Forced Commandments Massacre Records Heavy Metal FFO: Stormwitch, Heavy Load, Ostrogoth, Abattoir, Accept, Saxon
It has been a funny old life for Oz, the Finns took the world by storm in the 80’s with ‘Fire In The Brain’ their acclaimed sophomore album which had critics and fans alike drooling with appreciation and accolades. However, for the Finnish band, the wheels continued to turn, and their subsequent releases failed to capitalise on their lightning start. Unperturbed, Oz limped on as Finnish metal’s most forgotten ‘nearly’ band. Fast forward 30 years and Oz have returned with the band testing the water with their well received 2017 album ‘Transition State’ and thankfully, without fading away, Oz are back with their latest album ‘Forced Commandments’.
Obviously, without many years between these two albums, there is an incredibly similar sound coursing between ‘Transition…’ and ‘Forced…’. Therefore, what Oz deliver with ‘Forced…’ is a classic sounding Oz album which easily salutes the bands heritage, but ultimately keeps one foot driving forward. It is difficult to talk about this album without mentioning where the accolades actually stand and that is with new vocalist Vince Koivula, the man who has been the mouthpiece for the Finns since 2016; this man may not have the strongest voice when it comes to hard rock and heavy metal, but ‘Forced…’ is a lesson in deliverance. Oz have always had excellent music, there is no denying that, but this, now coupled with Koivula’s vocal phrasing, melodies and delivery create truly memorable songs such as ‘’Revival’, ‘Goin’ Down’ and ‘Switchblade Alley’ that stand tall as instant modern Oz anthems and equal to the bands glorious past.
What Oz have delivered is a very strong album that in typical Oz form will unfortunately fall under the radar. If you are a fan of classic sounding heavy metal than I implore you to do one thing this year and that is get yourself a copy of ‘Forced…’; it is most definitely worth it.
5/10 Adam McCann
The Old Dead Tree
‘The End’ EP Season of Mist Gothic Metal
The Old Dead Tree (TODT) are band that have always been wrought with inner-conflicts and ‘musical differences’, seemingly to be on a constant rotation of splitting up and reforming so much that the words “we were on a break!” might as well be used. Despite this, TODT have always delivered heavy metal albums of exquisite quality so when it was announced last year that the band was returning and delivering the EP ‘The End’, the expectation was already relatively high.
TODT must have been born with a horseshoe buried into their arse, because ‘The End’ once again delivers superb quality. This is a well-produced EP that takes a step away from the Gothic metal that the band are known for and takes a running leap into a more progressive metal and post-metal territory. Complex time signatures and arrangements merrily dance throughout this EP, creating a beautiful backbone that is both enjoyable and addictive; tracks such as ‘Kids’, ‘Sorry’ and ‘Raise’ have all the appeal of Between the Buried and Me, Haken and Nailed to Obscurity, but there is still that darker edge to TODT which would pique the interest of fans of Alcest and Katatonia. Yet, is the vocals of Manuel Munoz which take the centre stage here on ‘The End’, throughout this EP, his voice soars beautifully, from a sombre thought to an ethereal shrill, Munoz brings all the mastery of the likes of Jeff Buckley and Matt Bellamy to the table, especially during ‘Sorry’, ‘Someone Should Know (The Truth)’ and the title track giving a certain panache to an EP that certainly has the ability to be able to appeal to those who might not necessarily give a band such as TODT a second thought.
‘The End’ has a certain infectious quality to it, an enjoyable je ne sais quoi that makes it difficult to turn off. Anyone looking for something different to listen to should certainly check this out, whilst long-time fans of TODT will lovingly take ‘The End’ into their stride. 85/100 Adam McCann
One Step From The Edge
The Deafening Silence Independent Release Progressive Metal/Metalcore FFO: Scar Symmetry, Hidden In The Basement
As a genre, Metalcore has been popular for the last 15 years and more recently it has managed to splice itself in with other genres, almost getting where water can’t. This has created an interesting edge to some bands and one such band are One Step From The Edge (OSFTE) from Greece. OSFTE combine the intricacies and complexities of progressive metal with the raw grooves of metalcore to create an exciting sound with their sophomore album ‘The Deafening Silence’.
Now, there are some with ‘The Deafening…’ that will instantly pew pew the thought of metalcore, rubbishing it before even entertaining the idea. Those people are not worth listening to as this album rips through the speakers with an angry gusto taking in elements of both the aforementioned styles, but also alongside an undercurrent of black metal as blastbeats pummel the bass whilst Alex Pregou and Alex Seretis’ vocals beautifully juxtapose each other, trading growls and soaring vocals on tracks such as ‘Crushing Around You’, ‘Monster’ and ‘Inside My Head’. However, the only really thing to note about ‘The Deafening…’ is that even though it only clocks in at under 50 minutes, this album feels significantly longer than that and there is a lot of fat here that could be cut off. Yet, this aside, there are some excellent ideas here that really work and create something that is thoroughly enjoyable. ‘The Deafening…’ is an album which takes a little getting used to, but once it does, it is a very good listen. It won’t be anywhere near the best release this year, but who cares? Take the time and give it a listen and it’ll be pleasantly surprising.
5/10 Adam McCann
Öxxö Xööx
‘Ÿ’ Blood Music Progressive Doom/Metal
Who expected two former members of Whourkr to bounce back from near obscurity to form and bring their latest band Öxxö Xööx to the forefront of cult doom metal acts. The French band have gone from strength to strength and on the back of two extremely well received albums, both by fans and critics alike; Öxxö Xööx have unleashed their third album ‘Ÿ’.
With ‘Ÿ’, Öxxö Xööx continue their trend of writing albums partly in English alongside their own devised language. This gives ‘Ÿ’ a progressive nature, something that would fit best described as ‘avant-garde’, beyond the general remit of doom metal and it is this which makes this album interesting, it sidesteps the grinding monotony of the genre to create something relatively unique. This means that ‘Ÿ’ has all the appeal of Devin Townsend Project, Ea or even Sigh. However, tracks such as ‘3ën’, ‘999’ and ‘D’ have the overbearing sound of Type O Negative in their prime with vocalist Öxxö Xööx having that warm, deep baritone of Peter Steele. Yet, the plaudits aren’t taken by Öxxö Xööx alone, what makes ‘Ÿ’ so good is the programming and studio wizardry from Igorrr who manages to take this album, not just into a different quadrant of the galaxy, but into a whole new dimension with provides something new and interesting with each listen.
Unfortunately, this album is not for everyone. There are a lot of places on this album that are easy to get lost in, yet this album is an album that needs appreciation and to be understood. However, ‘Ÿ’ does have the ability to pull in fans from the more mainstream bands such as Tool and show the listener that there are bands out there capable of doing much more, much better. 86/100 Adam McCann
Ozzy Osbourne
‘Ordinary Man’ Sony Music Heavy Metal
Even a passing fan of heavy metal will know that the last few years have been terrible for Ozzy Osbourne. The Prince of Darkness has struggled with his health culminating in the cancellation of his farewell ‘No More Tours 2’ tour. Alongside these health battles, Ozzy released his first album in decade, finally following up 2010’s ‘Scream’ with his latest and possibly final offering ‘Ordinary Man’.
Ozzy has been teasing songs from ‘Ordinary Man’ for some time now; the title track, alongside ‘Under the Graveyard’ and ‘Straight to Hell’ have left fans rather undecisive and lacklustre with a huge sigh of ‘meh’. Unfortunately, this does transpose into the album, ‘Ordinary Man’ is not an easy album to like; it is almost like Ozzy by numbers, most of the songs are quite ballady with melodies similar to previous tracks such as ‘Mama, I’m Coming Home’ or ‘Dreamer’ with the rest being quite dull, mid-tempo plods where Ozzy seems to have lost any sort of bite and this is partly down to the lack of Zakk Wylde. Andrew Watt, Slash and Tom Morello are more than a competent replacements for Wylde and Gus G, but it can’t be helped thinking that this is no longer a guitar driven album with the guitar feeling like something which just fills out of the sound rather than a behemoth which helped make the Ozzy name. Furthermore, ‘Ordinary Man’ has the feel of a pop album masquerading as a metal album; there is an exceptionally professional, expensive production on ‘Ordinary Man’ complete with modern mod-cons such as autotune, easy to follow chorus’ and tracks which ‘feature’ other artists such as Travis Scott, Post-Malone and Elton John leading to an overall feeling that this is just not a heavy metal album.
There are some half-decent tracks here, ‘Scary Little Green Men’ and ‘Goodbye’ show flashes of a previous Ozzy, the latter in particularly has a reminiscent overtone of ‘Iron Man’, but overall, none of this is enough to make this album actually fully worth going out to buy. Instead of going out with bang, the future of Ozzy Osbourne seems to be petering out into nothing more a wet fart and that is a horrible shame.
