I can’t help but wonder if Theories’ practice room is to be treated like a hard hat area. The bleak album art for Vessel (Corpse Flower Records) should’ve been enough to alert me of what awaited, but I had to hit that play button. After the initial pummeling of ‘Human Vessel Cell’ I clearly understood that everything Theories does is designed with lethal intentions in mind. If you’re looking for melody, clean guitars or strict adherence to speed limits you can show yourself the door right about now. What Theories is serving up is not for the fair-weather Hard Rock fan. Continue reading
It has been a decade now since I first saw A Forest Of Stars at their debut gig in Leeds, and they’ve always occupied a special place for me in music since then. They mash-up progressive Black Metal with a folky presence and wrap it up within a steampunk inspired Victorian based package. What results from this can sometimes be a little hit and miss, but generally contains many objects of wonder. Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes, marks their third full length released on Prophecy Productions.