: Can you
remember who or what inspired you to pick up the guitar? Are there any bands,
guitarists currently on the scene that continue to inspire you and push you to
try new things?
Jim: My
mum was a music teacher and a pianist and my Dad just loved music so I guess
they were my first inspiration. I think the first actual guitarist I saw that
inspired me was John Williams when my
mum took me to see the band Sky.
After that I was kind of hooked.
As for now I’m constantly inspired by many
musicians whether famous or not. I like a massive range of music so there’s
always something out there to get excited about.
SL: Whilst we’re on the subject of inspiration
or heroes for example, do you have 5
records that stand out as favourites, what influence did they have upon you and
what is it about those records that particular resonates amongst others?
Jim:
Pink
Floyd – “Obscured By Clouds”
Rainbow – “Rising”
Sick
of it All – “Scratch the Surface”
Ry
Cooder – “Ry Cooder”
Melvins – “Houdini”
I think these albums in particular stick out as my favourites because
in one way or another they signify a particular period in my life. That and the
fact that they are all killer.
SL: Can remember your first electric guitar?
My first electric guitar was an Ibanez
Blazer and it was fantastic. Really miss that guitar.
SL: What guitar (s) are
you using today and how did you gravitate towards the guitar you currently use?
Jim: I use
many guitars from Gibson LP Specials
through to LP Customs but my main
guitars at the moment are a prototype Yamaha AES
Telecaster I’ve owned for 18 years or so and a Yamaha AES 600. I’ve used Yamaha guitars on and off since the beginning
of Charger in the late 90’s. No big
manufacturer makes better guitars than Yamaha
in my opinion.
SL: What do you like about the guitars you currently use and have
there been any specific modifications to it?
Jim: I like
my AES Tele because it feels just
right now it’s beaten up and well and truly worn in. It has a wonderful soft
profile to the neck and a feel to it that’s just right for me. I like the AES 600 for exactly the opposite. It has a
big, fat baseball bat of a neck and is quite awkward in some ways. It’s almost
like that guitar that makes you work hard to play it. All my guitars have
several modifications. I don’t use tone knobs so they instantly get removed. I
use Railhammer pickups so all my guitars
have those fitted although I’ve just started using Zombie
Dust pickups which are awesome too. I also fit kill switches to all
my guitars for those moments when you can’t reach your pedal board in time.
Apart from that and using DiMarzio
strap lock straps, everything else is pretty much standard.
SL: What amps and pedals do you currently use? Do you use a combination of amps, or a full
half stack? Talk us through your set up both in the studio and in the live
environment?
Jim: I’ve
used Peavey 5150’s and 6505’s for pretty much everything I’ve ever
done. The only other amp I use regularly is a Blackstar
HT Metal 100. Pedal wise I like to keep things fairly simple so I
have an Ernie Ball VP Jr volume pedal,
Boss TU3 Tuner, EHX Chill Switch and an Ibanez Weeping Demon wah. I occasionally use a
Blackstar Dist if I’m using loan amps
and I occasionally run a Decimator Noise
Reduction pedal. Other than that it’s basically guitar to pedal
board, straight in the front of the amp and out into 1 maybe 2 4x12’s.
I use the same setup when I record although for our new album I mixed
in a JCM 800 for extra beef. I’ve
never been one for complicating things and I believe very much that my tone is
my tone so no need to change it about too much if I can help it.
SL: What one pedal could not live without and why?
Jim: There
isn’t one. Id be just as happy running straight into my amp as I am running
pedals. I don’t need them, they are just nice to have and make life a little
easier. I guess if I had to pick one it would be my TU3
as no one likes an out of tune guitarist HA HA!
SL: What are your
amp/ pedal settings?