44/100 Adam McCann
Orodruin
‘Ruins Of Eternity’ Cruz Del Sur Music Doom Metal
Who would have thought that it has been sixteen years since Orodruin released their debut album ‘Epicurean Mass’? But after much waiting, the American doom outfit finally return with their sophomore album ‘Ruins Of Eternity’.
Every so often, an album manages to grab the listener and pull them in and that is what ‘Ruins Of Eternity’ is certainly capable of. Orodruin have packed this album full of the grinding doom riffs that have come to be expected of the genre, yet, this album is not a typical bog-standard run of the mill doom album containing elongated passages and twelve-minute plus songs that drag like a seal’s arse. Instead, Orodruin manage to concisely blend the perfect sound of Black Sabbath at their most doom-laden with the hum of Saint Vitus, whilst the vocals of Mike Puleo have all the appeal of Candlemass. Furthermore, tracks such as ‘Man Of Peace’, ‘Grave Illusion’ and ‘Forsaken’ bob along in true doom standard before the band drop a Sabbath style tempo change which is not only pleasing, but exceptionally welcoming and endearing. This is even enhanced by a guitar tone that is classic Iommi, easily being enough to tweak the interest of any Sabbath fan worth their salt, particularly during the guitar solo passages.
‘Ruins Of Eternity’ is a nice surprise amongst the bloated field of doom, it is an honest doom record done correctly and may just be some of the best doom that will be heard this year. 80/100 Adam McCann
Overt Enemy
‘Possession’ EP Confused Records Thrash Metal
When a band that is also North America’s best tribute band to Slayer begins writing their own music, there is a sense that something good will unfold. Following on from their likeable ‘Inception’ EP last year, Overt Enemy are once again back with their sophomore EP ‘Possession’.
As enjoyable as ‘Inception’ was, ‘Possession’ is a huge step forward for the band, as Overt Enemy deliver an album of no-frills old-school thrash metal that has all the appeal of, no surprises for guessing here, Slayer. This EP has all the majesty of being able to transport the listener back in time through a sound that makes it difficult to not believe that it isn’t 1987 as thunderous tracks like ‘Pray For Death’ and the title track show that Overt Enemy mean business. The title track in particular shows that whilst the Slayer vibe is there, the band are easily capable of stepping out of their comfort zone; yet it is ‘In The End We Died’ which takes all the plaudits here. This track could easily be featured on ‘South Of Heaven’ without anyone noticing as vocalist Leo Ortiz delivers a near perfect imitation of Tom Araya; a feat explored more during the superb cover of the Slayer classic ‘At Dawn They Sleep’. ‘Possession’ is an EP delivered with all the honesty, passion and integrity of a true thrash gem; yes it would be nice to see Overt Enemy develop more of their own sound, but ultimately, who cares? Turn it up loud and raise those horns! 80/100 Adam McCann
Obsidian Tide
‘Pillars Of Creation’ Independent Release Progressive Metal
Hailing from Tel Aviv in Israel, Obsidian Tide are a three-piece playing a blend of progressive metal mixed with elements of both death and post metal. On the back of their hotly received debut EP ‘Debris’, Obsidian Tide are poised to release their first full-length studio album ‘Pillars of Creation’.
For those who thoroughly enjoyed ‘Debris’, there is an expansion on that sound with this album as mouth-watering time signatures and changes come together to form something quite special. Due to this, ‘Pillars of Creations’ has all the enjoyability of Between The Buried And Me mixed with Dream Theater, but also within these superb riffs are also elements of Iron Maiden’s post-2000 output as tracks such as bass opening to the title track would not be out of place on ‘A Matter of Life and Death’ with its deep, rich bass chords. Furthermore, the clean vocals on this album float somewhere between Orphaned Land, Mastodon and even King Crimson before diving headlong into well-placed growls that have all the powerful delivery of Opeth and Katatonia juxtaposed with a driving rhythm that would fit perfectly on any Symphony X album, particularly seen during ‘Portent of Betrayal’ and the superb ‘King of a New Realm’ with its almost theatrical delivery. Unfortunately, for Obsidian Tide ‘Pillars of Creation’ will be eclipsed by the releases of bigger more established bands albums; but, to ignore it would be a travesty. This album can go head to head with any of the big progressive metal releases this year and come out unscathed and proud. Fans of this genre should definitely check it out, it will not disappoint. 80/100 Adam McCann
Of Fire
‘Dräparen’ Artgates Records Death Metal/Death N’ Roll
Officially formed in 2013, Sweden’s Of Fire have delivered two albums of strong death metal mixed with that death n’ roll vibe which made the Scandinavian music scene shake in the mid 90’s. This year has the young Swedes primed, cocked and loaded to release their third album ‘Dräparen’ to the world.
