Rising rockers Joyous Wolf have signed with Roadrunner Records for their new full-length album, expected in 2019. The band has dropped two new songs: a cover of classic rock staple ‘Mississippi Queen’ by Mountain and a new song, ‘Slow Hand’. With great songs and an explosive stage show, the band is on tour with Royal Bliss and Messer and has a one-off gig with Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators this week at The Paramount In Huntington, New York.Continue reading
In today’s largely homogenised music scene, we’re always desperate for a “new” sound and bands that mix and mashup old styles to create something new always get plenty of attention. With their debut album, Black Wash (EVP/Hassle) Melbourne, Australia’s Pagan promises to unite the world’s two biggest consumers of black eyeliner; emos and black metallers.Continue reading
UK rock band Massive Wagons will release their new album Full Nelson on August 10th via Earache Records. The band will tour throughout the UK and Europe in 2018, and already have performances confirmed at Download Festival, Camden Rocks, Steelhouse, Boomtown and a sold-out special guest show with Blackberry Smoke – with more to be announced.Continue reading
It’s been almost forty years and we’re still reviewing Anvil albums. Would you like to know why? Because, Anvil are like your comfy, furry, winter slippers. Anvil is your grandmother’s meatloaf [I’m assuming this isn’t a euphemism…! ed] Anvil is always there in a comforting, supportive way. You don’t have to dig deep or get all metaphysical about an Anvil album. It’s just Rock n’ Roll. It’s straight-forward, undeviating, good old-fashioned Heavy Metal. Pounding The Pavement (Steamhammer/SPV) is forty-six minutes of throwback tunes from a more simple time in Metal. Continue reading
Today, we’re revisiting our friends in The Sword with their latest release Low Country (Razor & Tie), the acoustic counterpart to 2015’s High Country. Continue reading
Beasto Blanco, the band fronted by long time Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric will release their self-titled, full-length second album on November 25, 2016 via Rat Pak Records. Continue reading
This isn’t my first go around with Scorpion Child, and, honestly, they’ve just never really been able to catch or keep my attention for very long. That trend continues here with their second album Acid Roulette (Nuclear Blast Entertainment) with the exception of a few songs.
‘Moon Tension’ was the first track to grab my attention. It’s more dynamic than the songs that come before it rather than just sounding the same for three and a half minutes. I could find myself singing along to this. ‘Tower Grove’ follows immediately afterwards, keeps the energy going, and I actually did find myself singing along to the chorus. Both of these tracks continue to stand out to me through repeated listens. If the rest of the record could keep up with these two songs, then we’d really be talking.
While the concept of an album based upon the life and adventures of a man wrongly imprisoned for a murder sounds interesting, it just doesn’t do enough to bring this record to life. This album fits in well as background music but nothing really jumps out and above the rest of the general sound. It’s just there.
Scorpion Child may not be my thing personally, but the potential for greatness there and, at the very least, they are worth keeping an eye on for future endeavors. For right now, I’ll keep my hopes high.
5.0/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
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Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Monster Truck returns with Sittin’ Heavy out on Mascot Records and give me my first taste of the band as a whole.
The band continues the rock and roll tradition of telling everyone who gets in their way to suck it with ‘Don’t Tell Me how To Live’. This track an anthem for anyone who has ever had their passion and very reason for being questioned by other parties that just don’t get it. As someone who is constantly uttering these same words, this is a song that I can behind.
‘She’s a Witch’ is great. It’s a groovy warning regarding the fairer sex and a lover mistreated. It’s a nice change from your typical, depressing break up song. The song gets a bit repetitive with the constant chanting of the chorus but is still enjoyable. We all have a little demon in our souls, some just have more than others.
‘For the People’ is cheesier than I would have liked. It’s a cookie cutter rock “anthem” that just doesn’t seem to fit in anywhere and thus feels disingenuous. We already took care of the rock call to power with the opening track, ‘Why Are You Not Rocking’, this album could have survived without a second one just fine.
We’re treated to a welcome change of pace with ‘Black Forest’ and, honestly, I wish the rest of album sounded more like this. Groovy, a little slower, with more depth to it than just trying to flex their “rock muscles” for lack of a better term. This mellow sound just seems to come more naturally to the band and makes it my favorite track on the album.
A mostly typical modern rock album, Sittin’ Heavy has its fuzzy moments that makes those instances stand out above the rest of the record. I’m sure their sound will continue to improve and they keep refining it.
6.5/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE
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Black Veil Brides, who are in the studio working on their fifth album, released some footage from their recording sessions. You can watch the clip at this link or below:
Black Veil Brides are in the studio with Producer John Feldman known for his own band Goldfinger (‘Here In Your Bedroom’) and produced the third BVB album, Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones. Their last effort, the self-titled album from 2014 was helmed by Metallica producer Bob Rock. The band released its first-ever concert DVD and Blu-ray Alive And Burning, in July 2015 and headlined Warped Tour. The cover artwork for the set was designed by the band’s longtime friend and previous album cover illustrator Richard Villa.
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Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats release their latest album, The Night Creeper, via Rise Above Records in plenty of time for Halloween. I mention this because those psychedelic, doom-y tunes got me wrapped up in reading about Night of the Living Dead while listening to them. ‘Tis the season, after all.
‘Melody Lane’ kicks off with keyboards that I would normally despise, but find myself tolerating in this case. Even with the keys, this still manages to be one of the heavier songs on the album. The guitar solo that starts at about 4:27 is one of only a few on the album. The solo paired with a little more energy overall makes this song stand out to me more than others.
Title track ‘The Night Creeper’ is a great song that commands your attention and forces you to headbang and/or contemplate your entire existence. I have been under the weather lately so I took the latter path. As expected, the song is on the sinister side of things and excellently instills a sense of despair in the listener. I also find it oddly comforting, like a more grown up way to feed your inner goth kid and bring peace to that teenage angst from so long ago.
At just over nine minutes long, ‘Slow Death’ is a beautiful and relaxing piece. The slow tempo, minimal vocals, and sounds of falling rain make it sound like something right out of the sixties. It’s the kind of song that you can throw on at the end of a long day and just let fuzz consume your mind. Listen to it a few times and I think you’ll see exactly what I mean.
The Night Creeper is an album worthy of a place in your doom collection. It’s got all of the darkness and foreboding of regular doom but without putting you (me) to sleep. Keep your eyes peeled for Uncle Acid & the Deadbeats currently on tour with Ruby the Hatchet. See you in Boston!
7.0/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE