Firewind AFM Records Power Metal FFO: Dream Evil, Masterplan, Serious Black, Nocturnal Rites Throughout the last 20 years, Firewind have delivered power metal with varying different degrees of success with band leader and virtuoso guitarist Gus G steering the ship with an ever-revolving door of musicians. Back in 2017, Firewind found their stride as vocalist Henning Basse brought a real connectible vibe to the Firewind frontline with the release of ‘Immortals’ that threatened to usher in a new era for band. However, this was short-lived and Basse was soon removed from the front of the band to be replaced with Voodoo Circle frontman Herbie Langhans for the band’s latest eponymous album. Thankfully, the magic that ran strong throughout ‘Immortals’ has been captured once more on ‘Firewind’ and whilst Langhans may be better known for his superb hard rock voice with Voodoo Circle, the frontman proves that he is certainly no slouch when it comes to power metal and soars as well as anyone else within the genre, adding his voice to excellent, memorable tracks such as ‘Welcome to the Empire’ and ‘Devour’. However, it is during the tracks ‘Overdrive’ and the cheesy but enjoyable ‘Space Cowboy’ where this album really excels and by showing that the band are more than capable of creating something that isn’t entirely serious only adds to ‘Firewind’’s overall charm. Expectedly, Gus G’s playing is phenomenal, but that has always been the case with Firewind and that means that the plaudits for this album, as with the previous album, are shouldered entirely by a consummate performance by a professional vocalist who delivers a masterclass. Once again, Firewind have delivered a strong album of top-notch power metal and if this line-up proves to be once again short lived, then they can hold their head up at producing something that is ultimately both enjoyable and memorable. 8/10 Adam McCann
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‘Work is the Curse of the Drinking Class’ Heptown Records Folk-Rock/Celtic Punk When thinking of Celtic punk, the finger is immediately drawn to New England, but with Finnegan’s Hell, we head in the opposite direction to Sweden. Now, that is an odd thought for a country that did not have a large influx of Irish immigration in the 19th century, but Finnegan’s Hell deliver a sound that shows the Gaelic blood runs strong throughout their veins with the Swedes ready to release their third studio album ‘Work is the Curse of the Drinking Class’. Starting with an Oscar Wilde quote shows the calibre that can be expected with this album. Yes, every song can be a little clichéd, pretty much all centred around shagging and drinking; however, there is something exceptionally likeable about ‘Work…’, it appeals to a primal instinct that can’t help but simply be enjoyed. Moreover, ‘Work…’ is more than just tin whistles, accordions and salutes to Dropkick Murphys and The Pogues, tracks such as the Eastern flavour to ‘Tokyo Town’, the almost psychedelic Iron Butterfly-esque heavy 60’s style of ‘Whiskey, Rum, Gin and Wine’ and the heartfelt closing ballad ‘When I’m Dead’, a track which has all the poignant nature of a Motörhead ballad show this album is more than just the sum of its parts. This album may not appeal to everyone, but there is a certain charm to ‘Work…’ that makes it difficult to not enjoy and within its genre, ‘Work…’ will be difficult to beat this year. Rightly so. 80/100 Adam McCann ‘A New Evil’ Frontiers Records Power/Heavy Metal Ronnie Romero, Magnus Karlsson and Mike Terrana may currently be some of the busiest men in the metal world; the trio manage to keep themselves occupied with various projects spread out over the course of the year and 2019 sees the return of The Ferrymen with the band releasing their sophomore album ‘A New Evil’ after the success of their eponymous debut album back in 2017. Sometimes, a band struggles to reach the impact of their debut album, but not with The Ferrymen, ‘A New Evil’ takes what the band had put down as foundations on their debut album and takes it to the next level. This is an album of people who are now more than comfortable working with together and that chemistry prevails. As always, Terrana is solid and superb on the drums, as is Karlsson, his musical knowledge and virtuosity with both the guitars and keyboards provides songs such as ‘Bring Me Home’, ‘Don’t Stand In My Way’ and the title all the energy and memorability they deserve. Yet, once again, it is the vocals of Romero which really push the boundaries; Romero is one of heavy metal’s current best vocalists and with the song writing of Karlsson behind him, Romero is able to soar freely to really show just how good of a vocalist he actually is. It can be argued that at one point, Romero was spreading himself far too thin, fronting The Ferrymen, Lords of Black and the mighty Rainbow, but when listening to ‘A New Evil’, it blows this theory out of the water, it is Romero which makes this album with his prowling voice that somehow blends the tones of Ronnie James Dio, Russell Allen with Jørn Lande and whilst some of these songs may fall into unmemorable, the sheer powerhouse behind them makes ‘A New Evil’ certainly worth listening to. 82/100 Adam McCann ‘Decade of Depression’ Listenable Records Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal Who could believe that it has been nearly ten years since Fister bludgeoned their way onto the heavy metal scene; playing a herbal blend of doom, sludge and stoner, the Missouri band have developed a respectable following through four warmly received albums by both fans and critics alike. To celebrate their first ten years as a band, Fister have released ‘Decade of Depression’, a celebratory album that delves into the past, with the Americans paying homage to those bands who inspired them. Unlike a lot of albums of this nature, artists who basically give as near as damnit copy of the original, with ‘Decade…’, Fister manage to deliver all these tracks through their grinding, mammoth style of doom. This means that tracks such as Metallica’s ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ and Slayer’s ‘Mandatory Suicide’ are given largely different leases of life; for example, these tracks are slowed down, placing even more emphasis on these already powerful riffs, the former of which takes on a new meaning becoming more a funerary dirge of one marching out to certain death. However, covers of Darkthrone’s ‘Too Old Too Cold’ and ‘Reaper’ by Hellhammer are a little more disjointed and fade out into a little less memorable than their more famous forerunners. This means that with ‘Decade…’, Fister have delivered an album that is enjoyable and although not all of it is memorable, it doesn’t make the listener reach for the skip button. For the band, ‘Decade…’ is a great album to celebrate their tenth anniversary; yes, its not an album of Fister songs, barring the re-recording of ‘The Failure’, and it will never be a ‘go-to’ Fister album, but that does not make it any less enjoyable, yet ultimately, this is an album for hardcore Fister fans only. 65/100 Adam McCann ‘Chapter Zero’ Art Gates Records Pagan Black Metal Frijgard have showed recently that they are one of the rising stars in the pagan black metal scene and with albums such as ‘Nebelwacht’ and ‘Bellum Aeternum Est’, it has placed the Swiss band on the map. This year has the band attempting to consolidate their position with their latest release ‘Chapter Zero’. As an album, ‘Chapter Zero’ really makes a stand, it shows a huge maturity in sound and song writing from Frijgard. Of course, there are elements of bands previous work here, solid double bass drumming, lo-fi thrashing guitars and vocals which emulate the Swiss master Tom G. Warrior. But, Frijgard only use this flattery as a base point and any Celtic Frost/Triptykon comparisons are held strictly, there as Frijgard have really come into their own; tracks such as the colossal ‘Blazing Ark’ and ‘Red Lines Crossed’ show just how far this band has come as song writers. However, what ‘Chapter Zero’ offers to the listener is accessibility, smooth songs such as ‘Haven’ and the Depeche Mode meets Johnny Cash acoustic opening to ‘Aftermath’ really capture what this album is all about. ‘Chapter Zero’ is enjoyable and it continues to grow with each listen. There is nothing here that will set the world on fire, but who cares? Frijgard have delivered the album of their career and with it some quality pagan black metal. 80/100 Adam McCann ‘Breathe In Colours’ Nuclear Blast Records Heavy Metal/Gothic Metal Forever Still gathered a lot of attention back in 2016 with their debut album ‘Tied Down’. This was followed by extensive touring in support for the album, but with Nuclear Blast Records behind them, expectations were high for their follow up ‘Breathe In Colours’. ‘Breathe In Colours’ does follow directly in the footsteps of their debut, but it does act as an anchor, allowing the band to expand on ideas and making sure that their sophomore album is not just a carbon cut out. These ideals can be seen during tracks like the addictive ‘Rewind’, the aggressive blast of ‘Fight!’ or even the almost Sepultura drone opening of ‘Do Your Worst’. Furthermore, the vocals of Maja Shining have taken a huge leap forward and whilst the band would still appeal to fans of Flyleaf or Halestorm, there is a passion hidden within her voice which shows a love for equal parts Alanis Morrisette and Maria Brink giving the band an integrity which allows them to stand out from the most name checked female fronted bands. For Forever Still, ‘Breathe In Colours’ has that rough and ready demeanour which gives the band its charm and personality and goes a long way in securing their reputation as one of the better up and coming bands in this genre. 78/100 Adam McCann ‘The End of Chaos’ AFM Records 2018 Thrash Metal Since the release of their previous self-titled album three years ago, Flotsam & Jetsam have been in somewhat of a renaissance; a well-received album followed by high-profile support slots, it would seem that for the first time since 1988’s ‘No Place For Disgrace’, the band are once again getting the recognition they so deserve. This year, Flotsam are back with their latest album ‘The End of Chaos’ and are attempting to capitalise on the success brought back to them in 2016. As expected, ‘The End of Chaos’ follows diligently in the path of the previous album with an attitude which swaggers with all the epitome of ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’ and why would they? ‘The End…’ has all the hallmarks of a band riding on the crest of a wave, rejuvenated and enjoying what they do; tracks such as the opening ‘Prisoner of Time’, the thunder of ‘Prepare for Chaos’ and the sing-a-long memorable chorus of ‘Demolition Man’ make ‘The End…’ just as fun and enjoyable as the last offering from Flotsam. Furthermore, the vocals of Eric A.K. move from his standard Flotsam thrash voice to one that is soaring and melodic; even having touches of Bruce Dickinson during the album’s standout tracks ‘Recover’ and ‘Survive’. Once again, Flotsam have created an album which has solidified their status as thrash metal veterans. ‘The End…’ shows that the previous album was not a fluke and that Flotsam truly have entered another golden age of their career. 