Fans of ‘Of Fire’ will be happy to know that with ‘Dräparen’ sticks to a tried and tested formula; there is no need mess around with what already works. Because of this, ‘Dräparen’ continues to have that bouncing death n’ roll rhythms that made them so damned enjoyable in the first place. Anyone who likes the Entombed albums such as ‘Wolverine Blues’, ‘To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth’ or Gorefest’s ‘Soul Survivor’ will adore ‘Dräparen’ with its powerful, raw energy having all the necessary feeling to pull a release of this standard off. However, those fans looking for speed or technicality above all else will not find it here; but, what they will find are simple decent riffs which work as the band seem to have adapted the ethos of being straight to the point without messing around that can be seeing during ‘Satanic Warfare’ and ‘Atomvinter’.
‘Dräparen’ does take a few listens to thoroughly enjoy, but once it does, it finds itself being played more and more and therein lies this albums charm, it is nowhere near the best, but it’s a hell of a long way from the worst and that ain’t a bad place to be.
60/100 Adam McCann
Oso Oso
‘Basking In The Glow’ Triple Crown Records Alternative/Indie Rock
Cheerful nihilism may very well be a contradiction in terms, but that expression sums up Oso Oso very well as the Long Island band return with their latest release ‘Basking in the Glow’.
The good thing about ‘Basking…’ is that it marks a huge step forward in song writing and arrangements from Oso Oso mastermind Jade Lilitri who has managed to create an album of easy listening songs. These songs weave melancholic soul-searching lyrics in with catchy major melodies and vocal harmonies that would hugely appeal to fans of Lemonheads as Lilitri delivers an almost near perfect Evan Dando impression at times. Furthermore, these vocal harmonies are so tight that it would even drag in fans of Elliott Smith or even Belle & Sebastian with songs like ‘One Sick Plan’, ‘Dig’ and the title track. Yet, the music happily bounces along having all the hallmarks of pop/punk where tracks like ‘The View’ bring promises of endless summers in the footsteps of New Found Glory and All American Rejects. However, that is what this album is, easy listening and because of this it does have the ability to occasionally lose the interest of the listener who is able to forget the album is playing.
All in all, ‘Basking…’ is a very enjoyable album and for fans of the aforementioned bands, it will make a welcome addition to collections. 70/100 Adam McCann
Orpheus Omega
‘Wear Your Sins’ EVP Recordings Melodic Death Metal
In their relatively short time, Australia’s Orpheus Omega have delivered a string of excellent melodic death metal that easily manages to stand out from the monotony of the generic sound that many bands from this genre fall into. This year has Orpheus Omega release their fourth studio album ‘Wear Your Sins’, the long awaited follow up to 2015’s ‘Partum Vita Mortem’.
The latest offering from this band manages to connect thousands of miles of difference between Gothenburg and Melbourne. Yes, the sound on this album is one that sticks true to what Orpheus Omega fans are used to, being right at home in Scandinavia somewhere circa 1998, hugely appealing to fans of Dark Tranquillity and In Flames, but also something beyond Sweden with a Mors Principium Est vibe. Yet, what makes ‘Wear Your Sins’ inherently different, is the large exhibition of Aussie tenacity. This bravado allows the band to incorporate elements of other music beyond the usual melodic death metal sound; for example, there are excellent keyboard solos during ‘Insinerate’ and ‘When Hope Gives Way To Reason’ that have a touch of Stratovarius in their prime, allowing ‘Wear Your Sins’ to be taken to another level entirely. Alongside this, the album takes in some fantastic soaring vocal harmonies that almost provide an excellent duality with the standard melodic death metal growls.
There is no doubt that with ‘Wear Your Sins’, Orpheus Omega have excelled themselves. This album is not only a release of excellent melodic death metal, showcasing that it is not only Europeans that can do this genre justice. As for the band, ‘Wear Your Sins’ may just be the bands best release to date and fans of the melodic death metal genre should go out and add this album to their collection right now. 86/100 Adam McCann
Overkill
‘The Wings of War’ Nuclear Blast Records 2019 Thrash Metal
Since 2010’s ‘Ironbound’ album, Overkill have been in somewhat a purple patch and their latest album ‘The Wings of War’ is certainly craft from this mould.
