‘Experimental’ is often a phrase that can have many people recoiling in fear. It is a fear of the unknown, the unexpected and the possibility of being labelled as a musical pariah, the dreaded ‘hipster’, you know the type: “oh! I heard these before they were famous”, “Ew! You listen to them? I only listen to underground artists” etc, you know the drill. Yet, experimental is what Nova Charisma choose to label themselves as Donovan Melero from Hail The Sun and Sergio Medina of Stolas continue their musical odyssey by following up ‘Exposition’, their debut EP with the aptly titled ‘Exposition II’.
Fans of Nova Charisma will not be shocked to find that ‘Exposition II’ follows on almost exactly where the previous EP left off. Now, the experimental label may be something of a red herring here, what the listener gets are beautifully arranged melodies and songs that have all the hallmarks of both indie and alternative rock; ‘Hoxton’ and ‘Gemini’ have exceptional vocal harmonies that would appeal to fans of Belle & Sebastian and Elliott Smith. These melodies are juxtaposed by complex time signatures and rhythms that would pull in the interest from the more progressive side of the spectrum, particularly the more contemporary of this genre such as The Mars Volta, Circa Survive as well as fans from Hail The Sun.
This is actually an easy EP to like and for something considering ‘experimental’, it is remarkably predictable and enjoyable. All this means there is a replayable factor to ‘Exposition II’ and by clocking in at 13 minutes, it does exactly what an EP needs to do, in and out, giving a screenshot of what Nova Charisma are capable of. However, can the band keep the attention of the listener and do this over a full-length studio album? Time will tell. 75/100 Adam McCann
Novembers Doom
‘Nephilim Grove’ Prophecy Productions Death/Doom Metal
Novembers Doom have had an illustrious past within the death/doom genre. Throughout the last three decades, the band have released album after album of highly regarded metal with many fans and critics citing their work as definitive albums of death/doom. More recently, the bands work rate has slowed, albeit only a little, with the Chicago band releasing their eleventh studio album ‘Nephilim Grove’.
For such as serenely titled album, ‘Nephilim Grove’ forges forward with all the burning desire of Hades itself. However, what makes this album so enjoyable is the fact that it just isn’t a constant barrage of death metal drumming that can be seen with many of their peers; instead, what the listener will get with ‘Nephilim Grove’ are crushing parts, driving rhythms that we know Novembers Doom are capable of delivering, juxtaposed with sweepingly clean passages that show that the Chicago band are not just a one-trick pony. Tracks such as ‘Black Light’, ‘The Obelus’ and the title track itself are some of the best work that this band has ever released, all backed up with a beautiful high-quality production that does not detract from the music. Furthermore, as enjoyable as the clean vocals are, this album excels when growled; it is the growls of Paul Kuhr that solely remind us why we love Novembers Doom. These growls have all the tenacity of Johan Hegg and thus, are able to draw in younger fans who may not necessarily know who Novembers Doom are.
What Novembers Doom have done with ‘Nephilim Grove’ is deliver another excellent album to add to their already powerful catalogue and fans of My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost and Swallow the Sun should do their best to find and purchase this album; it will not disappoint.
81/100 Adam McCann
NorthTale
‘Welcome To Paradise’ Nuclear Blast Records Power Metal
Following a rather surprising parting of ways between fantasy themed power metal band Twilight Force and vocalist Christian Eriksson, the former Twilight Force mouthpiece joined forces with Bill Hudson of Circle II Circle and Patrick Johansson of Clockwork Revolution to form NorthTale. With such big names within the power metal world gathering together, the metal world waited as NorthTale released their debut album ‘Welcome To Paradise’.
Unlike his previous band, with NorthTale, Eriksson pursues a more classic power metal sound as this album blasts out of the hatches with soaring vocals, a rhythm section of blistering pace and masterclasses in the guitar. But, read between the lines and there is something a little more enjoyable about this album than generic power metal and that is the keyboards of Jimmy Pitts. These meld effortlessly with the guitars to provide a worthy opponent and at other times, the keyboards find themselves at odds with the guitar, duelling back and forth that takes a leaf out of classics like Deep Purple and Rainbow, but then one step further, having all the appeal of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica in their prime with tracks such as the jaw dropping ‘If Angels Are Real’, ‘Siren’s Fall’ and the title track. Yet, there is even a neo-classical edge as well that would make fans of Yngwie Malmsteen and The Great Kat dizzy with excitement. However, occasionally, the lyrics do leave a little to be desired, tracks like ‘Bring Down The Mountain’ would fare better without the use of ‘douchebag’ whilst ‘Everyone’s A Star’, although tongue in cheek with its Edguy style delivery, just takes away from the overall feel of the album. Furthermore, ‘Welcome To Paradise’ is best when it is firing on all cylinders and rather loses its way during the ballads, the albums closing track ‘Even When’ peters out into nothing and would be better omitted, yet the albums previous 50 minutes more than make up for this.
‘Welcome To Paradise’ is an excellent way to begin a career, it’s not without its flaws at times, but who cares, this is power metal gold and no doubt, this will make many peoples end of year lists. 76/100 Adam McCann
Necronautical
‘Apotheosis’ Candlelight Records Black Metal
By listening to the music that Necronautical play, it is possible to assume that this band come from the frozen norths, somewhere near Trondheim or Hel. But no, instead, this band hail from the drab, wet, post-industrious landscape of north-west England and following two well-received albums, Necronautical attempt to make it three is the magic number with their latest album ‘Apotheosis’.
‘Apotheosis’ means to reach a pinnacle or climax but can also mean to raise something to a divine status. To name an album this at any point in a career is a bold statement, but it does look like there could be truth to this. There is no denying that this is a genre awash with a generic sound, but with this album, Necronautical manage to take a step out into the spotlight by delivering a sound that encompasses driving guitars, pummelling blast beats and decent tremolo picking. Yet, what makes this album so enjoyable are the orchestral and choral arrangement which euphorically drift in and out of the music, with tracks such as ‘Nihil Sub Sole Novum’, ‘Lure of the Abyss’ and the closing masterpiece ‘The Endless Spiral’ managing to hold the attention of the listener throughout. Furthermore, this album is made more enjoyable through some excellently crafted lyrics, where melancholic melodies explore the values of human faith and morality, delivered in a way that is unexpected from a black metal band. However, on superficial listening, there is not much that separates ‘Apotheosis’ from its peers but dig beneath the surface and what can be found is a black metal band which packs one hell of a punch proving that Necronautical were right about one thing, this is the apotheosis of their career. 82/100 Adam McCann
Nervcast
Two Weeks Notice’ (EP) Independent Release Hard Rock/Heavy Metal
It was difficult for Nervcast to not hit the ground running with their enjoyable debut album ‘Locked And Loaded’ being released last year and following this, the Canadian metalheads are releasing their latest EP ‘Two Weeks Notice’.
The difference between big, established bands and those fighting within the heavy metal trenches is that Nervcast have not released an EP that contains nothing more than leftovers from the ‘Locked And Loaded’ sessions in some vain attempt to cash in on songs that didn’t make the album cut. No, in fact, far from it, ‘Two Weeks Notice’ shows a band hungry for success and in the middle of a creative peak; these four tracks are not only immediately catchy, but also fun and memorable. Tracks such as ‘Lie Here Awake’ and the title track have all the superficiality of 90’s Metallica whilst digging beneath the surface, there is a deeper tonality that appeals to fans of both Jeff Waters and Dave Mustaine.
Yet, this EP is not stuck in 1996, it sounds fresh and modern allowing listeners to sample what Nervcast are capable of; from modern thrashing battering rams, through enjoyable hard rock with a touch of acoustic guitar and interesting vocal harmonies. ‘Two Weeks Notice’ is a stop gap that shows a band pushing forward and based on what this EP offers, expectation will be high for the band’s sophomore album.
80/100 Adam McCann
New Model Army
Thunder And Consolation EMI Records 1989 Post-Punk
By the late 80’s, on the back of excellent albums such as ‘The Ghost of Cain’ and ‘No Rest For The Wicked’, New Model Army (NMA) had built up a strong and dedicated fanbase. The course of the 80’s had seen NMA evolve from post-punk worship of bands like The Jam to developing their own distinct sound and 1989 would see the band consolidate their stranglehold on the genre with the seminal ‘Thunder And Consolation’.
