CONCERT REVIEW: VOLA – Voyager – Four Stroke Baron Live at Rebellion


VOLA playing at Rebellion Manchester Credit: Rich Price

Opening up tonight were Nevada three-piece Four Stroke Baron, a band who are difficult to classify. Heavy slabs of groove-laden prog smash funkily across a packed audience. The set is marred only by the fact that in a couple of songs the singer notably loses his voice and the band without missing a beat goes on to deliver their first instrumental set from the dark smoke-laden stage of Rebellion and its notoriously bad lighting. Handling an awkward situation very well indeed they still delivered a solid and enjoyable set that had the audience’s heads bobbing along in time.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Dystopian Future Movies – War of the Ether


 

Metal in its various forms has a reasonably long-standing practice of making concept albums based on historical events, and the latest album from Dystopian Future Movies, War of the Ether (Septaphonic Records) continues that trend with what is almost certainly the most intense musical experience I have ever had.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Heilung – Drif


 

Experimental folk collective Heilung (which means Healing in German) rather aptly describes their sound as amplified history; they’ve often taken inspiration for their music from ancient texts and documents. Old world instrumentation and techniques, coupled with ancient texts form the basis of their rituals.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Wailin Storms – The Silver Snake Unfolds


 

North Carolina’s Wailin Storms are intriguingly described as shapeshifting, atmospheric noise rockers, and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of that particular epithet at first. However, within the first few minutes of their latest album The Silver Snake Unfolds, (Gilead Media), I got the idea, and after subsequent listens I knew exactly what they meant. Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Telekinetic Yeti – Primordial


The fabulously named Iowa-based duo Telekinetic Yeti release Primordial their follow up the rather excellent Abominable on Tee Pee Records, and appropriately it’s a beast.

Notably minimalist in its composition, which serves to emphasize the satisfyingly abrasive low end, title track Primordial kicks off proceedings with a very potent low and slow deep groove. This is made even more impressive by the lack of a bass player.Continue reading


ALBUM REVIEW: Oreyeon – Equations For The Useless


Italian stoner rockers Oreyeon release their third album Equations For The Useless (Heavy Psych Sounds), a potent mix of stoner, grunge, heavy rock, and lengthier progressive compositions. This album notably draws on the influences of years gone by not only in style but was also recorded live, an approach to a recording I’m very much a fan of.

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CONCERT REVIEW: Church of the Cosmic Skull – The Happy Soul – Club Academy, Manchester


The Happy Soul were aptly named, as they exuded a chilled-out happiness on stage at Club Academy in Manchester. With a psychedelic backdrop of them looking happy and smiley to add emphasis to their live feel. Not much movement on the cramped stage and not much banter they very much let their music do the talking, they seemed too busy smiling to be honest.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Marissa Nadler, Amenra, Cave In – Songs of Townes Van Zandt Vol. III


I’ve been a fan of Townes Van Zandt for some time now after a chance hearing some years ago of ‘Pancho & Lefty’ on a movie or film I’ve long since forgotten the name of. This combined with a love of all things Yob eventually led me to Mike Scheidt’s contribution to Vol. II of this wonderful series of tributes released in 2014 also on Neurot Recordings and My Proud Mountain: needless to say, I was hooked. Eight years on, I wasn’t expecting a Vol. III but I’m very glad that it has arrived.

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ALBUM REVIEW: Luminous Vault – Animate the Emptiness


 

Luminous Vault consists of guitarist/vocalist Mario Diaz de Leon (Oneirogen, Bloodmist) and bassist/vocalist Samuel Smith (Artificial Brain, Aeviterne), and, as is a current common theme recorded, this pre-pandemic, with the fascinating results only now seeing a release.

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CONCERT REVIEW: YOB – Hidden Mothers -Live at Academy 3 Manchester


Now, I’ve been looking forward to this gig since I first saw the poster and immediately begged the editor for a photo pass. I’d been meaning to catch Sheffield’s Hidden Mothers for a while, and headliners YOB are a band I would never consciously pass up the chance to experience live.

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