ALBUM REVIEW: Iron Maiden, "Senjutsu"

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 03/09/2021
Label: Parlophone | BMG

 
“Senjutsu” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Senjutsu (8:20)
2. Stratego (4:59)
3. The Writing On The Wall (6:13)
4. Lost In A Lost World (9:31)
5. Days Of Future Past (4:03)
6. The Time Machine (7:09)
7. Darkest Hour (7:20)
8. Death Of The Celts (10:20)
9. The Parchment (12:39)
10. Hell On Earth (11:19)
 
The Review:
 
Iron Maiden are back. Five years after the excellent “Book of Souls”, Forty One Years after-up their debut. The six man line-up are still together and still alive. A new Maiden album is nothing less than an EVENT. Metallica have long since descended into pretentiously arty territory, with designer clothes, mainstream acceptance (after they courted it) and an overwhelming air of disconnection from their roots. Meanwhile, Maiden continue to plough their unique furrow. As can be stated by all Maiden fans, their career follows distinctive arcs and phases- essentially in ten-year cycles.
 
As I have stated before, I believe that they are the greatest metal band ever. Greater even than Priest. Greater even than, gasp, Sabbath. Sabbath are just as close to my heart as Maiden, but their lack of line up stability meant that they were literally several bands across their existence. Maiden have had changes in personnel, but crucially, the main players have always been there- mostly. Maiden are a British institution and their logo, art, sound and style are IMMEDIATELY recognisable. I love them, but that won't stop a fair review being given here.
 
First off, let's get it out of the way: this is not a return to “Powerslave”/”NOTB”/”Killers” immediacy and adrenaline fuelled metal. Instead, this is another latter-day Maiden album- lengthy, epic, maudlin in parts and dark. Very dark. In fact, its closest discography companions are “A Matter of Life and Death” and “The X Factor”. Please read on...
 
“Senjutsu” is long- 82 minutes long; so about ten minutes shorter than “BOS”. It is only ten tracks. That alone should tell you that you are not getting a re-tread of the debut. The band here are to be found on introspective and heavy form. In fact, some of the music here is amongst the heaviest they have ever done.
 
The title track opens things up- menacing and huge tom hits from McBrain kick this off. The track then builds steadily in 6:8 time with strong performances and a great atmosphere, evocative of that magnificent cover art. Maiden Japan, indeed. Advance track “Stratego” follows with a relatively short and direct approach- classic Maiden gallop with good lyrics and melody. A winner. Once again, Janick Gers proves himself to be the band's most metal writer (see also “Be Quick or Be Dead”, “Montsegur” etc.).
 
The other advance single follows, which is the excellent “Writing on the Wall”. It's a great, bluesy- almost southern fried- track with a wonderful loping groove and strong vocal performance. The riffs and melodies are great. The solos shine. Ah yes, the solos. They are, as ever, a strong point for the band and strong point of the album. Truly, each guitarist has his own style and some of the work on this record is amongst their best.
 
It is at this point that the album is really starting to shape up into a possible all time classic- or at the very least a later period classic. A moody acoustic intro kicks off “Lost In A Lost World” and for the first time, perhaps, the band really state their intentions on this record; it's a nine and a half minute track. It's moody, morose and in no way concise. In fact, the atmosphere is not at all dissimilar to the depressing and divorce fuelled vibe of “The X Factor”; a maligned but misunderstood album. With hindsight, “TXF” can be viewed for what it was: a transitional record that marked the end of Old Maiden and the start of new- or latter day- Maiden. The Blaze Bayley fronted record was much better than people gave it credit for and “Senjutsu” may just inspire a re-appraisal as it is a close cousin to this work.
 
“Lost in A lost World” may be epic in length and breadth, and the rhythms (of the beast) may be unusual, but it does not take off. The guitar interplay is good- reminiscent of “Afraid to Shoot Strangers”, as are the solos but... It does nothing that we have not heard before. It is very much a later-period- Maiden-by-numbers track, complete with lengthy quiet outro. Fortunately, “Days of Future Past” is a Smith/Dickinson banger with riffs, pace and bite. It's the shortest track on the record and it fairly races by. It's a solid album track and one that would be totally in place on any of the band's best works.
 