This album would see NMA push their sound beyond their usual remit and would see the bands biggest change in sound since their inception. ‘Thunder…’ takes the band into a different direction by adding an element of folk into the music of NMA, which can be seen with the emphasis of Justin Sullivan using an acoustic guitar, alongside the addition to keyboards to fill out of the sound, which had previously been filled with distortion. Moreover, this folk sound is pushed more into the mix by Ed Alleyne-Johnson who joined the band on violin.
NMA and in particular Sullivan had been honing their craft and whilst songs such as ‘Ballad of Bodmin Pill’ and ‘Family’ show flashes of the bands previous sound with its bouncing bass leading the band forward, alongside the lyrics of venom and protest which have come to be expected from NMA. However, unlike the bands previous work, Sullivan’s lyrics take a much more introspected view with ‘Thunder…’ and when coupled with the folk elements of ‘Green And Grey’, ‘Family Life’, ‘Stupid Questions’ and ‘Vagabonds’, this album really does steal the show, particularly with its smouldering violin parts.
With ‘Thunder…’, NMA reached a pinnacle, the hard work that the band had lain down previously was reaping dividends culminating in this album. Yes, it certainly makes a move away from the bands previous sound, but with that, NMA settle into a sound which would define the remainder of their career.
92/100 Adam McCann
No Hot Ashes
‘No Hot Ashes’ Frontiers Records 2018 Melodic Rock/AOR
Formed 35 years ago in the beautiful capital of Northern Ireland, No Hot Ashes (NHA) were on the brink of hitting the big time, but as bad luck would have it and due to circumstances beyond their control, the band did not get the recognition they so sorely deserved, and the band went their separate ways on the cusp of success. Fortunately, this story has a happy ending and in recent years, schedules have aligned and after a successful one-off charity show, NHA decided to reform and have finally released their self-titled debut album.
As what could be initially anticipated, this is not an album out of time, steeped in late 80’s/early 90’s production and clichés, instead ‘No Hot Ashes’ sounds fresh, new and ready to take on and plant their flag in the brave new world of melodic hard rock/AOR. There are enough allusions to the past here, the opening track ‘Come Alive’ has a similar melody to ‘Fantasy’ by Aldo Nova, making this song sound extremely warm and familiar, whilst the ballad ‘Boulders’ is absolutely superb and along with ‘Souls’ has all the hallmarks of Journey. Moreover, ‘No Hot Ashes’ is not all about this and there are nods to a modern sound and vocalist Eamon Nancarrow delivers a vocal performance that would appeal to any fans of Stormzone or even Tyketto.
Every track on ‘No Hot Ashes’ is dripping with catchy hooks and melodic passages which easily become enjoyable with each listen. The musicianship on this album is second to none and the beautiful harmonies are something to behold. NHA have managed to sneak out one of the best melodic rock albums of the year and deserves considerably more attention.
84/100 Adam McCann
Nothgard
‘Malady X’ Metal Blade Records 2018 Epic Melodic Death Metal
Nothgard have worked tirelessly since their formation in 2008, releasing a string of critically acclaimed albums which cemented their reputation as one of the best up and coming epic melodic death metal bands. Great news came in April when Nothgard announced that they had signed a multiple album deal with Metal Blade Records and their fourth album ‘Malady X’ was not far behind.
As a band, Nothgard’s previous releases had always been enjoyable, but ‘Malady X’ takes a huge leap forward, the album has the feeling that the band are now taking more care and time within their song crafting, ironing out the previous niggles with a meticulous precision. This shows immensely with the production, another element which has taken a huge jump forward. Guitarists, Dom R. Crey and Skaahl have provided an excellent production which allows the band to shine, they know exactly what they want the band to sound like with their twin guitar work piercing through on tracks like ‘Epitaph’, ‘Guardians of Sanity’ and the title track’ which has all the appeal of Children of Bodom, whilst a different dimension is brought to the bands work with instantly recognisable banshee wail of Noora Louhimo from Battle Beast during ‘Deamonium I’.
‘Malady X’ is a huge step forward and significantly raises the bar for Nothgard making the album easily one of the bands best releases.