Whereas their previous album ‘The Grinding Wheel’ may have taken a few listens to get used to, ‘The Wings…’ is instantly enjoyable and this is partly down to an increase in aggression from Overkill with a sound that has more akin to ‘White Devil Armory’ than the previous album. This is seen in tracks such as ‘Believe in the Fight’, ‘Last Man Standing’ and ‘Distortion’ which show that Overkill have lost none of their bite or prowess. Furthermore, Overkill continue to add a little tongue in cheek humour into their music with an ode to their home in ‘Welcome to The Garden State’, a song where Overkill blend their aggressive thrash seamlessly with the ‘whoa whoa whoa’s’ of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born to Run’. The song writing for this album is superb, it is classic Overkill that will the listener baying for more; yes, the band stay very much within their remit, but why change the formula that works especially with an album so enjoyable.
With so much focus on the American ‘Big 4’, Overkill are very often overlooked, but the New Jersey thrashers have once again released some top-drawer metal which already sets the bar high for their peers in 2019 and it will not be surprising to see this album sitting high at the end of the year.
90/100 Adam McCann
Obszön Geschöpf
‘Master Of Giallo’ Dark Star Records 2018 Industrial
It has been five years since Obszön Geschöpf (OG) released ‘Highway of Horrors’ and during that time, Remzi Kelleci and Matthieu Merklen have been plotting their latest horror themed release for 2018 ‘Master of Giallo’.
The reason for this large delay is that OG are using ‘Master of Giallo’ to celebrate their twentieth birthday in style and to achieve this, Kelleci has assembled a large roster of guests which includes among others, spots from ex-members of Fear Factory, King Diamond, Kreator, White Zombie and Cradle of Filth. These guests are thrown into the mix and present an album that has been slickly mastered by Zeuss that will not only appeals to long time OG fans, but also fans looking for something a little different, who like their music with an industrial groove, a thrash touch and expertly crafted macabre lyrics.
‘Master of Giallo’ does take a little while to get going, the albums first three tracks are a little one dimensional and dull, which may be enough to initially put listeners off. However, by the albums fourth track ‘Murderock’, the OG sound is there with ‘The Moon Watches Me When I Kill’ and ‘My Scalpel Dances At Midnight’ being some of the best work that OG have ever recorded. However, by contrast, ‘The Death Kiss’ may be among some of the worst.
This is certainly an album of two halves, when ‘Master of Giallo’ is good, it is fun and would appeal to fans of Rob Zombie, White Zombie, Type O Negative and Nine Inch Nails, but when it is poor, it is a good excuse for a skip button.
72/100 Adam McCann
Obituary
‘Slowly We Rot’ Roadrunner Records 1989 Death Metal
There has always been a lot of focus on Bay Area thrash scene, but by the late 1980’s, the Florida Tampa Bay death metal scene was burgeoning with bands like Morbid Angel, Deicide and Obituary. These bands helped to refine and pioneer the death metal sound which we know today and one of the albums to do this was ‘Slowly We Rot’, the seminal debut album by Obituary.
‘Slowly We Rot’ is full of the grisly riffs, meaty drumming and primal howls that you would expect from Tampa Bay’s foremost band. Allen West and Trevor Peres bounce off each other perfectly as Obituary do their best to bore into the listener’s skull with their driving riffs which excellently push along with the drums of Donald Tardy. These rhythms float happily somewhere between Slayer and Death, the band even alluding to the former during ‘Suffocation’ with a ‘Postmortem’ style guitar solo. But what makes this album is John Tardy, it is his instantly recognisable and unique growl during tracks such as ‘Internal Bleeding’, ‘Bloodsoaked’, ‘Intoxicated’, ‘Suffocation’ and the title track which make this album so enjoyable, appealing and even genre defining. However, ‘Slowly We Rot’ would not sound anywhere near as good without the excellent production of Scott Burns. Burns is the man who is famous for albums such as ‘Leprosy’ and ‘Spiritual Healing’ by Death, ‘Piece of Time’ by Atheist and ‘Beneath the Remains’ by Sepultura and is just as integral to the death metal sound as any band or musician with his studio wizardry and on ‘Slowly We Rot’, this reigns supreme.
Other than a rather dodgy album cover, ‘Slowly We Rot’ is not only a death metal masterpiece, but it is also a genuine heavy metal classic and deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as ‘Black Sabbath’, ‘Welcome to Hell’ ‘Scream Bloody Gore’ and ‘Reign In Blood’.