Jim: Pedal wise there
isn’t a lot to set. I have my volume pedal for swelling in and out as I hate
using volume pots on guitars. My tuner runs out the tuner out on the volume
pedal so it’s essentially out the chain. I have the EHX chill switch set to
kill the sound momentarily when its depressed, (kill switch), and my Weeping Demon Wah is set to run on the spring
/ sensor so it engages automatically when I put my foot on it. I also have kill
switches on my guitars for options depending on my stage position but also so I
can do the same stuff when I’m not running my pedal board.
Amp setting wise I run the gain on about 8 on
the lead channel, EQ would be bass – 8 mid – 3 Treble – 6, the resonance on 7
and the presence on 4. if I use the rhythm channel its for clean stuff so gain
on about 3 but I run the standard 6505
so I use the same EQ. If I’m using a 5150
or the Blackstar HT Metal 100 the
same settings would apply.
SL: What tunings do you use and why, and as a result is there a
specific brand / gauge of string you prefer ?
Jim: With Speedhorn we tune to drop C#. It’s the perfect
balance between down tuning and still having clarity and usable string tension
/ intonation. String wise I use Cleartone
strings and wouldn’t use any other brand now. They are so much more clear
sounding and the coating makes them last much longer. Gauge wise I used to use
light to / heavy bottom 10’s (10-52) but I’m currently running 11’s (11-56).
SL: Do
you have any advice for up and coming guitars players, bands?
Jim: It’s
simple really. Nothing is free, nothing will get handed to you on a plate. Work
hard, put the effort in but enjoy it too. Be a good person, seems daft but it’s
important. If you’re an arsehole to people, crew in particular, they’ll
remember that and it will make your life very difficult in the future. You
should always try to be a good person anyway. Most of all stick at it. I know
more people who’ve “made it” simply because they’ve stuck at it for years than
those who’ve gained instant success. Longevity means a lot in this business.
SL: Do feel there are deeply help
misconceptions about being in a band?
Jim: Many, many
misconceptions but to be honest they are generally made by people who wouldn’t
have a clue anyway HA HA!
SL: Moving on a little then,
what can you tell us about any of your current projects, tours, cds, etc
you’re currently promoting, completed and anything else band related we should
know about?
Jim: We are
releasing our new album “Lost Ritual” for pledgers at the beginning of
July and then later in July it will be available to everyone else. If you still
wish to pledge and get hold of some limited edition goodies as well as the new
album you can do so via the Pledge Music
website and look for Raging Speedhorns
campaign. We are also going on tour around the UK in July to promote the new
album from the 15th – 23rd. Pop over to our Facebook page for updates, news and those
important tour dates!
SL: What springs to mind when you
think about the completion of your new/current record and how is the mood in
the camp at present?
Jim: Happiness
and relief I think. I’m not sure any of us knew whether this was going to work
out but currently we are all feeling pretty chuffed about the new album and
about how well things are going. It’s certainly a good place to be right now.
SL: What are your favorite songs to play live? What is
it about them that makes them so good to play live, crowd reaction, etc? Anything from your catalogue that you
wouldn’t play and why?
Jim: I’m really enjoying the new material at the moment. It’s fresh and new
so it’s easy to play about with the songs structure but also because it’s so
typically Speedhorn
it fits perfectly in the set. I think my favorite songs to play would have to
be “Bring Out Your Dead”, “Halfway to Hell” and “Dogshit Blues”. I’m not sure there is
anything in the catalogue we wouldn’t have a go at live but certainly anything
off “Before The Sea Was Built” would
be difficult due to the different vocalist, (Bloody Kev).
SL: Who are some your favourite
bands you have toured with and what
has been your proudest moment and/or performance of your playing career?
Jim: Some of
the best bands I’ve toured with would have to be Today
Is The Day, Amen and Prong just for the sheer fun we had and the
competitiveness. I’d have to include Raging
Speedhorn in there too though as back when I was in Charger and Murder
One we toured together before I was in RSH.