80/100 Adam McCann
‘Winds Of Time: The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal 1979-1985’
HNE Recordings Limited/Cherry Red Records 2018 NWOBHM
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was an exceptionally fruitful time to be in a band. The punk and heavy metal scenes had spawned this movement and for the metal bands of this time, it meant that the huge surge in popularity saw record companies signing bands left and right. For some of these bands, like Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, it meant a rocket rise to fame and success. However, for most NWOBHM bands, it meant a short-lived success followed by years of struggling, disbandment and obscurity. However, instead of being consigned to the history books, the NWOBHM movement was given a large boost when bands such as Metallica and Megadeth began releasing covers of the NWOBHM songs which inspired them. Since this time, more than enough compilation albums have been released of the NWOBHM movement and the latest one of these is ‘Winds of Time: The New Wave of British Heavy Metal 1979-1985’.
This compilation is a three CD box set and when it comes to NWOBHM, ‘Winds of Time…’ is as definitive an album that anyone can purchase regarding this genre. On this box set, there is no Iron Maiden and Def Leppard, but there are enough big NWOBHM bands such as Diamond Head, Angel Witch, Witchfynde , Saxon and Venom to pull the average heavy metal fan in, but beneath the superficiality of these bands, the listener will find a treasure trove of music, some of these NWOBHM bands which only released a 7” single over a very short time, with the only noticeable missing bands being Blind Fury, Demon and Tank. Unfortunately, not all these recordings are great, there are live and demo versions in which the quality is extremely poor, and this also transposes across to some of the more obscure tracks. This causes the volume to rise and fall with each track and can lead to quite a lot of frustration fixing and changing the volume. For those looking to find a NWOBHM collection all in one place, or to seriously increase their knowledge of the NWOBHM then there is no better compilation than ‘Winds of Time…’.
90/100 Adam McCann
New Model Army
‘The Ghost of Cain’ EMI Records 1986 Post-Punk
It had been a quick rise for New Model Army, the band who were the darlings of the underground were now on the verge of success, riding the crest the wave generated by their debut ‘Vengeance’ and its follow up ‘No Rest for the Wicked’. However, during the tour for the latter, founding bassist Stuart Morrow departed from the band and was replaced by Jason Harris, the man who would also help Justin Sullivan and Robert Heaton record the bands third album ‘The Ghost of Cain’.
As an album ‘The Ghost of Cain’ follows meticulously in the footsteps of its two predecessors and legendary veteran producer Glyn Johns does a fantastic job at capturing New Model Army not only young, raw and scathing, but also a band in their prime and on the up. However, the main significant change from ‘No Rest…’ to its follow up is the addition of Harris into the mix. Harris does a solid and commendable job, yet ‘The Ghost…’ misses that almost lead bass which Morrow provided, on the other hand, the lack of the leading bass means that Sullivan fills out much of the sound with his guitar allowing New Model Army to begin sounding less like The Jam and more like something different. This new dimension to the band comes out during songs such as ‘The Hunt’, the bouncing distorted bass of ‘Master Race’ and the anthemic ‘51st State’, whilst Mark Feltham of Nine Below Zero fame guests on the songs ‘Poison Street’ and ‘Ballad’ lending his distinctive harmonica playing to the protest songs of New Model Army. Much like the album before it, ‘The Ghost of Cain’ is an excellent example of New Model Army doing what they do best and with this, it is possible to see the different contrasts within the band and although ‘The Ghost…’ is considerably more guitar driven, it certainly does not take anything away from the overall sound and once more, New Model Army would release not only a fantastic album, but another album that would stand the test of time.
90/100 Adam McCann
Nervosa
‘Downfall of Mankind’ Napalm Records 2018 Thrash Metal
Nervosa have spent the best part of the last two years endlessly touring in support of their excellent second album ‘Agony’. But with constant touring comes the demands of the road and unfortunately this meant that drummer Pitchu Ferraz stepped down from the Nervosa drum stool and was replaced with the equally capable Luana Dametto. Fortunately, this has not delayed the all-female three-piece in the creative department with vocalist and bassist Fernanda Lira and guitarist Prika Amaral working tirelessly on their latest album ‘Downfall of Mankind’.
