Album Round-Up (May 2020)
We were expecting to see big releases from the likes of New Found Glory, Lamb of God, Biffy Clyro, Creeper, Weezer this month, but our good old friend Covid-19 had other plans. Thankfully there were still plenty of releases to give some attention- as such, we have a record four Scottish albums on show this month. Alongside our other picks, you'll find a good variety of music to get you through this seemingly never-ending pandemic in our playlist below. Reviews first though!
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Death Bed
No Breeze in Hell (1st May)
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| Negative Hope Records |
WORDS: Ray Mondo
FFO: Nirvana, Unwound, Metz
It's not every day you discover a local band that sounds as unbelievably crushing and visceral as Death Bed do, but when it happens you're more than grateful for it. Upon discovering these guys by chance at an 0161 Festival date at the 13th Note on a cold October night (odd how easy it has been recently to want to go back to what was probably strangely a simpler time), it was easy to see what all the fuss was about any time Death Bed's name appeared on a bill and how they would draw in sizable crowds at any gig they were playing.
Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Innes, bassist Grant and drummer Iain, Death Bed manage to move mountains as just a 3-piece (almost unbelievable with just how huge they sound live and on record) in their debut album which was released only a few days after its surprise announcement, which was more than good news to hear in a time of almost infinite uncertainty - it's satisfying when tunes shrouded in so much angst and despair such as these can bring you this odd joy and a much welcome distraction from the contradictions and media negativity which have become more than a constant as of late.
Opening with the sludgy grind-hell of 'Doom Wound', it's already clear that the band are pulling no punches - this theme continues with the frantically, and quite frankly face-melting 'Repent', showcasing the band’s trademark barking vocals, screeching guitars, pounding drums and angry-as-hell bass lines. This is particularly present in the next track 'A Break/The Same', where you can practically feel the bass in your teeth with how downright guttural this one sounds - if you're not already running the risk of breaking your neck with the amount of heavy riffs coming one right after the other. When listening to this one, it’s easy to imagine how much an audience ends up moving around whenever this one gets played live.
The band's signature banger 'Ice Cream' gets a new recording after its first appearance on Negative Hope Records’ Launch Sampler compilation, still without a doubt sounding every bit as crushing and brutal as it did in its initial form. 'Untitled' from the band's first demo EP now reappears as the aptly-named 'Titled', sounding even more developed than before with its catch-you-off-guard and borderline infectious hooks being further accentuated by the stellar and crystal-clear production by Glasgow's very own Billy Gaughan, who you may know from other excellent local bands such as Herbert Powell, Rapid Tan, Brain Fluid and Leash, to name just a few.
Live set staple 'Bad Habits' further goes to showcase the band's exploration in song arrangement and sonic versatility, with start-stop riffs of all kinds in just the right places, and of course featuring build-ups to even more tonal devastation if you could believe it. Another track from the band's demo appears in the form of 'G.O.A.T.P', which only further adds to the downright frantic, desperate and raging vibes of this album, sounding quite like a cross between proper noise rock and old school garage grunge - think somewhere between the feverish angst of very early (particularly pre-Bleach-era) Nirvana and Unwound with the outlandish approach of Big Black, Scratch Acid and the like.
'The Walkaround' wraps the album up, and even then still stands out as one of the hugest sounding tracks (if you can imagine that after the intensity of the previous tracks), riffs interspersed with feedback and all manner of bizarre noises are only a delight to behold as the chaos continues to build up even in the last minutes of this absolute destroyer of an album. At a straightforward, no-bullshit-attached, blisteringly quick length of 20 minutes, you've basically got no excuse to not give this a listen from start to finish, in fact you'll probably be tempted to hit replay as soon as it's done in case you blinked and missed anything. If they sound this massive on record, you can only imagine how downright and devastatingly brutal they sound live.
Once all this blows over and we return to a world of even semi-normality, there’ll hopefully be an opportunity to shake off the cobwebs at a Death Bed gig - if the headbanging isn't enough, then the riffs blasting from the amps alone should do the trick.
Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Innes, bassist Grant and drummer Iain, Death Bed manage to move mountains as just a 3-piece (almost unbelievable with just how huge they sound live and on record) in their debut album which was released only a few days after its surprise announcement, which was more than good news to hear in a time of almost infinite uncertainty - it's satisfying when tunes shrouded in so much angst and despair such as these can bring you this odd joy and a much welcome distraction from the contradictions and media negativity which have become more than a constant as of late.
Opening with the sludgy grind-hell of 'Doom Wound', it's already clear that the band are pulling no punches - this theme continues with the frantically, and quite frankly face-melting 'Repent', showcasing the band’s trademark barking vocals, screeching guitars, pounding drums and angry-as-hell bass lines. This is particularly present in the next track 'A Break/The Same', where you can practically feel the bass in your teeth with how downright guttural this one sounds - if you're not already running the risk of breaking your neck with the amount of heavy riffs coming one right after the other. When listening to this one, it’s easy to imagine how much an audience ends up moving around whenever this one gets played live.
The band's signature banger 'Ice Cream' gets a new recording after its first appearance on Negative Hope Records’ Launch Sampler compilation, still without a doubt sounding every bit as crushing and brutal as it did in its initial form. 'Untitled' from the band's first demo EP now reappears as the aptly-named 'Titled', sounding even more developed than before with its catch-you-off-guard and borderline infectious hooks being further accentuated by the stellar and crystal-clear production by Glasgow's very own Billy Gaughan, who you may know from other excellent local bands such as Herbert Powell, Rapid Tan, Brain Fluid and Leash, to name just a few.