90/100 Adam McCann
Otep
‘Kult 45’ Napalm Records 2018 Nu-Metal/Rap-Metal
In the very early 2000’s, Otep picked up where bands like Rage Against the Machine left off, combining nu-metal and rap with their politically charged lyrics. Led by the talismanic Otep Shamaya, the band have become more and more vocal about rise of the right, particularly in their home following the inauguration of President Donald Trump.
Recorded in the same place and using the same gear as their debut, Otep’s latest album ‘Kult 45’ is a pinnacle of anger from the band as Shamaya uses their latest album as her pulpit to condemn and empower the left wing to stand up against the right. To achieve this medium, Shamaya introduces samples of Nazi speeches, allusions to Adolf Hitler, religious conservatism and gun control. Through this, Shamaya uses poetry as her bullets, raining down aggressive tirades, through thought provoking tracks such as ‘Molotov’, ‘Said the Snake’, ‘Halt Right’ and ‘Trigger Warning’ delivered through a nu-metal grooves and large overtones of grunge that would appeal to fans not only of Rage Against the Machine and Korn, but also Babes in Toyland the more aggressive side of Hole and Nirvana.
‘Kult 45’ is debatably one of the most aggressively political albums since the eponymous Rage Against the Machine and if you were disappointed with the lack of aggression on the latest Ministry album, then ‘Kult 45’ may fill that void for you. However, ‘Kult 45’’s overt politics can be quite off-putting and in a bittersweet twist of irony, this album should come with a trigger warning for the right wing.
80/100 Adam McCann
Orphaned Land
Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs
Century Media Records 2018
The Wanderer’s Return
Even within their respective field, Orphaned Land are relatively unique; the Israeli band manages to blend the ethnic music of the area with progressive metal elements such as odd time signatures, virtuoso playing and exceptional vocals.
It is no lie that Orphaned Land have spent their last few albums within the wilderness playing around with a more oriental sound. However, ‘Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs’ is certainly a welcome return to form. It is the sound of the band doing what they do best with some of the best songs that Orphaned Land have released in years; tracks such as ‘In Propaganda’, ‘Left Behind’ and the best song on the album ‘We Do Not Resist’. Although these unfortunately highlight the problems localised in Israel, the latter serves as a reminder to the world about the dangers of ‘fake news’ and those in charge.
Furthermore, what adds some serious firepower to the ‘Unsung Prophets…’ arsenal with the addition of some excellent guests; Blind Guardian’s Hansi Kürsch adds his unique voice to ‘Like Orpheus’, whilst Tomas Lindberg of At The Gates brings his trailblazing growl to ‘Only the Dead Have Seen the End of War’. However, it is the guest spot by legendary guitarist Steve Hackett during ‘Chains Fall to Gravity’, as the former Genesis man’s beautiful legato playing brings the track the life and adds an almost psychedelic fuelled mushroom trip through the desert to the album.
There are some tracks however which are not able to keep the pace with the ones mentioned above, ‘Yedidi’ and ‘All Knowing Eye’ feel relatively average sandwiched in-between ‘In Propaganda’ and ‘Chains Fall to Gravity’, whilst the albums closing track, ‘The Manifest’ feels rather anticlimactic after the crescendo of ‘Only the Dead…’. However, ‘Unsung Prophets…’ is a band embracing what they do best and it is good to have them back.
80/100
Adam McCann
We Do Not Resist; Orphaned Land 'Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs', 2018; Century Media Records
Orden Ogan
Gunmen
AFM Records 2017
Orden Ogan rides again…
Despite forming Orden Ogan as far back as 1996, it wasn’t until 2008 that Orden Ogan found their stride, releasing their debut album ‘Vale’. Following this rather late bloom, Orden Ogan have kept to a relatively reliable schedule, give or take a few years either side with the band still being led by enigmatic vocalist and all round multi-instrumentalist Seeb Levermann. Levermann has guided Orden Ogan through his creative needs, managing to keep a relatively stable line-up since 2011 and released their 5th studio album on the 7th July entitled ‘Gunmen’.
For those disillusioned with Blind Guardian’s output over the past 10 years will be happy to know that ‘Gunmen’ offers everything that you have been salivating for. ‘Gunmen’ itself focuses upon the concept of not just one gunman, but rather, it seems to regale us with multiple stories loosely intertwining and weaving around a Wild West setting with each story touching on the loneliness of the gunslinger, the burdens they must carry, running from the law and the repercussions of their actions.