This album follows very much in the footsteps of its predecessor, it is still full of the primordial thrashing riffs which made the band so endearing, tracks such as ‘Enslave’, ‘Raise your Fist!’, ‘Fear, Violence and Massacre’ and the Metallica alluding ‘…And Justice For Whom?’ ooze with that excellent Nervosa vibe, the one that sings of violence, corruption, prejudice and the rise of fascism in their homeland of Brazil. However, there has been an evolution within the Nervosa camp and ‘Downfall of Mankind’, Nervosa have decided to take a heavier approach, there is plenty of use of here downtuned guitars with fast descending riffs that are more akin to an old school death metal sound. Furthermore, Lira takes a step away from that Venom style vocal delivery which was so prevalent on the first two releases by the band and instead choose to make use of a delivery which would appeal to fans of early Deicide as the band make use of a similar vocal pitch shifter to give Lira an almost demonic shout that can be seen clearly in ‘Horrordome’, ‘No Mercy’ and ‘Conflict’.
As an album, ‘Downfall of Mankind’ is an album which grows in enjoyment and although there are some tracks here which are less than memorable and occasionally border on ‘meh’, there are certainly some Nervosa classics in the making that make ‘Downfall of Mankind’ a thoroughly pleasurable listen. 76/100 Adam McCann
New Model Army
‘No Rest For The Wicked’ EMI Records 1985 Post-Punk
The advent of punk had been a real shake up to the musical system. It’s evolution into new wave and eventually post-punk meant that bands could fully experiment with different musical genres without falling completely out of the umbrella that made them successful in the first place. New Model Army took a large amount of the punk protest mantra and combined it with the slick, catchy pseudo pop jingles of The Jam. But, unlike Paul Weller’s subliminal protests, New Model Army were young, snot nosed and pissed off without being afraid to show it.
‘No Rest for the Wicked’ is the sophomore album from New Model Army and their first album on a major label after their debut album ‘Vengeance’ attracted a huge amount of attention. Released in 1985, ‘No Rest…’ perfectly sums up the working-class mood in the United Kingdom at the time, the Falkland’s Conflict was still fresh in everybody’s mind, as well as the propaganda used by Margaret Thatcher and the Conservative Government on the run to the up the 1983 General Election. Not only were political tensions high, but also racial tensions, at this time, the people would start to fight back against the institutionalised racism that had embedded itself within the system, particularly that of the police force.
All this anger transposes itself straight onto ‘No Rest…’ as vocalist Justin Sullivan and his guitar croon their way through such angry tirades as the fear inducing ‘Frightened’, the equality anthem of ‘My Country’ and the loss of innocence provoking ‘Grandmother’s Footsteps’. However, it is the superb leading basslines of Stuart Morrow which provide the perfect backdrop for these venomous vocals and without Morrow’s basslines driving the album forward and filling out the sound, it would leave ‘No Rest...’ feeling relatively flat, indistinguishable to other bands and one dimensional. Furthermore, because of this, it makes not just ‘No Rest…’ but New Model Army, the perfect spiritual successor to The Jam.
One of the best things about this album is that the lyrics of the Yorkshire three piece which even now, still ring as true today as they did back in 1985 which is one of the reasons which make ‘No Rest…’ so endearing. This brings about a renewed appeal each time that this album is heard, giving the album a sense of longevity and when coupled with its youthful vigour, it makes ‘No Rest…’ one of the best places to start when exploring the New Model Army catalogue and familiar album to crank up loud for those already acquainted with the bands work. 90/100 Adam McCann
New Noise
The City of Virtue
Independent Release
2017
Faith Some More
New Noise have a creed into which they live by; the band aims to deliver a modern Christian message through their alternative, almost experimental music. The question is; does it work? The answer in short, no.
These Australians spread their message through that long, droning downtuned guitar and bass which you have come to expect from Deftones. Ironically, this Christian mantra is delivered mostly through the medium of the gothic style vocals of the likes of Sisters of Mercy and The Mission. However, New Noise add in gallons of mid-90’s-esque Faith No More and the particular haunting version of ‘Amazing Grace’ would definitely appeal to fans of Mike Patton.
Unfortunately, ‘The City of Virtue’ isn’t exactly memorable, even the Faith No More hooks of ‘Lust & Virtue’ and ‘Last Light’ aren’t enough to really hold your attention and the album even takes a ludicrous step towards dubstep with ‘Solitude’, reminding us of the reason why the skip button was invented.
‘Solitude’ aside, the album does flow relatively well, the preacher interludes are quite a clever way of masking one track blending into another and if the Christian message isn’t to your liking, then you won’t be missing much if you stick Faith No More on instead.