Live set staple 'Bad Habits' further goes to showcase the band's exploration in song arrangement and sonic versatility, with start-stop riffs of all kinds in just the right places, and of course featuring build-ups to even more tonal devastation if you could believe it. Another track from the band's demo appears in the form of 'G.O.A.T.P', which only further adds to the downright frantic, desperate and raging vibes of this album, sounding quite like a cross between proper noise rock and old school garage grunge - think somewhere between the feverish angst of very early (particularly pre-Bleach-era) Nirvana and Unwound with the outlandish approach of Big Black, Scratch Acid and the like.
'The Walkaround' wraps the album up, and even then still stands out as one of the hugest sounding tracks (if you can imagine that after the intensity of the previous tracks), riffs interspersed with feedback and all manner of bizarre noises are only a delight to behold as the chaos continues to build up even in the last minutes of this absolute destroyer of an album. At a straightforward, no-bullshit-attached, blisteringly quick length of 20 minutes, you've basically got no excuse to not give this a listen from start to finish, in fact you'll probably be tempted to hit replay as soon as it's done in case you blinked and missed anything. If they sound this massive on record, you can only imagine how downright and devastatingly brutal they sound live.
Once all this blows over and we return to a world of even semi-normality, there’ll hopefully be an opportunity to shake off the cobwebs at a Death Bed gig - if the headbanging isn't enough, then the riffs blasting from the amps alone should do the trick.
Tracks to check out: 'Ice Cream', 'Titled', 'Bad Habits', 'G.O.A.T.P'
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Gold Key
Panic Machine (1st May)
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| Venn Records |
WORDS: Joanne Gray
FFO: Muse, Radiohead, Caspian
When members of Spycatcher (Steve Sears), Gallows,
(Laurent Barnard) Sikth (James Leach), and Blackhole (Jack
Kenny) get together to make music in the form of Watford’s Gold Key,
they make music that sounds nothing like the post-hardcore and metal bands they
originally come from. 2017’s Hello Phantom was an early tease of what
the progressively minded alt rock side project could be, but it always
felt like there was the potential to do something bigger and better. Three
years later, the (appropriately titled) Panic Machine marks a welcome attempt
to progress and step things up a notch.
This is made instantly clear with the opening track ‘Sweet
Darkness’, whose spacey synths build dramatically towards some Muse meets
Black Peaks prog rock riffage and energetic drumming. Quite different from the
more gentle opening of the previous album, to be sure. And that’s before Steve Sears adds to the scale with his
attention grabbing falsetto vocals that sound like Matt Bellamy and Coheed and
Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez merged into one insane human being. Even more so than
in Hello Phantom, the vocals take a bit of getting used to. But my god,
what a voice to unleash the mammoth chorus which successfully matches the song’s
rattling distortion.
There are other moments of heaviness to be found throughout this
album which feel just as powerful though. The excellent ‘Don’t Sleep’ is
a fuzzy alt rock tune that is reminiscent of Puzzle era Biffy Clyro
colliding with Muse flair while the 2018 single ‘Mechanical World’ is a colossal
yet unsettling alt-rock song that sounds more than a little bit like Radiohead.
It makes perfect sense that the song is included here though, as the above band’s
emotive build and release dynamics can be found on much of this album. Perhaps
none more so than ‘Trick of the Light’ whose killer bass line drives tense
and floaty falsetto verses towards more explosive and gritty choruses and a
wonderfully noisy finish.
Going fully into the softer material here, the results are often
heart wrenchingly gorgeous and bittersweet. ‘Enceladus’ is perhaps the
most musically ‘uplifting’ of these, with its slightly glammy clean guitars but
there is still a sense of poignancy to the brooding bass line and passionate
vocal delivery that is as pretty as it is heartbreaking. The piano driven ‘Shallows’
sees Pink Floyd levels of spacious vocals and sparkling guitar lines
decorate beautifully emotive vocals from Sears and subtle jazz drumming from Jack
Kenny. Equally stunning, ‘Strain’ leans into the shirt tugging emotion of post
rock bands like Caspian if they had a singer who could prompt midwestern emo levels
of sincerity. When they get to that final distorted chorus… Damn… Gold Key are
better at crafting arena-sized melodies than they have any right to be.
The band’s standout anthemic moment has to go to ‘Human’
however, which is a left turn of epic proportions. Exuberant synths instantly
flood onto the track that have a cavernous sound that you could associate with
80s synthpop bands like... The Twilight Sad or The Killers… Jokes and internal 80s
biases aside, this bold decision actually works much better than it really
should and this is a stellar track with a chorus that could move mountains.
Colossal effort, and one which succeeds in this sense of scale wonderfully. The
album’s closer ‘The Best of Luck’ shoots for a similar sense of scale
with its Muse-meets-Radiohead mix of dramatic vocal layers, squealing guitars
and unsettling tension that makes the song feel like it’s about to either
explode in tremendous fashion or unravel entirely. It doesn’t quite do either,
leading to the slight feeling of deflation as the album ends like it’s hanging
off a cliff. Perhaps a matter of personal preference, but the song doesn’t quite
feel like an album closer.