Always a good time. I feel proud every time I get to play live as it’s a real
privilege but stand out gigs would have to be headlining a stage at Sonisphere in 2014, returning to Damnation Festival in 2014 for the 3rd
time and our headlining slot at Download
SL: What can fans look forward to from you over the
next 12 months? How is your schedule
shaping up?
Jim: Busy! With
the new record out and the subsequent “Lost Ritual” tour we’ll be
popping up all over the place in the next 12 months. We are currently in
negotiations to bring even bigger things and maybe even a few trips to Europe.
In a year you might even hear some more new music, who knows.
SL: Finally, do you have any final comments/word of wisdom you’d like to bestow upon
us?
Jim: In the
words of Bill and Ted “be excellent to each other”. See also Ronnie Barker
“don’t let the bastards grind you down”
Back to the usually chart then, following our recent
list of Top 16 records of year so far (Jan - June).You should know
the drill by now, each month; you the reader are unwittingly compiling a
list of the top 16 records of the month, covering all genres of metal. Is
it not a chart, in which reviewers or contributors extol their opinion about
their favourite music. To put it simply, the ‘Sour 16’are the records that have been
trending the most at SludgelordHeadquarters.
The results are compiled based on page views alone
and calibrated into the list below. All reviews can be viewed by
clicking the artwork and we have included album streams wherever possible.
(Total views since their publication are highlighted in red)
16). Merchant – “Suzerain” (409)
A potent mix of
the epic vision of Yob and the no-nonsense sludge aggression of Weedeater,
these tracks are more than capable of holding their own against the
heavyweights of modern doom. Pulverising riffs worthy of Bongripper beat the
listener into submission, repeated until breaking point, before moving onto a
higher plateau of heaviness. “Suzerain” is an awe-inspiring release from
Merchant and all the more impressive for being a debut
15). Dark Funeral - “Where Shadows Forever Reign” (414)
I’m sure a lot
of Dark Funeral’s fans saw the album cover and assumed that this would simply
be“Secrets of the Black Arts II”. And while this isn’t that, the typically
fantastic Necrolord album art did signify a return to that same level of
quality. This Dark Funeral is every bit as good as the Dark Funeral of 1996.
14). Rotten Sound – “Abuse to Suffer” (418)
“Abuse to
Suffer” is an absolute banger of an album, that flat out runs you down like a
T-1000, it is an album for the wild soul looking to get ripped apart, and
Rotten Sound have their abuse sharpened to a rusty point, just for you.
13). Anion – “Fractures of Failure (421)
Huge riffs rain
down on the listener from all angles, channelling the finest moments of the
Hydra Head back catalogue and delivered with the venom of Gaza. The band occasionally pause for breath
to allow their spacier side to dominate but these interludes provide brief
respite before they lurch back into high gear, a perfect balance of crushing
groove and mathematical complexity.
12). Raging Speedhorn – “Lost Ritual” (446)
The ‘Speedhorn,
these days, are a more measured beast- gone are the almost out of control
frenetic changes and overall delivery, and what we have instead is a band still
capable of viciousness and aural violence, but approaching their craft in a
more measured manner. As Comebacks go this is a great one- the band has lost
none of their power and the ten tracks here are of uniformly good quality. A
fine effort, well worthy of your time and a perfect antidote for these
troubling times.
11). Monoliths – “Monoliths" (472)
This self-titled
debut respects the crushing pedigree of the band’s constituent members while
heading into uncharted territory. Over the course of two 16 minute behemoths,
Monoliths create an absorbing world of bludgeoning repetition and psychedelic
heaviness, fusing a more exploratory approach with the filth and weight of the
heaviest doom
10). Haasts Eagled – “II: For Mankind” (483)
The majestic,
sweeping 'Zoltar' begins with piano and a warm, all encompassing riff. If this
song was the sea, I would happily drown in its crystal waters and when we get
the heavy stuff... boy is it heavy! Fans of musical journeys take note; THIS is
the album you need to hear this year. Its epic, it's majestic, it's fucking
brilliant.