The album itself rides into action with the first single released ‘Gunman’. ‘Gunman’ introduces the ambiguous lead character, a story of a man who dishes out retribution and salvation from the barrel of a gun. Beginning with a riff that could have easily fitted the pomp of an 80’s TV game show, ‘Gunman’ quickly evolves into a beast of its own with a driving rhythm of Iron Maiden and Helloween proportions, before leaving drummer Dirk Meyer-Berhorn all alone to hold it together as Seeb builds up and up to a chorus that is not only memorable, but will instantly have you singing along.
This feat of having you hooked and singing almost immediately is a trend which continues throughout the album and although it can be difficult to recall the actual track names, ‘Gunmen’ flows so perfectly that you will find yourself not only singing along, but enjoying the album thoroughly enough to not be grasping at the albums booklet constantly to be looking at where you are. Clocking in at just under an hour, ‘Gunmen’ is actually the perfect length for a would-be concept album, it gets the story down to a tee without meandering off on meaningless tangents, holding you easily in its thrall.
However, the fire begins to rage out of control on ‘Gunmen’ with ‘Vampire in Ghost Town’. ‘Vampire in Ghost Town’ has all the pace of one of the best songs to run to with a bounce that could match Iron Maiden’s ‘The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner’ and when coupled with the most memorable chorus on the album, it not only demands your attention, but requires you to shout: “Vampire!” with your fist in the air. ‘Vampire in Ghost Town’ is one of the best songs on ‘Gunmen’ and is certainly the showstopper as it makes the album.
Orden Ogan choose to follow ‘Vampire in Ghost Town’ with the haunting ‘Come With Me to the Other Side’. This track begins with the forlorn vocals of Liv Kristine, known for her work with Leaves’ Eyes, as Kristine delivers a beautiful vocal reminiscent of Candice Night before Orden Ogan come charging back with a chorus so hypnotic that you’ll be looking for the Kool-Aid as the words: ‘come with me to the other side, leave the pain of this world behind’ repeatedly chant.
‘Gunmen’ has some fantastic symphonic arrangements and they are credit to the work that Seeb and the rest of Orden Ogan have put into the album. Not only does this add to an album which is easily not just the best work of Orden Ogan, but ‘Gunmen’ has justified its place as one of the best albums released this year.
86/100
Adam McCann
Vampire In Ghost Town; Orden Ogan, 'Gunmen', 2017; AFM Records
Overkill
The Grinding Wheel
Nuclear Blast Records
2017
Overkill stretch their ‘Green Patch’ to 32 years with another consistent album
Many of the successful thrash metal bands which rose to fame in the 1980’s chose different paths throughout the 1990’s. From the more commercial approach taken by Metallica and Megadeth, a change in vocalists with the likes of Anthrax and Exodus or a change to a more contemporary sound of the time such as Testament and Slayer. However, over the course of their 32-year professional career, Overkill have stuck firmly to their guns, writing good old fashioned style thrash metal without bowing or answering to anyone, if thrash metal wasn’t as en vogue in that year, so what? Who cares? Not Overkill certainly.
One thing you can say about Overkill is that they have been hugely consistent over the years, since 1985, Overkill have released a total of 18 studio albums and what makes Overkill stand out from their peers is that they never really released a poor album; granted some albums are better than others, but all in all, Overkill planted their flag in the ground and played by their rules.
Overkill are not in the game for suddenly changing their sound and their latest release, 'The Grinding Wheel' is textbook Overkill. 'The Grinding Wheel' picks up where the previous album, 'White Devil Armory' left off, although, 'The Grinding Wheel' contains more than its fair share of longer than average songs bringing the entire album to clock in at over an hour with many of the songs having elongated bridges or breakdowns. The opening track from the album, 'Mean, Green, Killing Machine' is a perfect example of this, pushing over the seven and a half minute mark and although it is full of the music, sounds and hallmarks are a just Overkill to the core, the record itself takes some getting used to, but once this occurs, you will understand that 'Mean, Green, Killing Machine' is a brilliant song and that statement goes for the entire of 'The Grinding Wheel'.