5/10 Adam McCann
Last Light; New Noise, 'The City of Virtue', 2017; Independent Release
Night Demon
Darkness Remains
SPV/Steamhammer Records 2017
Maiden California
Let’s face it, one of the greatest things to happen to music in the last 25 years is the dawning of the age of the internet. Years ago, you’d have to trawl through music magazines or wait for it, actually go outside! Venturing into the nether to find a record store that met your needs and maybe, just maybe you’d find what you were looking for or gamble a chance on an album with a cool artwork on the cover. These days, life is much simpler, you no longer need to leave the house with a huge shift towards digital sales supported by the likes of iTunes, YouTube, Deezer and Spotify. These programs link and recommend different and related artists based on your browsing history, therefore you are considerably more likely to come across something new or unheard before.
Night Demon have that sound which harks back to a different era, that era is the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) which swept over the United Kingdom during the late 70’s and early 80’s and if you didn’t know any better, you’d say that Night Demon stood alongside the likes of Iron Maiden, Angel Witch and Saxon in 1980. But you’ll be surprised to learn that Night Demon actually formed in California in 2011 releasing their debut album; 'Curse of the Damned' to critical acclaim in 2015. On the back of this success, 2017 see’s Night Demon release their sophomore album; 'Darkness Remains'.
'Curse of the Damned' cut its teeth from the template laid down by Diamond Head’s 1980 masterpiece; 'Lightning to the Nations', even vocalist Jarvis Leatherby sounded like the offspring of Sean Harris and indeed, there are still songs on 'Darkness Remains' which have the Diamond Head flair, such as 'Stranger in the Room' and 'Welcome to the Night' which would appease any fan of 'Lightning to the Nations' and 'Borrowed Time'. But, with 'Darkness Remains', Night Demon spread out in the NWOBHM territory with plenty of the songs pointing towards the Iron Maiden end of the spectrum.
The early Iron Maiden-esque sounds are littered all over the place, not only is Leatherby’s voice slightly raspier, particularly on tracks such as 'Life on the Run' and 'Dawn Rider' which gives the vocal delivery a real trip down memory lane to the first time you heard 'Iron Maiden' or 'Killers' with Paul Di’anno, but the song 'Maiden Hell' basically tells the story of Iron Maiden through the lyrics – quite cleverly done if not a little clichéd. For the trained Maiden fan, there are little homages dotted throughout and this makes 'Darkness Remains' much more fun as you play the game of: “oh yeah, that’s from that song etc”, for example, 'Welcome to the Night' towards the end has the galloping high bass sound from 'Phantom of the Opera', whilst 'Dawn Rider' settles into a riff that brings a smile to your face with a salute to 'Rime of the Ancient Mariner'.
If you’re starting to think that maybe 'Darkness Remains' isn’t for you, then there are other nods to other bands, 'Life on the Run' begins with a riff straight from Judas Priest and ends with a high-five to 'Ace of Spades', whilst 'Dawn Rider' begins with all the tenacity of 'Overkill'. 'On Your Own' would make any Kiss fan smile with an intro drum beat as near as possible to 'Do You Love Me?' whilst 'Black Widow' has a chorus of backing vocals that wouldn’t be out of place on Mötley Crüe’s 'Too Fast For Love' with 'Maiden Hell' having an ascending guitar pattern soundbite in the solo that is reminiscent of 'Pictures of Home' from Deep Purple’s seminal album; 'Machine Head'.
'Darkness Remains' is an excellent slice of NWOBHM and what you have to remember is that by no means is the album a rip off of Iron Maiden and other bands, it is a homage, a nod to a band who knows where they come from, taking everything in their stride and creating their own sound. Night Demon have created an album that is an absolute joy to listen to, not only are the tracks fun and full of the riffs and melodic breaks which make you crack out the air guitar, but each song is well crafted with the only average song being the instrumental; 'Flight of the Manticore'. However, with an album that clocks in at under 40 minutes, 'Darkness Remains' definitely leapfrogs the ‘difficult second album’, so what now? Well, more of the same lads.
78/100
Adam McCann
Welcome to the Night; Night Demon, 'Darkness Remains', 2017; SPV/Steamhammer Records