In fact, the only real negative criticism that could be levelled towards
Panic Machine is that some of the songs would fare better in a different
part of the album. The Black Peaks-esque ‘Fly into the Sun’ is
quite jarring in between the more gentle offerings of ‘Strain’ and ‘A
Crack in the Earth’, while the 30 second blast of noise that is ‘Millions’
feels like a throwaway moment when it is placed second to last rather than
immediately after a heavier track.
All in all though, you can just lose yourself in the album’s peaks and troughs if you take the time to get to know them better, as these issues feel like minor gripes and the jumps in styles markedly less. For sure, this is an album that will require some effort, but it is so damn worth it. If you are a fan of progressive and/or alternative rock, and you can get past some quirky vocals, get Panic Machine and Gold Key onto your radar right now.
All in all though, you can just lose yourself in the album’s peaks and troughs if you take the time to get to know them better, as these issues feel like minor gripes and the jumps in styles markedly less. For sure, this is an album that will require some effort, but it is so damn worth it. If you are a fan of progressive and/or alternative rock, and you can get past some quirky vocals, get Panic Machine and Gold Key onto your radar right now.
Tracks to check out: 'Sweet Darkness', 'Mechanical World', 'Strain', 'Human'
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Havok
V (1st May)
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| Century Media |
WORDS: Ross Donald
FFO: Megadeth, Slayer, Death
V is the fifth studio album from thrash heavyweights Havok, which follows the critically lauded Conformacide from 2017. There was a good bit of anticipation with this album given the quality of the previous releases, so I was intrigued to see how well this album would do. Other thrash albums that have came out this year have left me a little disappointed in what used to be a favourite genre of mine. I’m starting to realise how difficult it is to release a quality record while staying true to the limited ethos of the genre, but Havok have arrived to show that thrash still has a lot to offer when it is done well, and it can provide some terrific tunes.
I should firstly point out that this record is very much motivated by global politics, so anyone that doesn’t want that in their music may be put off a bit. The band don’t mind tearing the current American regime to pieces, and I can't help but feel inspired by the lyrics as someone who lives in the UK... Of course this is a thrash record, so it should be expected that such political overtones will be present. Even if this isn't your thing though, the music should be enough to keep you listening.
Any fans of the Big Four will have a lot of fun here as their influences can be felt throughout.‘Ritual of the Mind’s opening sounds very reminiscent of Metallica’s ‘Eye of the Beholder’ with the addition of some nice bass work that took me back to some of Death’s material. Metallica mixed with Death is quite the interesting combination for any thrash fan out there. ‘Pansychism’ has a similar sound to Megadeth with some of the prominent bass lines and vocalist David Sanchez sounding like an angrier Dave Mustaine. Slayer also has a look in with the fast and furious ‘Phantom Force’. Thankfully there is a hint of modern crossover bands like Power Trip in many of the songs here as well, which makes the album sound more like a homage to the Big Four rather than ripping it off entirely. An improvement over many bands in this style, to be sure.
All in all, there really isn’t a bad track to be found throughout. The whole album is also paced beautifully with a nice mix of ferocious, fast paced bangers (such as 'Fear Campaign' and 'Cosmetic Surgery' ) and slower tracks with chunky guitar riffs ('Ritual of the Mind’ will have you headbanging even long after the track ends). With a succinct 11 song tracklist and a nice clean 45 minute runtime, V never outstays its welcome either. It therefore breaks normal thrash convention that the 8 minute long album closer ‘Don’t Do It’ is the longest track on here. Quite unlike any other track on here, it has a nice atmospheric intro which builds and builds until it just explodes with fire and fury in the last couple of minutes. What a way to end an album that I’ve had on repeat for quite a bit.
As such, V might actually be my favourite thrash record since Power Trip’s ‘Nightmare Logic’. I would thoroughly recommend this album to anyone looking for some searing high quality thrash. Every band member here plays their role to practical perfection throughout with some easy highlights to check out. I need to see these guys live when the world is back to normal.
Tracks to check out: 'Fear Campaign', 'Ritual of the Mind', 'Merchants of Death', 'Don’t Do It'
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Killswitch Engage
Atonement II (8th May)
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| Metal Blade |
WORDS: Ross Donald
FFO: At The Gates, As I Lay Dying, All That Remains
Nothing would quite be a dick move like slamming a B-side EP which is raising money for a Covid-19 charity. Thankfully then, the quality of the songs here (which are described by frontman Jesse Leach as being "deeply personal" tracks that only just missed out on making the Atonement album) is high. I'm super glad too, as it means I can talk about the music in a positive light alongside its intentions.
Out of the six songs here, only ‘No Devotion’ and ‘Prophet of Treason’ feel like they were missing a little something to really take them to the next level. They’re still solid tracks though. Stepping up slightly, the second track ‘Hollow Convictions’ really grows on me with every listen as it just gets better and better as the song progresses. Representing the best of Killswitch Engage's musical ability, it has a nice mix of heavy and melodic moments and has a big singalong chorus that I could see getting a wild reaction in a live setting. ‘Killing of Leviathan’ was another short but great song that could have been on Atonement's main release. Going back to the band's early In Flames sound, there are death metal influences right from the start that never let up throughout the song. There's some seriously furious pace to this one that'll have you headbanging along to.