Next up for discussion: the production. I've read some chat online about fans not liking the mix, not liking the tones, not liking, well, anything about it. I'm not amongst them. Listening on vinyl, listening on CD, listening on MP3 through my headphones now- it sounds fine to me. In fact, it sounds like a band. Playing in a room. It does not sound like a computer. The drums are real drums. The vocals are belted out. The guitars are not overbearing and nor is the bass. I can hear everything fine as far as I can tell. It sounds like, again, latter day Maiden. I'd rather hear a band than a computer. I'd rather hear imperfection than the opposite. Hey, people love Manilla Road- me included- and their somewhat, er, unpredictable productions were part of the charm. “Senjutsu” sounds massive to me. And surely that was the aim?
 
The first half of the album finishes with the impressive “The Time Machine”. This is epic Maiden done right. Good hooks, hints of sci fi, Bruce going to the top of his range. One production note I will make is the use of synths. They are here. They are all over the album. Piercing, shrill keyboards. Their necessity? I'm not sure. Some colour is fine- “Seventh Son…” proved that, as have most recent albums. However, if they need to be as omni-present as they are, is another question. It doesn't take anything away, really- but nor does it add much. That said, there are some great changes on “The Time Machine” and it is a strong way to round off the first half of the record- Maiden trademarks are in full effect.
 
“Darkest Hour” starts off the second half in a rather downbeat way. Telling the tale of Churchill's lone stand against the monstrous Hitler regime in 1940, it chooses an imperfect historical figure and a supremely dark subject- as the title suggests. Effectively, it's a ballad based around a supremely Maiden theme: doing the right thing, no matter what the cost. It's an allegory of their own career, really; pressing on no matter what, going against the grain, following their own beliefs even if at tremendous risk. It's a good song- but adrenaline junkies should look elsewhere.
 
“Death of the Celts” follows and pushes us into absolutely familiar Steve Harris territory. Historical epic, ten minutes of music, quiet intro, dark atmosphere: it is all here. It is, I suppose, a distant cousin or descendant of “The Clansman” (again, a Blaze era track). It's quite magnificent, really. It is everything that Maiden do well in this vein- once again in 6:8 time signature. There is a quintessential Maiden middle section- complete with a Thin Lizzy esque (circa Black Rose) solo passage. The tempo stays up until the inevitable quiet outro- with Dickinson sounding a little strained to my ears.
 
If one were to look at the track list at this point, it would be realised that this is in fact the first of THREE Harris penned tracks that exceed ten minutes- “Death of the Celts” is actually the shortest (!) of them. It certainly shows confidence. “The Parchment” is the second of these epics and has a signature Harris bass intro that builds to a grim and foreboding riff- which is great. We get a guitar echoing the vocal melody as a counterpoint to the main riff (standard at this point) and a rather atmospheric tale told by Dickinson's grandiose vocals. It's fairly classic Maiden on all levels. The tempo shift comes only for the last two and a half minutes- meaning that there is close to ten minutes of single paced- albeit superbly realised- riffage. Again, there is a quiet outro- but it is mercifully shorter than others on the album.
 
The final statement here is “Hell On Earth”. Again, there is a quiet mood setting intro that stretches to over two minutes, but when the band kicks in it's upbeat and McBrain's single kick work is to the fore. This is Maiden, circa 2021. They may have lost a lot of the speed- but the recognisable parts of their sound are all present and correct. The song makes good use of dynamics and changes without repeating the acceleration towards the end that the band often pull out the bag. It's an epic closer to what can only be described as an epic album.
 
How can all this be summed up?! Well, firstly this is an album of depth and will require repeated listens and some time to fully wrap your head around. I think its merits and flaws will only be revealed in that way- you'll get out what you put in. It's long. I'd say too long. Kevin Shirley or the band themselves must step in at some point and start editing. It seems churlish to complain about getting more music, but it would be more than feasible to lose a couple of minutes (at least) off the majority of tracks here. I don't think the character of the album would be changed by it, either. It is certainly dark, moody, sombre and sprawling- and songs of eight minutes can be described in that way just as easily as songs of eleven minutes,
 
It doesn't have the immediacy of the up-tempo tracks on “Book of Souls” or “Brave New World”. It has more excitement than “AMOLAD”, but less than “Dance of Death” (which was uneven but when it put the pedal to the metal...). It is very ambitious and works as an album- it is not just a collection of songs. It is a dark sibling to “The Final Frontier”, perhaps or the grown up version of “The X Factor”- an album which I listened to directly after “Senjutsu” and suddenly... it all made sense.
 
To compare this to “Piece of Mind” or “Powerslave” would be impossible. This is firmly Maiden from 1995, or 2000, onwards. It's huge and crushing and, dare I say it, quite brilliant. It's a listening experience and one not to be missed by any fan of the band. I'm just so pleased they are still around and still making music- ambitious and challenging music at that. I like all but one of the songs on here- an impressive tally. The return of the kings. Kneel, you dogs.
 
Five years ago I committed to a ranking of all Maiden albums. Today, I do the same- having not reviewed my list from half a decade ago. To be clear, I view all of these albums as at least worthy of your time; even the worst is better than what most bands can even get close to. I recall I failed to pick a top spot back last time out. Right now, I feel that fortune favours the brave so...
 
1). Killers
2). Seventh Son of A Seventh Son
3). Powerslave
 
4). Somewhere In Time
5). ron Maiden
6). Piece of Mind
7). Number of the Beast
 
8). Book of Souls
9). Brave New World
 
10). Fear of the Dark *(special nostalgic placing!)
 
 
11. The X Factor
12). Dance of Death
13). The Final Frontier
14). A Matter of Life and Death
15). No Prayer For The Dying
16). Virtual XI
 
And “Senjutsu”?! Somewhere around the number 10 spot, I think. Time will tell. Objectively, it is a better album than “Fear of the Dark” (which was both more and less of the same) but “FOTD” was my first Maiden record and I'll always love it for that. For further clarity, I've split the placements into brackets of albums- they are essentially on equal footing with others in the bracket. Only the last two listed albums come across as undercooked. Even if “The Clansman” and “Futureal” are amongst the band's great songs.
 
“Senjutsu” is available HERE
 

Band info: Official || facebook

REVIEW: Blunt Horse & Grilth, "Split"

By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Split
Date Released: 16/07/2021
Label: Independent

 
“Split” CD//DD track listing:

1). Blunt Horse, “Nuke The Blow”
2). Blunt Horse, “Radiation Poisoning”
3). Blunt Horse, “No Reprise”
4). Grilth, “Foul Beast Head”
5). Grilth, “Crooked Back And Broken Spirit”
 
The Review:
 
Washington DC/San Diego based Blunt Horse teams with Buffalo NY’s Grilth on their new split EP to deliver a genre mashing head trip of epic proportions.  These two groups complement each other excellently, making for a superb listening experience for any listener with a taste for sludge inspired grooves. 
 
Blunt Horse crashes through the gate first with a fury of vintage riffing in “Nuke the Blow”.  The pace is frantic to begin with, but quickly falls into a leveled but energetic groove.  Riffs are filled with psyched out prog vibes.  Guitar and bass tracks intermingle with each other beautifully as an aggressive, yet dutiful rhythm carries the beat throughout the songs ever escalating fever pitch.  “Radiation Poisoning” offers the briefest of interludes before “No Reprise” fills the listener’s head with a continuation of the sonic assault.  “No Reprise” features a bit more of a varied sound than its predecessor, with a hard soft dynamic carrying the song through the genre hopping psychedelia of vintage tinged riffing and theatrical vocals. 
 
Next up comes Grilth, with trippy and hypnotizing riffs enveloping the listener on “Foul Beast Ahead”.  Heavy repetition with slight variation encompasses the early minutes of the track, creating a mesmerizing experience that really grips the listener.  The mix sits pretty with the band’s instruments all intermingling wonderfully with the vocals.  The second half of the track takes on a more frantic pace while adopting the same elements of hypnotic riffing.  This formula holds true for Grilth’s second offering, “Crooked Back and Broken Spirit”.  Sludgy riffing dominates the sonic air, while restrained grooves provide a thoughtful backdrop for the pained moans of the vocals. 
 
