Gigaton Monkeywrench Records Alternative Rock FFO: Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, The Who, Talking Heads
Who would have thought that it has been seven years since Pearl Jam last released ‘Lightning Bolt? That time frame seems like a million years ago and in a completely different world. This year has the kings of alternative rock returning with their eleventh studio album ‘Gigaton’.
The thing is, there is an underlying expectation with Pearl Jam that the band are going to re-deliver an album of ‘Ten’ proportions; but that was nearly 30 years ago and this is no longer young adults making music, this is the sound of seasoned veterans making the music that makes them happy. Therefore, the first thing to note with ‘Gigaton’ is that it is extremely experimental and even by Pearl Jam’s standards, this is possibly their most experimental album with tracks such as ‘Dance of the Clairvoyants’ and ‘Superblood Wolfmoon’ standing tall with their electronic Talking Heads meets Depeche Mode style. Furthermore, Pearl Jam haven’t sounded this invigorated since their self-titled 2006 album or politically charged since 2002’s ‘Riot Act’ with tracks such as ‘Quick Escape’, Seven O’ Clock’ and ‘Who Ever Said’ being perfect examples of Pearl Jam in the 21st Century. Yet, where ‘Gigaton’ really shines is during the tracks, ‘River Cross’, ‘Retrograde’ and ‘Comes Then Goes’, these slow burning track not only show just how musically talented Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard, Matt Cameron and Mike McCready are, but also demonstrates that Eddie Vedder has lost none of his vocal prowess, that deep baritone timbre that emotionally cuts like a knife as much now as it did back in 1991. Admittedly, ‘Gigaton’ is not an easy album to initially like and it does take a few listens to even begin to fully appreciate. However, once this album clicks, it is extremely enjoyable and shows that Pearl Jam are still capable of sounding both contemporary and relevant.
8/10 Adam McCann
Paradise Lost
‘Live at Rockpalast 1995’ MIG Death/Doom Metal
Ask a true metalhead to name a definitive metal band from the 90’s and more than likely one of the first names to comes to mind will be Paradise Lost. Alongside Anathema and fellow Yorkshiremen My Dying Bride, Paradise Lost pioneered the death/doom sound and 1995, Paradise Lost were on the verge of making the big leagues with their seminal album ‘Draconian Times’.
Chosen to headline the Bizarre Festival in Cologne, with a line-up which features bands such as NOFX, White Zombie and Kyuss, Paradise Lost found the chips stacked against them. However, all doubters were silenced following the bands set that has been captured on a new live and DVD album set ‘Live at Rockpalast 1995’. What this album shows is a band at their most primal and raw; there are no gimmicks here, Paradise Lost deliver a set which obviously leans heavy on the ‘Draconian Times’ material, but also takes in tracks from ‘Icon’, ‘Gothic’ and ‘Shades of God’.
This is a set list designed to lay waste to non-believers and forever leave their mark on the metal scene. Sure, there are a few cringe moments here, Nick Holmes’ voice fluctuates in and out of tune and each mistake from Greg Mackintosh, Aaron Aedy, Stephen Edmondson and Lee Morris can clearly be heard; but this is what a live music is all about, it shows a band being flawed, warts n’ all, hungry, rough and ready to conquer the world. Yet, is this album for every Paradise Lost fan? Probably not, but for Paradise Lost aficionados, it will be nice addition to an already extensive catalogue. 60/100 Adam McCann
Perihelion have been delivering excellent albums of psychedelic avant-garde heavy metal spliced with a touch of post-black metal. This year has Perihelion following up their 2017 album ‘Örvény’ with their apocalyptic themed latest album ‘Agg’.
Translating literally as ‘very very old’ in old Hungarian, ‘Agg’ shows Perihelion continuing their trend of dark feelings, misery and nihilism that is somehow very welcoming and enjoyable. This means that ‘Agg’ has the ability to appeal to fans of the recent work of Sólstafir or fellow Hungarian avant-garders Thy Catafalque, yet beyond these more obscure bands, ‘Agg’ has the memorability and enjoyability of Zeal & Ardor which can be seen during the tracks ‘Tavasszal a vadak’, ‘Nyugvó’ and the title track.
Unfortunately, there are two issues with ‘Agg’, the first is that their niche genre takes away from an already limited fanbase; which is an utter shame considering that this music is actually extremely good. The second is that those who do not enjoy this genre of music will immediately dismiss it; another travesty as ‘Agg’ is not the soporific nonsense generally associated with this genre, instead, there are musical swathes of shade and colours alongside powerful lyrics which delve deep into the human psyche. ‘Agg’ is not for everyone, but for those in the know, it is a decent album of beautiful music that will no doubt be played for years to come.
80/100 Adam McCann
Psychotic Waltz
‘The God-Shaped Void’ InsideOut Music Progressive Metal
Progressive metal is a genre dominated by names like Dream Theater with most passing fans choosing not to explore the genre beyond this. Yet, beneath the obvious, there is a plethora of bands, Fates Warning, Watchtower and Evergrey to name a few who are equally as good, if not better than the genre’s mascot. One such band that fall into this category are Psychotic Waltz; the American band delivered some of the genres best work in the 90’s and in 2010, it was announced that the band was returning. However, it has taken the band the best part of a decade to get into the studio and deliver their fifth studio album ‘The God-Shaped Void’. Now, has the 24 years since the bands last studio album been worth the wait? The answer is this; most definitely. ‘The God…’ is a fantastic album and as expected it keeps the mantra that Psychotic Waltz release superb albums going. However, what cannot be stressed enough is actually just how good this album actually is – even by Psychotic Waltz standards, ‘The God…’ is pretty damned high. This is an album which is full of excellent melodies that weave their way in and out of some of the best riffs that the listener will hear all year creating an album of exceptionally memorable songs; from the beautiful ‘The Fallen’, through the sci-fi thriller of ‘Stranded’ to the phenomenal ‘Demystified’. The latter is a track which takes a large step away from standard prog metal and into the realms of progressive rock, acoustic guitars and flutes flutter against a vocal delivery that would hugely appeal to fans of Greg Lake with the ‘Demystified’ arriving like King Crimson on crack. ‘The God…’ is a superb album and is one of the best albums available this year thus far. Do not be surprised if this album goes head to head with Sons of Apollo’s ‘MMXX’ for the best progressive metal album of the year. 92/100 Adam McCann
Pist
‘Hailz’ APF Records Stoner Metal/Heavy Metal
Given their very short life-span, Pist have made quite a name for themselves on the UK metal scene. Playing a brand of stoner that encroaches on both doom and groove metal at times, the Bury band hit the ground hard with their debut album ‘Rhythm & Booze’ in 2015 before finally returning to the fold this year with their second album ‘Hailz’.
Just like their debut album, rhythms and grooves are at the heart of everything that Pist do. This means that ‘Hailz’ always has something that captures the attention of the listener. Pist have built their reputation as a powerful live juggernaut and ‘Hailz’ does exceptionally well to capture that primal, raw energy; tracks such as ‘Fools Gave Chase’ and the superb ‘Strangle The Sun’ show just how much this band have grown, having all the appeal of Orange Goblin , Kveletak and even Motörhead with their bouncing rhythms. Furthermore, ‘Fools Gave Chase’, alongside the stomping ‘Mind Rotter’ have all the sludge of Pantera in their prime. Yet, with ‘Hailz’ there is something else, a certain je ne sais quoi and that is the ever-running powerhouse of the drums, bass and vocal which would certainly turn the head of fans of Black Breath and Entombed.
‘Hailz’ is a very good album, it is enjoyable to listen to with its pent-up aggression and undeniably fantastic rhythms. This album deserves significantly more attention that it will get and that is a shame; sit back, crack a beer and enjoy some excellent heavy metal. 79/100
PSOTY
‘Sunless’ Candlelight Records Progressive Metal/Post Metal
Formally known as Pet Slimmers of the Year, the band have moved away from this rather daft name and instead gone with just PSOTY. The Cambridgeshire band released their debut album ‘Fragments of Uniforms’ back in 2014 and since then, PSOTY have been relatively quiet until this year which has the band delivering their sophomore album ‘Sunless’.
With ‘Sunless’, PSOTY have heartily expanded on the sound laid out with their debut album. This means that instead of confining themselves to just one genre, the band take touches of progressive and post-metal, equal parts ambient, instrumental and fully-fledged songs. From this, it means that ‘Sunless’ has all the appeal of Between The Buried And Me, Tool and Devin Townsend, dynamic shades of light and dark, melodic ethereal passages which float and shimmer like a spectre before a crushing riff arrives that would make fans of Baroness weak with ecstasy. Tracks such as ‘Oil Blood’, ‘Queen of Hades’ and ‘King of Ephyra’ are prime examples of this album in its full glory.