I think my favourite track here though is ‘I Feel Alive Again’. I wondered how this song could only be a B-side track until I realised that it has a sound that is close to Atonement's ‘I Can’t Be the Only One’. It makes sense how much I like this track then, considering it sounds similar to my favourite song from that album. Even though it bares some striking resemblances to the above track, it is still a track to check out though as has that classic uplifting Killswitch feeling to it that it will have you singing along in no time. This’ll probably end up as a forgotten gem for sure, but it is a great gym track and one that fans of the band should definitely check out nonetheless.
Even though this is only a six track B-side EP with a 24 minute runtime, Atonement II is an immensely easy listen with a surprisingly varied selection of tracks with no real disappointments to be found. I’m sure you’ll find something here that can accompany Atonement's canon in style and will stick with you for a while. I await the next Killswitch album release with baited breath.
Tracks to check out: ‘Hollow Convictions’, ‘Killing of Leviathan’, ‘I Feel Alive Again’
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Sojourner
Premonitions (8th May)
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| Napalm Records |
WORDS: Ross Donald
FFO: Summoning, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Elderwind
Premonitions is the third full length release from international folk metallers Sojourner and follows 2018’s The Shadowed Road. I say international metallers because the members of the band hail from the far flung countries of New Zealand, Sweden, Italy and even Scotland. The band mixes more traditional black metal with folk elements and instruments for a unique sound that’s like a mix of Saor and Fleshgod Apocalypse. If that sounds appealing to you, then you’ve come to the right place.
The album only contains 8 tracks but the full runtime is around 56 minutes as the tracks are around 7 minutes long on average. Each track therefore has a chance to breathe and tell its own story. Another crucial element used predominantly by the band to tell these stories is the vocal work of Chloe Bray. Her angelic vocals mix with the snarling black metal growls of vocalist Emilio Crespo, which works as a nice contrast to keep the tracks feeling varied and expressive. They’re used sparingly enough on each track that it never becomes repetitive or tiresome as well.
I did try to find aspects of this album that could be improved upon but there are no bad tracks here and nothing comes across as filler or forgettable. With the length of the tracks, you can always find something new to appreciate on repeat listens as well. Believe me, it was a joy to revisit this one again and again. I fell in love on my initial listen and I remain in love now.
In terms of highlights, it’s hard to pick out a few from a great bunch, but easily my favourite standalone track was ‘Talas’. It’s a much softer song that doesn’t sound like anything else on the album. Chloe Bray really utilises her chance to show off her beautiful vocals here with some poignant piano playing backing her up. As we hit the final minute of the track, the black metal elements and vocals kick in for an impactful finale which really takes the track to the next level. Imagine a more epic version of Evanescence, and you’ll get why I love this.
We also have ‘Fatal Frame’. This is a song which sounds like it could be an ode to the Japanese video game series of the same name, as the intro does have an Eastern feel instrumentally. There's even a piano section here which sounds like something right from the original Resident Evil so I think we may have some video game fans here. Aside from all of that, this is another long, epic track that has the madness of a Fleshgod Apocalypse song without going too over the top. The mixing together of all the elements, alongside some killer haunting riffs, shows that the band has pretty much mastered their sound at this point. And that goes for the rest of the songs here.
Overall then, Premonitions is a fantastic album and is one of my favourites of the year so far. I could easily listen to over and over without becoming tired of it. Again, there are no bad tracks here at all and anyone who likes a bit of blackened folk metal should find a ton to enjoy here. I’ll be sure to check out Sojourner's back catalogue for more brilliance. Check this one out.
Tracks to check out: 'Eulogy for the Lost', 'Talas', 'Fatal Frame', 'The Event Horizon'
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Ruadh
The Rock of the Clyde (22nd May)
The Rock of the Clyde (22nd May)
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| Red Glen Productions |
WORDS: Joanne Gray
FFO: Saor, Bathory, Winterfylleth
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FFO: Saor, Bathory, Winterfylleth
The Rock of the Clyde sees
Rutherglen’s atmospheric black metal band Ruadh (‘red glen’
in Gaelic) release their second album only a year after their debut
album Sovereign. This would be an impressive feat at the best of times
for most bands out there, let alone being recorded mostly by one man (Tom Perrett)
entirely in a home studio during the midst of a pandemic. This time round, Perrett
is joined by Kim Copland, Phillip Morrison and Ceiti on bass, drums and vocals,
but the majority of what you hear on this album follows in the now commonplace
one-man black metal setup.
And it becomes quickly clear that some
of the classic influences of classic black metal seep into Ruadh’s more
modern take on the genre as ‘Embers’ starts things off in intense
fashion. Atmospheric black metal tremolo picking and blast beats are all
delivered with a gritty, lo-fi approach to production that is reminiscent of Bathory
and Burzum’s 90s offerings. Once Perrett’s harsh and guttural barks
enter shortly after, alongside towering dual lead lines and emotive choral vocals,
modern bands like Saor, Misþyrming
and Alcest come to mind. It is this combination of the old and new,
alongside the prominent sense of loss, heartache and nostalgia of Scotland’s
long gone past that gives The Rock of the Clyde its predominant sense of
character, but each song represents a different facet of this niche.
