Formed last year, this Swedish metal band features members of Spiritual Beggars, Kayser and The Mushroom River Band including singer/songwriter Spice. After the splendid title track drum solo showcasing the dextrous talents of Bob Ruben, we are lead into Deranged Patterns (Scarlet), the second release by My Regime – a vicious Thrash Metal record of Slayer-esque proportions.Continue reading
Imagine, if you will, the offspring that would be conceived by a three-way between A Perfect Circle, Spiritual Beggars and Mastodon. That’s pretty much what we have here, and it’s wonderful.
Living Ghosts (Fuzzorama) is the second LP from Vancouver cab torturers We Hunt Buffalo. They bill themselves as exponents of “Dirty, Grimy, Fuzz Rock” and they ain’t lyin’, brother. Well not about the fuzz, anyway. Whilst the eponymous first album ticked all three boxes, Living Ghosts has had a lot of the dirt polished off, and sounds tremendously better for it. With fatter bass and some actual use of the mid sliders, the upgrade from self-production to a full studio producer (Jesse Gander of Rain City Recorders) is telling. It has transformed this band from local battle of the bands runners-up into a serious prospect for tours with the likes of Baroness, The Sword, Kvelertak or even the mighty Mastodon.
The first track ‘Ragnarok’ is a beautiful, expansive extended intro for the majestic prog of ‘Back To The River’, ‘Prairie Oyster’ is a sludgey fuzzfest with huge echoey vocals while ‘Hold On’ backs off the fuzz for a return to the prog vibe featuring a strident guitar line and choral vocals that are simply captivating.
‘Comatose’ features a riff that’s inexplicably (and pleasingly) reminiscent of Big Country. ‘Fear’ is a slow stoner classic and ‘The Barrens’ gives us more country vibe, opening out into what’s clearly their stoner/prog comfort zone. ‘Looking Glass’ is a very on-trend 60’s homage (complete with Hammond organ) that leads us to the last track of the album: ‘Walk Again’ – an introspective piece of shoegazing that, given the strength and context of what’s gone before manages the small miracle of being engaging and fitting rather than tedious.
A theme running through this album is familiarity – it gives the feeling even on first play-through that you’ve rediscovered an old favourite. Sombre yet uplifting, distorted yet clear, it delivers an almost transcendent experience that very few bands can manage.
If you’re a Canuck, you’re in luck – these guys are stomping the hell out of the home grounds. I hope those of us in the rest of the world are lucky enough to see them on tour some time soon.
8.5/10
PHILIP PAGE
Ye gods! Somebody in this band fucking loves a bit of Black Sabbath! Hawkwind and Deep Purple too I’d wager. Now, I’m not normally one for Stoner, Doom or Space Rock, but this album is quite charming, as it has a certain Southern (as in New Orleans, not New Cross) sensibility about it that stops it from descending into the sludgey pit of boredom that bands of those genres so often inhabit. Think of it as Corrosion of Conformity with Ozzy singing and Monster Magnet producing in the early 1970s. Then chuck a bit of Hawkwind at it and you’re done.
The problem with revival bands like this is that they can often struggle to find their own identities. I think Sweat Lodge‘s Talismana (Ripple) suffers a little from this tendancy, as it can often sound like a 70s rock compilation that’s been chopped up & stirred together. On the other hand, their love for that period is obvious and they clearly know their history (only 9 tracks!). The sounds, effects and hooks are all perfectly pitched and it’s frankly astonishing to hear something like this being recorded today. Impressive. So if you like your 70s rock & metal, you’ll love this. Also, if you like modern revival and mid-fi stuff like The Sword, Spiritual Beggars or Wolfmother it should likewise give you an earection.
The album opens with somewhat derivative but wonderfully named ‘Tramplifier’. Standout tracks are ‘Bed of Ashes’ (this could almost be Sabbath), ‘Phoenix Ascent’ (Deep Purpletastic and my favourite), ‘Heavy Head’ (great riffs, lots of layers, varied vocals, a spacey midsection and a cheeky tease of an ending) and ‘Banshee Call’ (a Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac intro that opens out into straight up Diamond Head – lovely).
Top job from a clearly talented and passionate band.
7.5/10
PHILIP PAGE
Long revered at one of the preeminent music labels that helped put all sorts of metal bands on the map, Music For Nations, is returning to life in 2015 with a series of reissues and new music in the form of 7” and digital single releases from new bands too. Their first new release will be a massive box set of Anathema’s MFN catalog with a 3 CD/DVD package and limited edition vinyl of the album releases too. Other prominent upcoming releases from the label include MFN stalwarts such as Paradise Lost’s back catalog remastered. Opeth’s three seminal albums, Blackwater Park, Damnation & Deliverance special editions. Spiritual Beggar’s back catalog released on LP for the first time, as well as Cradle of Filth and other MFN artists to be confirmed shortly.