However, ‘Sunless’ does require conscious listening to fully appreciate; it is not an album that can be put on as just ‘something in the background’, to do that would unfortunately not do this album the justice it deserves. Conversely, this also means that ‘Sunless’ attracts something of a niche audience, yes ‘Sunless’ won’t shift albums by the pallet load, but those who do pick up this album will thoroughly appreciate, cherish and covet ‘Sunless’ in a way that only a true fan of the genre and music can. 70/100 Adam McCann
Paladin
‘Ascension’ Prosthetic Records Power/Thrash Metal
For fans of power metal, bands can be ten a penny, plenty of soaring melodies, flashy guitars, fast-paced drums and fantastical lyrics. Yet, every now and then, a band launches itself into the arena and makes the metal community stand impressed. This occurred in 2017 when American band Paladin arrived in blaze of light. On the back of this, expectations were very high, thus, when Paladin released their debut album ‘Ascension’, could the band live up to the hype?
Thankfully, ‘Ascension’ is a powerful slab of heavy metal. With this debut album, Paladin manage to splice stereotypical power metal in this a more thrashing counterpart. As much as ‘Ascension’ is excellent with its shades of power metal, it is the thrash element to this album which makes ‘Ascension’ so enjoyably fantastic, as the vocals of Taylor Washington change from a melodious soar to a guttural growl that has all the hallmarks of Matt Barlow or even Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, giving ‘Ascension’ all the power of Iced Earth in their prime. Furthermore, tracks such as ‘Call of the Night’; ‘Bury the Light’ and ‘Shoot for the Sun’ are not only memorable, but also fun, having all the speed and complexity of DragonForce with sustenance instead of just disposable, hollow speed.
Paladin have released an album which gives provenance to their demo; ‘Ascension’ is a magnificent piece of thrashing power metal that may just be THE power metal album of the year. Forget Sabaton and DragonForce this year, ‘Ascension’ is where it’s at.
82/100 Adam McCann
Possessed
‘Revelations Of Oblivion’ Nuclear Blast Records Death/Thrash Metal
It’s been more than 30 years since Possessed last graced us with an album and although the band have been officially back since 2007, it has been nothing more than candid appearances as a touring band. When it was officially announced that Jeff Becerra and company would return this year with ‘Revelations of Oblivion’, their new studio album, the metal world waited with bated breath.
It’s true, that expectations can weigh heavy on a band and that often leads a band to deliver an album that is either hailed as the best thing since sliced bread, total garbage or even worse entirely lacklustre. Thankfully for Possessed, ‘Revelations…’ falls distinctly into the first category, the band have delivered an absolutely fantastic album that manages to sidestep ‘Beyond The Gates’ and claim itself to be a spiritual successor to the illustrious and ground breaking ‘Seven Churches’. Of course, that is a bold statement, but it is a testament to just how good this album actually is, tracks such as ‘Dominion’, ‘Shadowcult’ and ‘Graven’ tear through the mix like creatures from a lost world that hit so hard with primal vigour and rage that the modern age simply cannot keep up. Furthermore, time or paralysis has not tarnished Becerra’s vocals as the he manages to tear through ‘Revelations…’ with all the gusto of his younger self.
There are those that will bemoan this album just for not simply being ‘Seven Churches’, but in all honesty, when that is the only criticism available, it is certainly not a bad place to be at. ‘Revelations…’ is one of the best metal albums released this year so far, but above all, it is good to have Possessed officially back. You have been missed. 90/100 Adam McCann
Primal Fear
‘Apocalypse’ Frontiers Records 2018 Heavy Metal
For the last twenty years, Germany’s Primal Fear have delivered a string fast paced heavy metal to a consistent acclaim. Following a slight line-up shuffle back in 2015, the band delivered one of the best albums of 2016 with the fantastic ‘Rulebreaker’. This line-up has had time to gel, a huge tour and festival appearances under their belt with the band releasing their twelfth studio album ‘Apocalypse’.
‘Apocalypse’ certainly picks up where ‘Rulebreaker’ left off, pounding Judas Priest style drums, excellent twin guitar harmonies and the extremely underrated voice of Ralf Scheepers piercing through the mix, all combine to make this album very, very enjoyable. Furthermore, bassist Mat Sinner has the Midas touch because he is the German gift that keeps on giving, his song writing is once again second to none and although it can be debated that ‘Rulebreaker’ has the better songs, ‘Apocalypse’ is nowhere near a write off with tracks such as the roaring ‘Hail to the Fear’, ‘The Ritual’ and ‘Blood, Sweat & Fear’ being some of the bands best recent output.
