Category Archives: Album Reviews

Diatessaron – Sunshine

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Despite being a new name on the tongues of many a prog fan, Canadians Diatessaron have in actual fact been an active unit since 2007. That it has taken 8 years to get to their full length debut overlooks their numerous EPs and the member’s parts in an absolute bucket load of other projects. Now that the debut Sunshine (self-released) has seen the light of day, the mammoth ambitions of this quintet are clearly evident.

Rather than a pure rehash of prog’s past, Sunshine shows influence and likeness to Coheed & Cambria as much as the quirkiness and colour of the likes of Genesis, with a masses of technicality and dexterity. The moniker (named after the 3 track centre piece to the album) suggests images of happiness and joy, and musically on the surface this sounds bouncy and almost care-free; lending itself as much to power pop hooks as it does to prog. Beneath this exterior, however, is a darker underbelly, with lyrical themes proving more depressive and morose than the music would have you believe.

Coming from a rich diversity of influences, Sunshine is a rich and layered effort, with unpredictable twists and turns throughout which will please even the most ardent of prog fans. This ambitious effort aims at matching the complexity of prog with some pop immediacy and catchiness, and it begins to live up to these expectations. At times the disjointed songwriting process does reveal itself as its flow doesn’t always feel organic or sensical, but aside from this Sunshine proves a very strong effort for a debut (albeit one with some experience and pedigree).

There is much to take from this, but also plenty for the band themselves to fine tune and grow in to.

 

7.0/10

 

CHRIS TIPPELL

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Magic Circle – Journey Blind

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Though it was released it little fanfare, Magic Circle’s self-titled debut was an unheralded highlight of 2013. A combination of classic Sabbath-infused doom a la Trouble or Pentagram unafraid to inject the energy and melody of your favourite heavy metal bands, it was satisfying in all the right ways. The Boston quartet’s sophomore album, Journey Blind (20 Buck Spin) has received significantly more press, and ups the ante.

Where almost every song on the debut was built around a long, slow build-and-release dynamic, Journey Blind shows far more variety in the song-writing without compromising quality. It’s still boasts that raw 80s-souding production, and the likes of the title track and ‘Ghosts of the Southern Front’ still lumber on before kicking things up with blazing NWOBHM riffs, but the album also boasts some shorter, high tempos numbers.

The likes of ‘The Damned Man’ and ‘Lightning Cage’ – both of which are blessed with annoyingly addictive lines that make it hard not to squeal along – act as perfect foils to the longer, more intricate numbers. The epic seven minutes of ‘A Ballad for the Vultures’ is probably the best song the band has recorded yet, boasting a host of riffs that bring to mind Dio-era Sabbath and Iron Maiden gallops, a flurry of reverberating solos, while the vocals are out of this world.

Vocalist Brendan Radigan, for a long time found snarling exclusively for punk outfits such as the Rival Mob, has in recent years shown he’s more than capable of sounding like an air raid siren fronting a NWOBHM band: like a cross between Ozzy Osbourne and Eric Wagner, he wails his way through the album but never ends up in a comedic “someone stood on my balls” scream that so many retro-revivalist bands seem fond of.

As with their debut, Magic Circle have shown off a rare skill; making an album that could easily be mistaken for a lost classic from the 80s, yet doesn’t feel outdated or like a rehash. It’s everything you want from an album; energetic, addictive, fun, epic, and incredibly satisfying: A combination of timeless song writing and faultless quality makes Journey Blind one of the best records of the year. Go and buy it. Treat yourself for Christmas. Buy your gran one too.

 

9.0/10

 

DAN SWINHOE

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Mayhem – Live In Leipzig

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What makes a “classic”? In the case of Mayhem’s Live In Leipzig (Peaceville) it’s primarily down to what it represents – not only the closest thing to a full album by the classic line-up of Mayhem (itself awarded the c-word at least in part for the fact that two of them were dead by violence within three years), but an important document in the development of both a scene and a genre. It’s impossible to look into the early days of “second wave BM” without running into a reference to Live In Leipzig, and it still regularly appears in lists of the most important releases in the genre. References to it tend to spend longer talking about its classic status, the “atmosphere” or the events of the scene it helped give birth to than the music itself, which can cause alarm bells to ring.