While retaining the Saor comparisons
which are difficult to overlook throughout this album, ‘The Rock of the
Clyde’ brings forth more forcefully some folky acoustic guitar and a simple
but booming drums that are reminiscent of bands like Winterfylleth and Agalloch.
For the first time in Ruadh’s short discography we also hear clean
vocals and synths from Perrett which more than slightly conjure comparisons to Bathory.
In a positive sense, there is a sense of majesty and power that comes across
through Perrett’s regal delivery that is only compounded when violins and piano
then join the fold. As with Bathory though, the clean vocals are
quite low and dry in the mix.
Fans of lo-fi, old-school production will probably
dig the sound of the mix on this song as a whole, but for those with more modern tastes (including myself), the production
may be a slight sticking point. This is
something which rears its head again in ‘Winters Light. The darker, more
aggressive black metal sound plays against dynamic layered strings which leaves
the drums slightly too muddy at times for my tastes and introduces an odd drum
volume dip around the 4.43 mark. As a whole though, this shouldn’t be a problem
for most out there, and the rest of the song provides an excellent combination
of sounds that go really well together.
‘Fields of Heather’ then
brings forward triumphant galloping guitars and strings start things off in
more uplifting fashion. Once again, Saor’s influence can be heard here,
but the inclusion of some unsettling, shrill synths towards the middle of the
track alludes to dungeon synth era Burzum, bringing forward something a
bit different. This can also be said of the Winterfylleth-esque almost
chanting, which is immediately followed by a proper heavy metal gallop a la Iron
Maiden. There are some jubilant feelings in this fist-in-the-air
section that is welcome amongst the darker material here.
Winterfylleth become a reference point again with ‘Only Distant Echoes Reign, Pt. 1’ which is
a beautiful short folk track which sees more audible and heartfelt clean vocals
sing about the hope for a more prosperous and free future. With ‘Pt. 1’
then leading subtly into the heavier ‘Pt. 2’, it would have made sense
to tie these songs together, but the separation into two tracks is ideal for
those wanting a solely folk offering with the former. In saying that, the two
parts combined provide an excellent end to the album, as the twin elements of
atmospheric black metal and folk are perfectly in sync here. Great stuff.
I would therefore thoroughly
recommend this album to any fans of atmospheric black metal out there. Whether
you have a preference for the older classics (particularly Bathory) or
the new crop of bands (particularly Saor), there will be something for
you here.
Tracks to check out: ‘Embers’, ‘Only
Distant Echoes Reign, Pt 1 and 2’
Alestorm
Curse of the Crystal Coconut (29th May)
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| Napalm Records |
WORDS: Ross Donald
FFO: Korpiklaani, Turisas, Lagerstein
Curse of the Crystal Coconut is the sixth album by Scottish pirate metal legends Alestorm, following 2017’s excellent No Grave But the Sea. Not gonna lie, this is an album I’ve been very excited for since it was first announced by the band a few months back. I am a fan of the band’s previous work so I’m gonna try my best not to be biased here.
Just off the bat, this is gonna be for a certain taste as I’m sure there are people that will absolutely love this and others that hate it. This is easily the silliest album the band have ever released and their most experimental as well, so there’s sure to be differing opinions. After an initial listen, I went back and listened to their debut album Captain Morgan’s Revenge, and you can really hear the difference in the style now. The humour was pretty subtle back then to mix with the metal sea shanties, and now it’s pretty much just full on. It’s still hilarious, but it’s interesting to see the style evolve over the years.
This is an album that’s hard to be overly critical of, as there weren’t really any tracks that are bad or forgettable, as they have their own style that stands out. The main track that seems to be receiving a bit of flack is the second single ‘Tortuga’, wich pretty much go for a gangster rap style. It's a bit of a bold move, but I’m not gonna lie- I loved it! It’s obviously done with an intention to sound daft but that chorus is catchy as hell. Some guest vocals by 'Captain Yarrface' were definitely enjoyable and this will go down well in a live setting, mark my words.
My favourite track on here is quite easily the third single ‘Fannybaws’ and I’ve pretty much had this on repeat since the song came out. I am tempted to make the request that this be the new Scottish national anthem as the whole thing is just Scottish as hell and still makes me laugh. It has insane lyrics of a legendary pirate named Fannybaws that apparently has a boabby 2 feet long. Another catchy as hell track from a band that’s pretty much perfected their formula. Another one that will be legendary in a live setting.
Alestorm also call back to previous works with the track ‘Wooden Leg Pt. 2 (The Woodening)’, which is an epic sequel to ‘Wooden Leg!’ from 2014’s Sunset on the Golden Age. There are enough callbacks for longtime fans to enjoy, but also the people going in for the first time can have a laugh and enjoy the metal shanties at their best.
Overall, this album is an absolute blast and is perfect for any event involving drinking or just for personal listening. It is also a record that just begs to be listened to over and over again to discover more treasure amongst the gold delivered here. Thankfully the album is a rather short 45 minutes long, so it is also able to keep the tracks varied throughout. Some more serious tracks like ‘Call of the Waves’ go up nicely against the silly ones like the epic ‘Shit Boat (No Fans)’. You’d think the formula would be tiresome by now, but Alestorm knows how to keep the joke going strong. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.