Grilth and Blunt Horse provide an excellent look at opposite sides of the same coin on this EP.  Blunt Horse taking their epic and theatrical approach to the sludge genre while Grilith provide a heavy as lead, trance inducing stupor.  It creates a listening experience filled with long play dynamics that make for a very pleasant half hour of heavy ass music for your listening pleasure.  I like to take this one in as a solid piece, which is not something that always works out on a split EP.  I absolutely recommend it. 
 
“Split” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: At The Gates, "The Nightmare of Being”

By: Richard Maw
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 02/07/2021
Label: Century Media Records
 

 
“The Nightmare of Being” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Spectre Of Extinction
2. The Paradox
3. The Nightmare Of Being
4. Garden Of Cyrus
5. Touched By The White Hands Of Death
6. The Fall Into Time
7. Cult Of Salvation
8. The Abstract Enthroned
9. Cosmic Pessimism
10. Eternal Winter Of Reason
 
The Review:
 
At The Gates are now on the third record of the second act- or permanent comeback, if you will. I’ll be honest and state that although I was initially pleased that the band returned and enjoyed “At War With Reality” seven years ago... I haven't returned to it since. Witnessing the band live didn't really change my perspective on the band; they were good, tight, professional and all that but the band and the material seemed to lack something.
 
It is a damning indictment that I have not even heard “To Drink From The Night Itself”. Well, regardless of my misgivings about the band's last seven years, they are still here and they are still forging forward. I would also like to clarify that I rate “Slaughter of the Soul” as one of the best metal albums ever- not just death metal; all metal. It was and is an incredible album- made by young men in a very different time. The songs, the hooks, the production- it all coalesced into a superb record. A classic, in fact.
 
“The Nightmare of Being”, then, occupies an odd space. It is the third second-act album, so no resting on comeback goodwill is to be had. The good news is, it's different, progressive in places. The song writing is tight and focused, a 45min playing time indicates that would be the case. The loss of Anders Bjorler has left his twin Jonas remaining to do the heavy lifting with the song writing- not so much of a problem, as it turns out.
 
I loved The Haunted's albums with Marco Aro on vocals- that straightforward thrash, close to death metal, even- suited me well at the time, but it was by no means ATG pt 2 and the Bjorlers were not the main or only songwriters. “The Nightmare of Being” is not close to that band- this is philosophical in theme, gloomy in outlook and surprisingly textured. There is saxophone on “Garden of Cyrus”, there is piano elsewhere. There is even a string quartet- bizarre, but true. When Ihsahn incorporated such elements in his solo work it was a huge surprise, and to be fair it is a pretty big surprise here, all these years later.
 
Make no mistake, though, this is a death metal album at its core- from the acoustic intro to the weight elsewhere on opener “Spectre of Extinction”, to the thrashy “The Paradox” it is metal. Yes, there are of course echoes of “SotS” in the changes and tempos, but Tompa's voice has dropped down a little and is a more measured bark these days. There are moodier moments throughout the record- it's sombre and dark and the instrumental passages shimmer and ripple like a muddy pool under the moonlight.
 
At ten tracks, the length and pace is right and the sound is great. How to rate this, then? It's tough as there is nothing wrong with any of this- it is pretty bold of a band like At The Gates who could easily just rest on their 1995 laurels forever to be making fairly experimental records. As such, this is the better of the two comeback albums I have heard- by far. It's totally solid, none of the extra elements feel forced and the songs are good. This is, for me, a solid seven out of ten type album- so not flawed genius and some filler and not bubbling under what was expected either. It's just... good.
 
Whether any of this is what you want from At The Gates, only you can decide. I applaud the band for spreading their wings and this is exactly the record they need to make at this stage, I think. A surprise, in a good way.
 
“The Nightmare of Being” is available now 

Band info: facebook || 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: Kollapse, "Sult"

 By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 25/06/2021
Label: Fysisk Format | Dingleberry Records |
 Maniyax Records | Virkelighedsfjern

 

“Sult” DD//LP track listing:

1. Drift (05:18)
2. Knæler (06:00)
3. Drukner (07:41)
4. Byrd (05:24)
5. Libido (05:27)
6. Der Hvor Jeg Tænker Er Der Altid Mørkt (11:32)

The Review:

Kollapse’s “Sult” album is heavy as shit.  There is a lot more to it than that, but there it is.  If you enjoy heavy ass music, you’re going to want to check this out.  If you don’t like heavy music, well, let's chat about why you should listen to Kollapse anyway. 