Setting everything else aside for the moment, then, the first thing to say about the music is that it’s RAW. Not just the sound – which is better than you may be expecting, especially in its’ remastered form – but the song-writing and playing too. People already familiar with the band after Dead’s… er… death may be surprised – the mystical, sinister atmosphere of De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas (Deathlike Silence) is thin on the ground, and the experimentalism that the band embraced in their later years is entirely absent. Early tracks like ‘Necrolust’ and ‘Carnage’ push their Thrash and Venom influences to the front, and even DMDS tracks are more savage and direct than their studio incarnations.

Traditional wisdom has Dead being the quintessential Mayhem vocalist, but his style is much more straightforward and orthodox than that of Maniac or Attila – fans of the latter in particular may be disappointed with lines like “in the middle of Transylvania” delivered in a straight rasp rather than Atilla’s vampire drag-queen tenor. The quality he’s so treasured for, of course, is authenticity –  it’s hard to deny the genuine rage and alienation of a man who shot himself in the head five months after this performance – but the extent to which it really informs the music is a matter of personal interpretation. It’s precisely that “realness” and lack of irony that can transform Live In Leipzig into something more than the sum of its sloppy parts, but it’s hard to pin down objectively – one person’s “sloppy” is another’s “dangerous”.

As a document of the genre’s early days, Live In Liepzig is as important as you’ve heard, and the bonuses in this package (a booklet full of scene memorabilia and a second disc of another performance with most of the same tracks and a rawer sound) makes it even more so. As a piece of music it’s both undeniably flawed and often genuinely captivating – and in many ways it’s the flaws that makes it so engaging. Still an essential history lesson for those interested in early 90’s Scandinavian BM, but not always an easy one to swallow, and some fans will find themselves blasphemously glad that Black Metal has been so thoroughly house-trained.

 

7.0/10

 

RICHIE HR

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The Moth Gatherer – The Earth Is the Sky

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Swedish post metal outfit The Moth Gatherer have just released their second album, The Earth is the Sky (Agonia) Apparently the band was started to help deal with the loss of loved ones, which is believable given the dark, melancholic nature of the music on offer.

From the opening notes of the excellent ‘Pale Explosions’, here is six tracks of dark, slowly unfolding depression via the medium of crushing riffs. As with any good post-metal record, there’s plenty of light and shade; the vocals swing between sombre melodies and almost Jamey Jasta-like screams, while the riffs juxtapose between clean quiet moments and wall of sound heaviness. It’s long, winding and largely instrumental, with the focus being on the unnerving nature of the music rather than a verse-chorus-verse-solo song structure.

‘Attacus Atlas’ is nine minutes of atmospheric and claustrophobic guitar work. ‘Dylatlov’s Pass’ is a largely ambient interlude that acts as a long respite before the droning noise of ‘The Black Antlers’,  while album closer ‘In Awe Before the Rapture’ slowly builds via clean riffs and spoken word passages towards a slow but hypnotic finally.

Post metal is a hard style of music to get right, and despite having some really good moments and starting strong, The Earth is the Sky starts to fade away by the end of the record. It lacks the variety and quality song writing to keep you entertained right to the very end. However, when they’re good, The Moth Gatherer are very good and well worth your time if you’re into this kind of music.

 

6.0/10

 

DAN SWINHOE

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False Flags – Hexmachine

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HexMachine by False Flags is a self-released debut mini-album, although when you give it a listen it certainly doesn’t feel particularly mini, this packs some considerable force. False Flags rise out of the ashes of the once spectacular Leeds DIY scene consisting of former members of Red Stars Parade, Whores Whores Whores & Year Of The Man: so it certainly doesn’t feel like a debut either.

Opener ‘Earl Black’ starts slowly, a gentle intro stopped abruptly by a sucker punch of savage hardcore, crushing riffs and disjointed time signatures. Slamming guitars and shouty vocals scream their intent and it feels fresh and furious.  Reminding me somewhat of the late great Beecher with a hint of Dillinger Escape Plan the track builds in its heaviness throughout.

Followed by ‘Last Screen Goddess’ which is slower but with a refined intensity rather than diminished. This pulses along rhythmically, swaying and mesmerising and constantly building. There’s enjoyment to be had being swept along with the song.