Tracks to check out: 'Fannybaws', 'Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship', 'Shit Boat (No Fans)', 'Wooden Leg Pt. 2'
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Bleed From Within
Fracture (29th May)
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| Century Media |
WORDS: Joanne Gray
FFO: Parkway Drive, Lamb of God, Sylosis
Since forming 15 years ago, Glasgow’s Bleed From Within have been slogging in a UK metalcore scene which has seen bands like Bring Me The Horizon, Architects and While She Sleeps play considerably larger venues than themselves. After taking a five year absence between albums for 2018’s Era with new guitarist Steven Jones in tow, the Glaswegians took steps outside of metalcore to make a more groove laden modern metal album that proved that the band really should be getting more plaudits in their home country. With a newfound sense of momentum then, Bleed From Within quickly follow up with Fractures.
Building upon Era's foundations, the influences of modern metalcore and groove influenced thrash loom large over the entirety of this ten track record. In fact, as the opening track ‘The End of All We Know’ kicks in, it is hard not to think of vocalist Scott Kennedy as an increasingly commanding and impressive meeting point between Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe and While She Sleeps’ Loz Taylor. Throw in some mammoth choruses, some Sylosis-esque chunky riffage and some technical flair in the guitar leadwork, and you have a recipe for success here.
And for the vast majority of this album, this broad intersection of styles doesn’t get stale because the band lean into different corners of this sound throughout. Infectious latter day Parkway Drive grooves are evident in most of the songs here, but ‘For All To See’ and ‘Into Nothing’ are the best example of a colossal red blooded stomp done excellently. Particularly the Gojira-reminiscent squeals and pounds see towards the end of the latter song. Yes please.
Moving into faster territories, 'Pathfinder', 'Night Crossing' and 'Ascend' combine the band's newer direction with some thrashier, death metal vibes. The former track applies some killer grooves, a call and response chanting and a low end 7-string breakdown to some appropriate social commentary of “a union divided, a kingdom will fall”. A crowd pleaser in the waiting. As is‘Night Crossing’, which is perhaps the biggest sounding song on the whole album. Its fist raising dual melodic lead lines, catchy vocal hooks and the inclusion of an awesome guitar solo from Matt Heafy himself all show the clear influence of Trivum’s metalcore days. ‘Ascend’ is then one of the fastest tracks here with its technically excellent thrashing Sylosis riffing and another huge chorus. The decision to have the song stop abruptly in the middle before entering once again with a shuddering 7 string breakdown was an excellent one too. This is a killer track that will see circle pits going wild live and crowds singing along, and it is exactly this combination of excellent musicianship, memorable choruses and red-blooded exhilaration that makes this band hit so hard when they get it spot on.
Thankfully then, there are only a few moments on the album where Bleed From Within don’t quite hit these impressive heights, such as the slightly less memorable vocal lines in ‘Fall Away’ and ‘For All To See’. In saying that, these songs are improved by the intense death metal drumming, techy grooves and wicked guitar solos. ‘Fracture’ is reminiscent of the softer moments on Parkway Drive’s Reverence with its clean guitars, subtle electronic throbs and restrained half-spoken vocals before picking up in intensity towards the end of the track. As the centrepiece of the album, it makes sense that the song is different from the rest and the change is welcome. But the melodic hook doesn’t quite resonate as much as in previous tracks- or as much as Parkway Drive can manage themselves.
Any slight gripes with the above tracks are fully forgotten once you get to ‘Utopia’ though, as the irresistible Lamb of God meets Parkway Drive grooves and snarling vocals are reintroduced in style alongside an effective technical breakdown and chants that could've been on While She Sleeps' Brainwashed. The album could’ve ended in perfect style here, but there’s still one last blast left in ‘A Depth That No One Dares’ to see things off. This is the most sonically impressive track here as the technical jabs and noodling leads which punctuate the verses and chorus sound like a Sylosis, Architects and Gojira jam session. Cool enough on its own, the icy blast of black metal blast beats from Ali Richardson and Kennedy’s shrieking vocals ends the album in a fashion that is both unexpected and exhilarating.
All in all then, it should be quite obvious that this is a fantastic record from a band who continue to confidently move beyond metalcore’s limitations and have grown into an excellent metal band in their own right. Era hinted towards, but Fracture solidifies the suggestion that Bleed From Within should be viewed alongside bands like Parkway Drive and Architects in terms of their quality. This isn’t the most sophisticated form of metal by any stretch of the imagination, but if you like some red-blooded heavy music that’s done damn well, make sure to give them a listen. Maybe they’ll get their dues this time around…
Tracks to check out: 'Pathfinder', 'Night Crossing', 'Ascend', 'A Depth That No One Dares'
Building upon Era's foundations, the influences of modern metalcore and groove influenced thrash loom large over the entirety of this ten track record. In fact, as the opening track ‘The End of All We Know’ kicks in, it is hard not to think of vocalist Scott Kennedy as an increasingly commanding and impressive meeting point between Parkway Drive’s Winston McCall, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe and While She Sleeps’ Loz Taylor. Throw in some mammoth choruses, some Sylosis-esque chunky riffage and some technical flair in the guitar leadwork, and you have a recipe for success here.
And for the vast majority of this album, this broad intersection of styles doesn’t get stale because the band lean into different corners of this sound throughout. Infectious latter day Parkway Drive grooves are evident in most of the songs here, but ‘For All To See’ and ‘Into Nothing’ are the best example of a colossal red blooded stomp done excellently. Particularly the Gojira-reminiscent squeals and pounds see towards the end of the latter song. Yes please.
