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
40 years of the loudest rock n roll band known as Motörhead made its presence felt as despite recent rumors of frontman Lemmy Kilminster’s health dilemmas, they still powered through a somewhat up and down performance that lacked the magic of their legacy.
Following a classic Lemmy opening greeting, they opened with ‘Damage Case’ and ‘Stay Clean,’ (both from their 1979 Overkill album), which brought out the classic Motörhead feel that fans have grown to love. While guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee were on fire and lit up the room with their larger than life performances, Kilminster’s vibrant stage personality took a back seat and was not quite as electric as usual. Regardless of the reasons, Dee still blew the crowd away with his dynamic drum solo and Campbell brought out his guitar solos that fans have grown to love.
The highlights of the evening included their well known tunes ‘Going to Brazil’ and ‘Ace of Spades’ to close the main part of their set list, and Kilminster’s son Paul Inder joining the band on stage for ‘Overkill,’ which Dee once again lit up the room with his lightning feet pounding away on the drums.
Motörhead set list:
Damage Case
Stay Clean
We Are Motörhead
Metropolis
Over the Top
Guitar Solo
The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
Rock It
Lost Woman Blues
Doctor Rock
(With drum solo)
Just ‘Cos You Got the Power
Going to Brazil
Ace of Spades
Encore:
Overkill
(Lemmy’s son, Paul Inder, joins on guitar)
Veteran UK metallers Saxon are celebrating 35 years as a band and coming out of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal scene, they showed the crowd despite their semi-cult status in the US, they are a force to reckon with elsewhere and still have quite a bit left in the tank. Frontman Biff Byford was on fire and belted through a strong cross section of classic tunes fans have grown to love. Favorites such as ‘This Town Rocks’ and ‘Power and the Glory’ got the crowd going, and rarely was the room quiet while they performed. Campbell joined the band during ‘Denim and Leather,’ closing out a strong set that hopefully will bring them back to US shores again in the near future.
Saxon set list
Battering Ram
This Town Rocks
Sacrifice
Power and the Glory
Heavy Metal Thunder
Wheels of Steel
The Eagle Has Landed
20,000 Ft
Crusader
Princess of the Night
Denim and Leather
(with Phil Campbell)
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WORDS BY REI NISHIMOTO
Three years following the release of their last album, Apocryphon (Razor & Tie), The Sword return with High Country (Razor & Tie). I always go into things wondering if we’re going to get another Warp Riders (Kemado) record as that was how I was first exposed to the band. So, no, this isn’t Warp Riders II, but it’s pretty rad.
‘Seriously Mysterious’ is my favorite song off of the new album and I lost count of just how many times I played it while working on this review. It stands out from the rest of the album, with the intro ‘Unicorn Farm’ being the only other thing that somewhat matches it. Although not as complex as some of the other songs on High Country, ‘Seriously Mysterious’ is extremely catchy and will make you move. It and its more sinister sounding counterpart, ‘Ghost Eye’, are likely to make an appearance alongside songs like Steve Miller Band’s ‘Abracadabra’ and Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstitious’ on a few Halloween party play lists this year. If your play list looks like that, I better be invited.
Fuzz-filled and riff laden, ‘Buzzards’ is another favorite selection from the second half of High Country. It is just simply a great song with a hypnotic chorus that draws you right in. I might even argue that this would have made a great choice for a song to close out the record on a more energetic note. I’d also recommend it for any upcoming road trips you may have.
High Country is a solid record overall but, as you can see, the second half of the album is where it really comes alive for me. Songs are a little meatier, a little groovier, and really help round things out, even if they tip the scales a bit more in one direction.
7.5/10
ALEIDA LA LLAVE