82/100 Adam McCann ‘The Third Secret’ Nuclear Blast Records 2018 Heavy Metal/Power Metal After beginning their career magnificently with their eponymous debut album (1986) and their following album ‘Time Will Tell’ (1989), the career of Fifth Angel came to a very quick and abrupt end in 1990. Other than a one-off show in 2010, 27 years would pass before the band would put together their official long-awaited reunion with the band releasing their third album ‘The Third Secret’ one year later. ‘The Third Secret’ is everything that fans of Fifth Angel have been waiting for, it carefully follows in the footsteps of the bands self-titled debut album, but now, instead of the youthful ambition that drove them originally, the band have an experienced air of maturity about them which shows how each of the bands members have grown in their time apart. However, the biggest noticeable change is the switch of Kendall Bechtel from guitars to vocal stand. This change brings about a warm familiarity to Fifth Angel with Bechtel’s excellent raspy vibrato appealing to fans of Ronnie James Dio and Pretty Maids, whilst still being very much able to tackle the soaring power metal pipes that would grab the attention of Vicious Rumors, Crimson Glory or even Savatage with tracks such as ‘We Will Rise’, ‘Dust To Dust’, ‘Stars Are Falling’ and the slow smouldering of ‘Can You Hear Me?’ being exceptionally good. Without a doubt, ‘The Third Secret’ is a worthy instalment into the Fifth Angel catalogue, it does lack that final killer touch that boots it into the upper echelons of their debut album. However, ‘The Third Secret’ is a solid album that is very enjoyable and is one of the albums of the year that should be heard. 86/100 Adam McCann Catatonia Bad Reputation Records 2017 Weird Crustacean Homage Fasiv is the brainchild of the young Frank Abreau Salazar IV, an up and coming musician from San Francisco. ‘Catatonia’ is the second album by the Californian rockers who jumped onto the scene last year with their 60’s throwback style debut. Salazar’s vocals are quire androgynous at times, his voice floating between sounding like a male and female and at times, particularly during the Wolfmother-esque stomping of ‘Chelsea’ and ‘Different Personality’, in which Salazar seems to pull off a fantastic impersonation of Burke Shelley. There is still an Oasis meets The Beatles infusion lingering on the album, especially during ‘Medication’, but, ‘Catatonia’ expands and pushes away from this adding a rather large element of 90’s nostalgia into the mix. The title track musically has an element of late 90’s Pearl Jam, ‘Deep Inebriation’ has all the hallmarks of Temple of the Dog, whilst ‘Escargot’ shamelessly borrows from ‘Rock Lobster’ in some weird crustacean homage. However, there is nothing on ‘Catatonia’ that you won’t have heard before, but that does not make the album any less enjoyable. For such a young person, ‘Catatonia’ is an exceptionally mature album, it is dripping with that beautiful old-school West Coast sound mixed with a rather large helping of 90’s alternative melody able to make people of any age and background nod along appreciatively. 61/100 Adam McCann Chelsea; Fasiv, 'Catatonia', 2017; Bad Reputation Records
With Morning Toast & Jam & Juice ‘Til Deaf Do Us Party Records 2017 Who's Making Noise in Someone's Else's Garden? That's Frauds! Frauds a hugely noisy two piece which have exploded onto the scene from Croydon with their debut album ‘With Morning Toast & Jam & Juice’. Often being described as post-hardcore, this would be a relative injustice to Frauds as there is much more about them than that. There is much more of a punk element to this band and Frauds have all the guile of Slaves mixed in with the noise of Melvins, Nirvana and Pixies. The band has managed to capture the energy and power which goes into a live Frauds performance and although the band do not appear to take themselves far too seriously, there is more than a helping of the avant-garde here. At first, this odd delivery and over-arching theme can be a little difficult to get along with, but once it clicks, ‘With Morning Toast…’ is a hell of a lot fun, songs such as ‘The Feeding Frenzy’ and especially ‘Sandwiches’ with its Nirvana-esque noise coupled with the Damon Albarn on acid vocal delivery make Frauds an interesting listen. ‘With Morning Toast…’ is a definite grower, it is raw, energetic and oozing with a weird attitude able to bring a smile to even the most sullen punk. 62/100 Smooth; Frauds 'With Morning Toast & Jam & Juice', 2017; 'Til Death Do Us Party Records
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