Moving into faster territories, 'Pathfinder', 'Night Crossing' and 'Ascend' combine the band's newer direction with some thrashier, death metal vibes. The former track applies some killer grooves, a call and response chanting and a low end 7-string breakdown to some appropriate social commentary of “a union divided, a kingdom will fall”. A crowd pleaser in the waiting. As is‘Night Crossing’, which is perhaps the biggest sounding song on the whole album. Its fist raising dual melodic lead lines, catchy vocal hooks and the inclusion of an awesome guitar solo from Matt Heafy himself all show the clear influence of Trivum’s metalcore days. ‘Ascend’ is then one of the fastest tracks here with its technically excellent thrashing Sylosis riffing and another huge chorus. The decision to have the song stop abruptly in the middle before entering once again with a shuddering 7 string breakdown was an excellent one too. This is a killer track that will see circle pits going wild live and crowds singing along, and it is exactly this combination of excellent musicianship, memorable choruses and red-blooded exhilaration that makes this band hit so hard when they get it spot on.
Thankfully then, there are only a few moments on the album where Bleed From Within don’t quite hit these impressive heights, such as the slightly less memorable vocal lines in ‘Fall Away’ and ‘For All To See’. In saying that, these songs are improved by the intense death metal drumming, techy grooves and wicked guitar solos. ‘Fracture’ is reminiscent of the softer moments on Parkway Drive’s Reverence with its clean guitars, subtle electronic throbs and restrained half-spoken vocals before picking up in intensity towards the end of the track. As the centrepiece of the album, it makes sense that the song is different from the rest and the change is welcome. But the melodic hook doesn’t quite resonate as much as in previous tracks- or as much as Parkway Drive can manage themselves.
Any slight gripes with the above tracks are fully forgotten once you get to ‘Utopia’ though, as the irresistible Lamb of God meets Parkway Drive grooves and snarling vocals are reintroduced in style alongside an effective technical breakdown and chants that could've been on While She Sleeps' Brainwashed. The album could’ve ended in perfect style here, but there’s still one last blast left in ‘A Depth That No One Dares’ to see things off. This is the most sonically impressive track here as the technical jabs and noodling leads which punctuate the verses and chorus sound like a Sylosis, Architects and Gojira jam session. Cool enough on its own, the icy blast of black metal blast beats from Ali Richardson and Kennedy’s shrieking vocals ends the album in a fashion that is both unexpected and exhilarating.
All in all then, it should be quite obvious that this is a fantastic record from a band who continue to confidently move beyond metalcore’s limitations and have grown into an excellent metal band in their own right. Era hinted towards, but Fracture solidifies the suggestion that Bleed From Within should be viewed alongside bands like Parkway Drive and Architects in terms of their quality. This isn’t the most sophisticated form of metal by any stretch of the imagination, but if you like some red-blooded heavy music that’s done damn well, make sure to give them a listen. Maybe they’ll get their dues this time around…
Tracks to check out: 'Pathfinder', 'Night Crossing', 'Ascend', 'A Depth That No One Dares'
______________
Mrs. Piss
Self-Surgery (29th May)
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| Sargent House |
WORDS: Ray Mondo
FFO: Chelsea Wolfe, Alice in Chains, Thou
As has no doubt been expressed many times before in this year so far, the last few months have been pretty doom and gloom to say the least. It's rare however that such doom and gloom can be offsetted by even more doom and gloom, in this case it comes in the form of a new side project by goth-rock singer-songwriter icon Chelsea Wolfe, and drummer Jess Gowrie, who has previously performed with bands such as The Drama and Horseneck, as well as appearing on some of Wolfe's previous releases with some more-than impressive skills on the kit, as well as covering backing vocals, percussion, bass and production duties on this release.
With the project first coming together in 2017, the doom-rock duo released an already well-received single at the start of May, thus creating much anticipation for the full album. At a rapid length of just 18 minutes, this already showcases the proper punk spirit behind this album, and there's not a second wasted as soon as you hit the play button.
Starting with 'To Crawl Inside', this already sets the tone and general vibe of this album quite well, sounding like the sonic equivalent of something sinister coming undone and the walls starting to bleed. Cutting out to just whispered dialogue, this makes for an enjoyable and seamless segue into 'Downer Surrounded By Uppers', Self-Surgery's first single and an absolute banger at that - a crunchy goth stomper dripping with wonderfully gloomy and grungy vibes, with a good helping of undoubtedly catchy hooks somehow wrapped up in just two minutes. This then leads into the single's B-side 'Knelt', the first proper dirge of the album, with more slow and sultry riffs of all sorts under a rich and textured soundscape, accompanied by Wolfe's dulcet moans and vocals with such sustain it's like they were made of glass.
The next track, 'Nobody Wants to Party With Us', starts with some eerie vibes, sounding like a gothic rave in the far distance before blasting into a heavy, down-tuned industrial rocker where massive pounding drums step up to the short-but-sweet forefront - with its short length and punk-esque delivery, this is almost like a succinct statement in itself rather than an album track, while still being one of the best ones at that. 'M.B.O.T.W.O' throws even more dirt and grit in your face, as Wolfe and Gowrie continue to not beat around the bush and instead show off their songwriting chops and the impressive musicianship that they've already become well known for.