Anathema, photo by Scarlet Page
First time Digital Releases of MFN titles include:
Paradise Lost – One Second
Spiritual Beggars – Another Way to Shine
Spiritual Beggars – Mantra III
Spiritual Beggars – Ad Astra
Hardcore Superstar – Bad Sneakers and a Pina Colada
Hardcore Superstar – No Regrets
Hardcore Superstar – Thank you (For Letting us be Ourselves)
Firebird – Deluxe
Inme – Overgrown Eden
Sugarcoma – Becoming Something Else
Lost Horizon – Awakening The World
Lost Horizon – A Flame to the Ground Beneath
Elend – Umbersun
El Caco – Viva
Press Notes:
Music For Nations, the celebrated and legendary Heavy Metal, Rock and Prog record label has returned.
In a series of reissues, the label will be celebrating some of the most iconic records by some of the World’s most influential bands. As well as reissues, the label will be signing new artists for the first time in over a decade.
Music For Nations importance cannot be under estimated. Either signing, exclusively distributing or collaborating with artist including Metallica, Tool, Slayer, Opeth, Cradle of Filth, Anathema, Entombed, Poison, WASP, Frank Zappa. As well as licensing deals with some of the seminal labels including Metal Blade, Peaceville and Rise Above.
Ever headbanged?
Chances are it was to a track released on Music for Nations.
Music For Nations.
Old Label.
New Danger.
Music for Nations:
Official store: http://smarturl.it/MFN_Store
FaceBook: http://smarturl.it/MFN_FB
Twitter: http://smarturl.it/MFN_T
Instagram: http://smarturl.it/MFN_Insta
YouTube: http://smarturl.it/MFN_YT
Spotify: http://smarturl.it/MFN_Sp
The Night Flight Orchestra will be releasing their second album this spring, with reported song titles such as “Lady Jade,” “Stiletto,” and “Spanish Ghosts” set to appear.
THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is:
Björn “Speed ” Strid (SOILWORK) – Vocals
David Andersson (SOILWORK, MEAN STREAK) – Guitar
Sharlee D’Angelo (ARCH ENEMY, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS) – Bass
Richard Larsson (VON BENZO) – Keyboards
Jonas Källsbäck (MEAN STREAK, ORCHID) – Drums
Sebastian Forslund (KADAWATHA) – Congas, Percussion, Guitar
Michael Amott is a busy guy who loves to play guitar and tour the world. He is in the midst of releasing the latest Arch Enemy record, War Eternal (Century Media), which he will be supporting at least for the next two years.
But aside from this, he keeps busy doing music with his other band Spiritual Beggars, which he had been doing for a while and did some touring with as well over the past year.
“We put out a new record last year. I toured in Europe with that band. We went to Japan a couple of times.”
“I’m always doing stuff. I like to stay busy. I do have a lot of music. I don’t have anything else going on in my life. It’s all about music. I don’t have any career or job. I don’t have any hobbies. I play music. It’s just me and my guitar.”
His playing style has become influential upon countless musicians within the modern heavy metal genre, with his melodic overtones within an aggressive sound that he played in Carcass, Arch Enemy and Spiritual Beggars.
Over the past 15 years, he has encountered countless fans that pay homage to him and his music that has inspired their own respective music, as well as a legion of fans who simply love his music alone.
“It’s a huge compliment. I really appreciate that and I hope that every time somebody comes up and tells me that, I have time to talk to them. I love talking to other musicians, of course, and to inspire some of them out there. It’s a huge honor.”
“I have my favorites that have inspired me and I’ve met a few of them. I’ve hung out with Dave Mustaine, Kerry King…these guys inspired me and also some of the older style players like Michael Schenker, Leslie West, Uli Jon Roth and Frank Marino. I’ve met all of these guys and told them how much they’ve inspired me and asked them a bunch of questions about how they do stuff, like why did you do this, what did you use there, what pedal was that, what kind of bridge was that. They were really friendly and cool to me, so I try to give back as much as I can. I just see it as a mutual respect. The guitar is a really difficult instrument to play and I respect everyone and treat everyone as an equal.”
As told to REI NISHIMOTO
Ghost Cult proudly presents a whole new issue of our GC digital mag. It stocked to the brim with fresh content, including interviews with Ghost, Dark Tranquility, Immolation, Baroness,Continue reading
If you’re a young, rosy-cheeked metaller then the likelihood is that you would’ve been little more than a glint in the milkman’s eye when the like of Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult and Deep Purple ruled the UK with an iron fist. Yes, “going retro” is down with the kids these days, but Spiritual Beggars do it with such love, passion and unrivaled musicianship that it doesn’t feel like simple bandwagon jumping. But, this is unsurprising considering the line up.Continue reading