‘Fate (Has A Driver)’ starts off with pounding drums, but with a more understated yet infectious groove infused into snarling, but more straightforward rhythms: which get the head nodding along with ease. There’s a notable intensification in their ebb and flow particularly in the solid groove of the bass work as the song progresses.

When we get to track ‘Pet Wolf’ False Flags start to show off their hardcore chops in full fury, the shortest at 2:15 this screaming statement is a short sharp shock to the system, build a substantial weight to the track before pausing momentarily before launching into the stormy intensity of ‘Namedropper’, which subsides then screams and smashes against the ears with a blackened throb and erratic pulse, giving you just enough pause for breath before suffocating you again with their punch to the gut sound.

Final Track ‘Phone My Wallet’ steps things up yet another gear and undulates between the now familiar pulsing throb and out and out blasting of discordant riffs, this album finishes with the sound of the band giving everything they have and then some, until they have nothing more in the tank and rolling to a cathartic stop.

This may be a debut album, but there’s an all encompassing confidence about this which harks back to their history within the Leeds DIY scene. Definitely a band to watch out for in 2016.

 

7.5/10

 

RICH PRICE


Danzig – Skeletons

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From Black Sabbath’s 1970 début to the present day, cover versions have always been part of the Metal furniture. They can appear as part of the album itself, tacked onto the end as bonus material, or in more recent times, even given a disc of their own to supplement Special Edition packages. In fact for some bands, covers almost come as standard. But to release an entire album of them? Well that could still be seen as a little unconventional.

It’s been done before, of course. Metallica even did it twice (well, once and a half), Slayer took a stab at it, Ozzy had a bash, and more recently Hatebreed threw their hat into the ring with surprisingly effective results. However, whereas those acts chose songs which came as no real shock to anyone, there are a couple of genuine surprises on Skeletons (Evilive/Nuclear Blast). Danzig does ZZ Top and Aerosmith? Really?

Yes, really. And what’s more, he does them well.

Kicking off with a rollicking version of the theme song to obscure 1967 biker flick ‘Devil’s Angels’ it’s pleasing to report that Danzig’s voice is still in fine fettle. The obscure movie theme, er… theme continues with the title song to 1969 movie ‘Satan’s Sadists’. A slow, bluesy number which allows Danzig to croon to his heart’s content, featuring lyrics he could easily have written himself.

Unsurprisingly, the album kicks off properly with the arrival of Elvis. Lifted once again from a movie soundtrack, ‘Let Yourself Go’ comes from the 1968 Presley movie ‘Speedway’, and this new version is an absolute thumper. As soon as it finishes, you want to go back to the start and listen to it all over again. And again. A satisfyingly heavy version of Black Sabbath‘s ‘N.I.B.’ follows. Not a patch on the original of course, and Tommy Victor’s pinch harmonics do start to become a little grating, but it’s a meaty enough version with Danzig’s stamp all over it.

Up until now, covering Black Sabbath, Elvis and low-budget biker movies should come as no real surprise. But Aerosmith? Taken from Get Your Wings (Columbia), ‘Lord of the Thighs’ sounds more like a Danzig original than an Aerosmith song by the time it ends. The Litter are next up for the Fonzig treatment. A psychedelic garage rock band from Minneapolis, their song ‘Action Woman’ from 1967 was their first hit, and once again not the most obvious choice of song to benefit from a Danzig overhaul. But yet again, the big muscular cuddly one comes up trumps.

It’s a case of so near, yet so far with ZZ Top‘s ‘Rough Boy’; an adventurous selection anyway,  it so very nearly comes off thanks to Danzig’s voice (probably his best vocal performance on the record), but Tommy Victor’s constant pinch harmonics renders it irritating to the point of distraction. Even Zakk Wylde‘s ear piercing harmonics would have been easier on the ears than this. Also, the addition of a couple of needless “fucks” added to the lyrics distract you even further. Frustrating.

Danzig turns The Troggs classic ‘With A Girl Like You’ into a Misfits number with consummate ease, ‘Find Somebody’ by The Young Rascals gets a lively makeover, and the album closes with a suitably depressing version of The Everly Brothers‘ already melancholic ‘Crying in the Rain’.

Danzig’s voice is as strong (and divisive) as it always has been; a few minor wobbles and cracks here and there but nothing too bothersome. The production is nice and warm, and the album cover features a naked-from-the-chest-up porn star Kayden Kross in skullface make-up. Which is nice.