'You Took Everything' is without a doubt another stand-out track, further showing off Wolfe's sludge metal prowess with even more doomy and somber grooves backed up by some visceral backing vocals which sound like they're screaming bloody murder, almost like this one was written as the perfect soundtrack for a slow-motion scene in a horror flick.
Next comes the self-titled track (usually always one of the best kind of tracks on an album in my opinion) - 'Self-Surgery' opens with a bass-line so filthy you'll end up feeling like you'll need a shower after hearing this, if you didn't already after the short but sweet ride this album has been so far. This track takes a page from the same book as the previous song, perhaps one that was written by the legendary Alice in Chains, with tempo changes and sonic texturing in just all the right places, as well as guitar tones that even Jerry Cantrell himself would dig. On listening to this one, you can almost imagine that well-known artwork of a female lying on the cracked desert floor, gracing the cover of the seminal Dirt album.
Finally, there's one last rager to see you through in the form of 'Mrs. Piss' (if you couldn’t go wrong with a self-titled album track, then one named after the band itself is always sure to be a proper good one), with cynical lyrics a-plenty and even more sneering-to-seething dynamics all around, also highlighting the excellent production that can be heard all throughout the album. Like the band itself, 'Mrs. Piss' goes against the grain even further by ending on a gentler and more soothing fade-out which may just catch you off-guard if you were expecting any huge cinematic build-ups, which in a way goes to show the total defiant attitude Wolfe and Gowrie have brought with them right from the get-go when it comes to this project.
If Self-Surgery as an album is an indicator of what any more of this excellent collaboration’s possible future output will be like, it's safe to say it'll be even more anticipated than this one has been.
With the project first coming together in 2017, the doom-rock duo released an already well-received single at the start of May, thus creating much anticipation for the full album. At a rapid length of just 18 minutes, this already showcases the proper punk spirit behind this album, and there's not a second wasted as soon as you hit the play button.
Starting with 'To Crawl Inside', this already sets the tone and general vibe of this album quite well, sounding like the sonic equivalent of something sinister coming undone and the walls starting to bleed. Cutting out to just whispered dialogue, this makes for an enjoyable and seamless segue into 'Downer Surrounded By Uppers', Self-Surgery's first single and an absolute banger at that - a crunchy goth stomper dripping with wonderfully gloomy and grungy vibes, with a good helping of undoubtedly catchy hooks somehow wrapped up in just two minutes. This then leads into the single's B-side 'Knelt', the first proper dirge of the album, with more slow and sultry riffs of all sorts under a rich and textured soundscape, accompanied by Wolfe's dulcet moans and vocals with such sustain it's like they were made of glass.
The next track, 'Nobody Wants to Party With Us', starts with some eerie vibes, sounding like a gothic rave in the far distance before blasting into a heavy, down-tuned industrial rocker where massive pounding drums step up to the short-but-sweet forefront - with its short length and punk-esque delivery, this is almost like a succinct statement in itself rather than an album track, while still being one of the best ones at that. 'M.B.O.T.W.O' throws even more dirt and grit in your face, as Wolfe and Gowrie continue to not beat around the bush and instead show off their songwriting chops and the impressive musicianship that they've already become well known for.
'You Took Everything' is without a doubt another stand-out track, further showing off Wolfe's sludge metal prowess with even more doomy and somber grooves backed up by some visceral backing vocals which sound like they're screaming bloody murder, almost like this one was written as the perfect soundtrack for a slow-motion scene in a horror flick.
Next comes the self-titled track (usually always one of the best kind of tracks on an album in my opinion) - 'Self-Surgery' opens with a bass-line so filthy you'll end up feeling like you'll need a shower after hearing this, if you didn't already after the short but sweet ride this album has been so far. This track takes a page from the same book as the previous song, perhaps one that was written by the legendary Alice in Chains, with tempo changes and sonic texturing in just all the right places, as well as guitar tones that even Jerry Cantrell himself would dig. On listening to this one, you can almost imagine that well-known artwork of a female lying on the cracked desert floor, gracing the cover of the seminal Dirt album.
Finally, there's one last rager to see you through in the form of 'Mrs. Piss' (if you couldn’t go wrong with a self-titled album track, then one named after the band itself is always sure to be a proper good one), with cynical lyrics a-plenty and even more sneering-to-seething dynamics all around, also highlighting the excellent production that can be heard all throughout the album. Like the band itself, 'Mrs. Piss' goes against the grain even further by ending on a gentler and more soothing fade-out which may just catch you off-guard if you were expecting any huge cinematic build-ups, which in a way goes to show the total defiant attitude Wolfe and Gowrie have brought with them right from the get-go when it comes to this project.
If Self-Surgery as an album is an indicator of what any more of this excellent collaboration’s possible future output will be like, it's safe to say it'll be even more anticipated than this one has been.
Tracks to check out: ‘Downer Surrounded by Uppers’, ‘Nobody Wants to Party With Us’, ‘You Took Everything’, ‘Self-Surgery’
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Thanks to Ross and Ray for their contributions to this round-up of May's albums and thanks to you for reading! Feel free to check out our playlist of our favourite songs this month below or leave a comment below to tell us which albums you have liked over the month. Be sure to give us a like/follow on the socials if you like our content. As always, we're open to contributions/submissions so you can always get in touch as well.
Cheers!
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