This theme runs though 'The Grinding Wheel', at a superficial level and a first listen, the album isn’t breath taking. 'The Grinding Wheel' certainly takes a few listens to get into, it is certainly a grower and although not Overkill’s best work, it is definitely nowhere near their worst. After a few plays, you will realise that there are some great riffing and beats from Overkill here, the guitar solo in 'Mean, Green, Killing Machine' is probably one of the best of their career. The song itself is coupled with a riff that at times is quite reminiscent of 'Master of Puppets' before descending into a Black Sabbath breakdown before coming back at full fury. This Black Sabbath bluesy-style riffing also makes an appearance at the middle of the album with 'Come Heavy'. 'Come Heavy' again takes a little bit of getting used to, it doesn’t feel like your typical Overkill song, but it works and once that clicks, you’ll realise that it is one of the more fun songs on the album.
There is a feeling on 'The Grinding Whee'l that Overkill are not truly happy with things in their home country at the moment, there are snide comments and social commentary during 'Red, White and Blue', 'Our Finest Hour', 'Shine On' and the title track itself. However, Overkill deserve an accolade for 'The Grinding Wheel' as 'Come Heavy' features the line ‘I took the cycle path’, a line that you wouldn’t expect to see on any album, let alone a heavy metal album.
Overall, 'The Grinding Wheel' is a long album, but it is a definite grower. The album will not set the world on fire like their heyday, but it will certainly not pass under the radar. Once more, Overkill have released another consistent record and once it clicks, you will find that 'The Grinding Wheel' will not be off rotation.
80/100
Adam McCann
Mean, Green, Killing Machine; Overkill, 'The Grinding Wheel', 2017; Nuclear Blast Records
Obituary
Obituary
Relapse Records 2017
Obituary deliver their best work in over 25 years
There is a common link in the evolution of death metal, from Venom and Celtic Frost to Possessed, through to Death and onto Obituary. The West Coast of the USA held sway with thrash metal for much of the mid 80’s, but it was the East Coast’s turn to pick up the pace in the late 80’s with Florida’s favourite death metal band, Obituary. Obituary are a band as famous for John Tardy’s stalking growl as they are for their lyrics revolving around death, dissections and gore.
Late last year, we reviewed Obituary live on tour with Exodus with the 'Battle of the Bays' tour and their split live/studio album 'Ten Thousand Ways to Die' with a resounding sigh of ‘meh’. Both live and in the studio, Obituary felt as if they were grinding through the motions, live they felt distant, a million miles away and couldn’t wait to get off the stage, whilst the studio tracks of the 6 minute plod of 'Loathe' taking any enjoyment away from the title track. It was with a dubious caution that a new studio album from Obituary was approached.
Here we are though, in 2017 with Obituary’s latest self-titled album and where do you begin? Well, for a start, Obituary are back, kicking off with the brutality of 'Brave', it may not be 'Slowly We Rot' with a riff borrowed from the Slayer songbook, but it is a fantastic way to kick off 'Obituary'. 'Brave' announces that Obituary have returned, Tardy’s voice is on point and never mind the foot tapping that goes along with it, before too long you’ll notice that the head starts to bang too. Tardy has a distinct voice, that clawing shout to growl which make Obituary instantly recognisable and there perfect examples of this on 'Obituary' with 'Turned to Stone' and pleading of 'End It Now'; the latter of which and the closing track of 'Ten Thousand Ways to Die' may be some of the best tracks that Obituary have ever recorded.
'Obituary' never lets up, it clocks in at around 35 minutes making it short, sweet and difficult to lose your attention; all the hallmarks of a decent album. The ever present Trevor Peres’ guitar claws through the mix, chugging away like a chainsaw swallowing down its gasoline, helped along with the stuttering blast beats of Donald Tardy which make tracks such as 'A Lesson in Vengeance', the superb 'End It Now' and 'Straight to Hell' with their almost Autopsy style grind chorus so appealing; Obituary haven’t sounded this good in years. The lead guitar slot is still taken by new guy Kenny Andrews, even though Andrews has been a solid part of the line-up for 5 years now, it is 'Obituary' where Andrews comes into his own with some beautiful wah solos. In fact, the solo for 'Sentence Day' wouldn’t be out of place on 'Kill ‘Em All' and easily puts Kirk Hammett to shame.
When you think about it, Obituary have possibly recorded one of the best albums of 2017 and certainly it is their best work since 'Cause of Death' in 1990. After more than a few lacklustre years, Obituary are back and doing what they do best. After the disappointing live/studio album, 'Ten Thousand Ways to Die' and witnessing two disappointing shows, one with Exodus, the other with Carcass, it is time. Welcome back Obituary, all is forgiven.
86/100
Adam McCann
Ten Thousand Ways to Die; Obituary, 'Obituary', 2017; Relapse Records