An interesting collection of songs, Skeletons should sit comfortably on the shelf alongside Danzig’s other releases, and surely without any of the ignominy of being referred to in the future as “oh yeah, that pointless covers album”. If you consider compilation album The Lost Tracks of Danzig (Evilive) to be worthy of inclusion in your record collection, then this should definitely be in there too.

 

8.0/10

 

GARY ALCOCK

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Paradise Lost – Symphony For The Lost

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Set against a stunning and wholly appropriate backdrop of the genuine Ancient Roman Amphitheatre of Philippopolis in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Symphony For The Lost (Century Media), a double CD and DVD package, is a culmination of a seed germinated and cultivated over a decade before being actualized in a unique and special moment for a band that has made a genuine and lasting impact on European metal and beyond, as Halifax’ finest, Paradise Lost, achieve a long-held ambition of performing with a full orchestra (the Plovdiv Philharmonic) and the Rodna Pesen choir.

Split into two halves, the first set is the band performing a selection of tracks specifically chosen due to their natural allegiance to classical music – accompanied by the full orchestra and choir – beautifully scored by Levon Manukyan, known for classically reworking Marilyn Manson and Judas Priest along with collaborating with Tarja Turunen.

While Paradise Lost’s music does lend itself to the swells, crescendos and additional trimmings expertly and subtly applied by Manukyan, containing a lot of space, it is particularly pleasing how compatible the partners in this marriage are. While Metallica’s S&M (Vertigo) was a spotted affair, the eight tracks of collaboration here are perfect bedfellows, with ‘Victim of the Past’ from The Plague Within (Century Media) in particular enriched  by the additional melodies and strings that dance over the intro and weave into the tapestry of the song.

‘Tragic Idol’ is a classy opener, and throughout Nick Holmes is in good voice while Gregor Mackintosh’s distinctive melancholic leads intertwine with the strains and descants flowering around him, before we are treated to a jaw-dropping, mesmeric rendition of ‘Joys of Emptiness’; the iconic (sic) track truly resplendent in darkest majesty. The doom-grandeur of ‘Gothic’ is the natural conclusion to a special first half of the show.

The one nagging disappointment is that, as with exposure to any good thing, the desire is, naturally, to want more, and the second half of the set, performed sans embellishments,  leaves you wishing that they had the same orchestral touches and enhancements, particularly as the backing tracks splice in synths, strings and female vocals. It’s a minor quibble, as the band polish off the latter nine tracks with style and panache.

Deliberately eschewing the option of being too dramatic or cinematic with the shooting, the direction is an understated warts-and-all that suits the band, as does Holmes dry self-deprecating between song wit. The overall release is truly completed by the brilliant Bulgarian crowd, as you can feel their love for PL, and their gratitude at witnessing something special, in their honest appreciation and participation.

Paradise Lost is one of Britain’s greatest, most distinctive and influential bands. Symphony For The Lost is a fitting addition to their career and a well-deserved achievement.

 

8.5/10

 

STEVE TOVEY


Bismuth – Unavailing

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If Undersmile’s snail-like tempo is too slow for you, stop now. On debut album Unavailing (Dry Cough), Nottingham duo Bismuth coats that pace in a warm yet evil fuzz, every chord bringing the world crashing down around your ears with a weight similar to a Sea Bastard riff.

What the listener will find here is that the ingredients and tension build ever so gradually until the willing victim is uncomfortably writhing in their seat. Opener ‘Tethys’ does all of this yet closes with a delicate, lamenting final movement: extremely reminiscent of the aforementioned Undersmile, but with Tanya Byrne’s smooth harmonies more in tune with Windhand’s Dorthia Cottrell.

A sparingly picked, torturously slow acoustic riff leads the ensuing ‘Of the Weak Willed’, and for the first half of this sixteen-minute epic that’s really all that happens. Then comes the slightest change, a crawling increase in volume; and the hushed, singular drumbeat of Joe Rawlings that’s been whispering in the background for some time, alongside a mournful intonation, is suddenly very noticeable. Here is the magic of this hidden gem of a band: by the track’s three-quarter point, where the crushing mass and Byrne’s guttural screams are seamlessly and almost surreptitiously reintroduced, the increase in pressure has been so smoothly executed that it’s been with you like an old friend by the time you realise it’s there.

Following sinister, solitary drumbeats, the odd, sporadic bass notes of ‘The Holocene Extinction’ begin that building process all over again into a crawling, horrific echo: the riff city-levelling, the rasping howls a seduction into Hell. Closer ‘Solitude and Emptiness’ is the oddity of the set: its hypnotic beats and oscillating, pulverising pummel being of a slightly faster ilk and disembowelling from the off, the second period’s return to a slower template still crushing yet evoking the spirit of the track’s title.

Silence is often a great thing and, for us Low-end freaks, it’s an essential part of the listening experience. It augments this delightfully horrific album, another cracker from the Dry Cough stable and an exercise in creative perfection. Rest assured it will warm the cockles of those who love their riffs to be colossal and their aural terror to be slooooowww…

 

8.0/10

 

PAUL QUINN


Obscene Entity – Lamentia

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By this point, it shouldn’t surprise too many people to hear that Death Metal is stronger right now than it’s been since the 90’s. The renaissance – for want of a better word – has been going on for years now, and the renewed quality and focus has spread to most pre-existing subgenres as well as made some new ones. Among the slew of Old School-, Post-, Blackened-, Progressive- and Abstract Art Tentacles-Death Metal, however, the 90’s American style of DM characterised by bands like Cannibal Corpse has been largely absent.

On their debut Lamentia (Tridroid), Obscene Entity combine this currently underrepresented style with a touch of Ulcerate’s atmospheric, ambient approach. The combination of crushing, rhythmic Death Metal with more progressive passages is reminiscent of fellow Brits Ageless Oblivion, but much tighter and more focussed. Unlike some of their peers, OE understand that a short and concise album is often preferable to a longer one, and Lamentia makes it points quickly and effectively. Some thought has also gone into the structure, with an instrumental separating the more progressive tracks at the end from the more straightforwardly brutal first half.

Lamentia may not offer anything particularly original in terms of its musical elements, but they’ve been combined effectively to make an album with both instant catchiness and lasting depth. Another example that the current health of Death Metal is not entirely linked to the success of a couple of “big name” bands, and another name to add to the list of bands to watch out for.

 

7.0/10

 

RICHIE HR

 

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Bastard Grave – What Lies Beyond

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What Lies Beyond is the 6-track début album from Bastard Grave on Pulverised records. This is Old School Swedish Death metal and damn proud of it, begone the Gothenburg style, all hail the punk infused buzzsaw guitar tone of Nihilist/early Entombed.

As ever the downside of anything ‘old school’ is that you know exactly what to expect. downtuned HM-2 Buzzsaw guitars? Check! Short, simple punk inspired riffs? Check! Abrasive solo’s? Drums that sound like someone falling down a flight of stairs? That sense of not being able to finish the album because you already know what the rest will sound like? Check, Check, Check!

Being old school it makes Bastard Grave challenge to stand out that bit more difficult, and it’s to be noted to their credit that they do indeed achieve it on many occasions.

Starting off with ‘From The Depths’ we’re greeted with borderline sludge levels of feedback and a dry vocal roar, swiftly followed up with a round of rough and ready drums. The statement is made and you know exactly what you’re going to get. The blueprint of Stockholm is being followed closely, so far, so old-school, although there’s also more than a nod to more modern adherents to the sound such as Trap Them.

At times, particularly during the first two songs in the album, the pace can vary and drop a bit; this is most obvious during that opener, which seems to wane somewhat after the first few minutes and the fury seems to peter out. Fortunately by the time we get to track three, ‘Stalker’, the band are showing an upswing in confidence.

Later on in the album, especially with stand-out tracks ‘Bastard Grave’ and ‘Path To Extinction’ the riffs seem to get longer and the song-writing moves away from straight up homage and it’s this feeling of them finding their feet musically which is actually quite potent. Faster and more confident, the riffs chug along like an asthmatic steam train. Crusty, dry vocals and the stuttering yet pummelling old-school drums, it’s here that the promise is by far the most notable.

A début album is still early days for any band but Bastard Grave actually show a considerable amount of promise, they don’t do much which is groundbreaking but what they do, they do very well indeed.

 

8.0/10

 

RICH PRICE

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