This Danish trio comes together to create an enormous sound that is difficult to imagine coming from such a small troupe.  The sound is frankly massive.  It is layered, yet organic and has enough depth to warrant repeated listens to peel back each piece and examine a new facet of the sonic assault. 

While heavy grooves abound throughout “Sult”’s runtime, it is the highly emotive and thoughtful softer pieces that are speckled across the album that really create something special.  Songs like “Drukner” speak to a higher plain of music that welcomes the listener into its arms and engulfs them in the thick atmosphere of angst. 

“Sult” crafts an air of emotion and mystery around itself that can be difficult to decipher upon first listen.  This by no means should discourage listeners from giving it a shot.  The album sounds wonderful and provides more than enough material that the listener will want to return to, but repeated listens will allow for a better understanding and more appreciative listening experience.  This is one that the mind can really dwell on.  Give it a listen for sure.

“Sult” is available HERE

Band info: Facebook || Bandcamp || Instagram

ALBUM REVIEW: Go Ahead And Die, "Go Ahead and Die"

 By: Peter Morsellino
 
Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 11/06/2021
Label: Nuclear Blast

 
“Go Ahead and Die” CD//DD//LP track listing:
 
1. Truckload Full Of Bodies
2. Toxic Freedom
3. I.C.E. Cage
4. Isolated/Desolated
5. Prophet’s Prey
6. Punisher
7. El Cuco
8. G.A.A.D.
9. Worth Less Than Piss
10. (In The) Slaughterline
11. Roadkill
 
The Review:
 
Aggressive and powerful, Go Ahead And Die strikes out to create something of its own in the face of expectations.  The illustrious history of the band’s father-son duo of Max and Igor-Amadeaus Cavalera will surely pique the interest in fans hearing of the band for the first time and color the expectations of listeners awaiting their first taste of the beast.  
 
The Self-Titled album features a viciously heavy blend of Death Metal and Thrash that is sure to delight fans of early Death Metal pioneers.  The album does have a distinctly modern feel to it though, proving itself as more than a mere tribute act to the sound that came before it. 
 
Igor cements himself here as a force to be reckoned with, taking center stage at various points of the album.  There will be detractors claiming this to be a novelty project of Cavalera senior, but upon first listen, there is no doubt that Go Ahead And Die is the real deal.  With the blistering speeds and memorable grooves present, this is one that can be listened to repeatedly.
 
I would be hard pressed to say that new ground is being broken here, but what is presented is just about as solid as it comes.  I would highly recommend it to any fan of old school death metal and the heavier reaches of thrash.  If nothing else, give this one a listen and quell your curiosity.  I do not think you’ll regret it.  
 
“Go Ahead and Die” is available HERE

Band info: facebook

REVIEW: Supreme Conception, "“Empires of the Mind” [EP]

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 06/08/2021
Label: Independent
 

“Empires of the Mind” DD track listing:
 
1). “Beyond the Antediluvian”
2). “Harboring The Fractured Transcendence”
3). “Transgression I: The Underlying Identity”
4). “Transgression II: Self-Discovery”
5). “On The Path To Divinity”
 
 
The Review:
 
Technical death metal is surely a divisive genre- incomprehensible to many, pointless to some and to others... godly. Godly, that is, when it is done well. Fortunately, Supreme Conception are excellent. The production of these five tracks is crystal clear, the playing razor sharp, the vocals growling. Indeed, the vocals remind me- perhaps somewhat incongruously of a certain Glenn Benton in many places. 
 
From the opener “Beyond the Antediluvian” to the closing “On The Path to Divinity”, this is a technical tour de force. It is fast, furious, and pretty relentless. This Czech two-man project have put out only this and a release back in 2009; it is not a problem when the music is this good, though. If you are a fan of tech-death in all its forms, you will find what you like about the genre here in this five track stormer of an EP.
 
“Empires of the Mind” is available HERE 

Band info: bandcamp || facebook