09). Spiritual Beggars – “Sunrise to Sundown” (495)
Business as
usual for Spiritual Beggars, then; another album of good songs, strong playing
and wrapped up in an impressive production. If you long for the days when
Blackmore still played rock and jeans were flared, this album is certainly for
you. It should be noted that there are two things about this record which
really stand out: the sound and the performance. The sound is fantastic, live
and raw but crystal clear... the performance? Even more remarkable, as this was
tracked live, yes live, off the studio floor!
08). Merlin - “Electric Children” (543)
While Merlin may
sound a little too much like their influences for some people's taste,
“Electric Children” has a lot to offer listeners, and it shouldn't be cast off
after just one listen. With a sound reminiscent of Om and Sleep and striking
just the right balance between Hawkwind and Saint Vitus, Merlin accomplish what
they set out to do which is obliterate your mind with a witches' brew of epic
towering riffs and '70's era doom jams
07). Tides of Sulfur – “Extinction Curse” (648)
This is an
astonishingly confident and assured record for a debut LP, helped by excellent
production by Chris Fielding. He has managed to capture the filth of the band’s
undeniable heaviness, whilst retaining the clarity of their epic song writing.
“Extinction Curse” is a bold and compelling statement from Tides of Sulfur. The
shockwaves from this seismic detonation are sure to be felt throughout the UKunderground
and far beyond.
06). Nails – “You Will Never Be One of Us” (652)
“You Will Never Be One of Us”is
as grim and dark a record as they come, and whilst they offer only one shade of
black, they happen to do this shade incredibly well. For the brief instances they
choose to experiment, they do so in a very meaningful and effective way;
however it seems they would rather just flat out punish every living thing in
existence. This record’s power can physically obliterate the weak while
exhausting all mental reserves of strength. Such exhaustion at the end of a
record is now their certified trademark.
05). Melvins-
“Basses Loaded” (690)
“Basses
Loaded”is yet another stellar release from the Melvins. They may never release
another record as influential as their 80’s and 90’s classics but the fact they
are still unleashing vital shots of oddball heavy rock, 33 years into their
career is testament to their immortal power.
04). Churchburn & Opium Lord – “Churchburn/Opium
Lord” (932)
Like a swift
punch to the throat, this split by Pawtucket,Rhode Island crushers Churchburn and
Midlandsfilth mongers Opium Lord is both unexpected and completely disabling.
Released in Europe through the fantastic F H E D and on the other side of the Atlantic by DG Records, this release packs enough of a
wallop to take down a herd of elephants.
03). It’s Not Night: Its Space – “Revival” (1304)
No vocals, just a lot of stoned, smoky repetition that is equally
spiritual as it is absolutely mind blowing.
02). Budgie - "The MCA Albums "1973-1975"(1500)
These reissues
should be picked up by anyone with an interest in the era, the growth of
the“heavy” genre and by anyone looking for some quality hard rock, played well,
by great musicians. Lars Ulrich is no Pete Boot or Steve Williams (who play
solidly and professionally on the albums re-packaged here), but he knew a tune
when he heard one, all those years ago
01). Gojira – “Magma” (2029)
Magma’ is a
record that envelopes you with its overtly dark drama, but within its haze, its
crushing catharcism makes it one of the most special metal records to be
released in some time. It may not be the relentless assault many fans wanted
from the album – and that’s not to say it is barren of those moments – yet, as
a vehicle for emotional cleansing, as a eulogy and an obituary for a woman who
shaped the personalities that drive this act, it is staggering.
A big
thank you as always to our amazing writers, your dedication knows no boundaries
and for that I am truly grateful. June’s“Sour 16”features
reviews by,Chris Bull, Philip Weller, Richard Maw,
Daniel Jackson, Victor Van Ommen, Charlie Butler, TJ Kliebhan,Steve Wilson and Hunter Young