There isn’t anything new here that Primal Fear can offer, but what the band do offer is some quality heavy metal that does not disappoint. For the fourth release in a row, ‘Apocalypse’ may just clinch another place high up in the end of year releases for Primal Fear and rightly so. 90/100 Adam McCann
Powerwolf
‘Sacrament Of Sin’ Napalm Records 2018 Power Metal
With their instantly recognisable sound, Powerwolf are one of heavy metal’s most distinctive bands. With a sound which is one-part traditional Teutonic power metal and another which is one-part pure Sabaton; Powerwolf exchange themes of tanks, war and historical themes for another eternal struggle, that of Christianity, vampires and werewolves. Deeply rooted in Eastern European folklore and mythology, Powerwolf have created an almost cult following with their well-received albums. It has been awhile since Powerwolf last graced us with the superb ‘Blessed & Possessed’, with the question on the lips of heavy metal fans “how are Powerwolf going to follow that?” and the answer arrived four years later with their latest album ‘Sacrament Of Sin’.
‘Sacrament Of Sin’ is not a million miles away from its predecessor and because of this, the album feels like slipping on a comfortable sweater or a favourite pair of torn blue jeans. This album is full of everything that is expected from Powerwolf, medieval themed lyrics, choral sing-a-longs coupled with driving power metal which demands undivided attention. Because of this, ‘Sacrament Of Sin’ is exceptionally enjoyable, tracks such as ‘Fire & Forgive’, ‘Incense & Iron’ and ‘Stossgebet’ are textbook classic Powerwolf and form the staples of this album. However, with just these tracks alone, it would feel as if the band are treading water, but Powerwolf keep the listener entertained, turning up the heat with the slick ‘Demons Are A Girls Best Friend’ and ‘Killers With The Cross’, yet it is the melodic harmonies of ‘Nightside Of Siberia’ which stand out on this album. ‘Nightside Of Siberia’ although not a million miles out of the bands remit is not a song which would normally sit comfortably in the bands repertoire, yet Powerwolf nail it giving the band a completely different dimension that can also be seen during the beautiful ballad ‘Where The Wild Wolves Have Gone’, a song which has more in common with Sonata Arctica than the classic Powerwolf sound. As a whole, ‘Sacrament Of Sin’ is more than enjoyable, it is an album which finally sees Powerwolf taking in other influences rather than churning out the same songs time and time again. This makes ‘Sacrament Of Sin’ a very strong album, it perfectly follows ‘Blessed & Possessed’ and be a serious contender for album of the year.
94/100 Adam McCann
Pantera
‘Live at Dynamo Open Air: 1998’ Dynamo Concerts 2018 Groove Metal
Pantera, the band which frequently comes high on many lists of heavy metal bands that you wish you could have seen live. ‘Live at Dynamo Open Air: 1998’ was recorded during the famous Dutch festival whilst Pantera were touring for ‘The Great Southern Trendkill’ album.
With ‘Live at…’ there is no studio trickery and the best description is a ‘warts and all’ live album. This album provides a snapshot of the good, the bad and the ugly, it shows a band in their prime and on fire, with Rex Brown and Vinnie Paul providing that unmistakable Pantera groove. Moreover, Dimebag shows the flair and tenacity which once more augments his reputation as one of the best guitarists of his time with some excellent playing, especially during the songs from ‘The Great Southern Trendkill’. However, it is Phil Anselmo who is left struggling with a voice drenched in reverb and echo. Anselmo delivers poor versions of ‘Walk’ and ‘A New Level’, with a voice sounding shot to pieces, becoming particularly painful during the out of tune ‘This Love’ and ‘Hollow’. Nevertheless, Anselmo does redeem himself during ‘I’m Broken’, ‘Primal Concrete Sledge’ and the perennial ‘Cowboys From Hell’ which also features a snippet of Ted Nugent’s ‘Cat Scratch Fever’.
‘Live at…’ does not hide away from its mistakes and this can be considered one of its charms, it is far from flawless but these days, it does give you the closest you can get to Pantera live. 64/100 Adam McCann
Praying Mantis
‘G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.’ Frontiers Records 2018 Hard Rock/AOR/Melodic Hard Rock
Praying Mantis have always managed to deftly tread the line between melodic hard rock and hard rock, achieving fame by attaching themselves to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. Due to this, the band soon found themselves mentioned in the same breath as the likes of Iron Maiden, Diamond Head and Tygers of Pan Tang. 35 years on and since their reformation in 2008, the band has continued to fly the flag for British rock and metal attracting fans of the genre both old and new.
‘G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.’ is the latest album by the London hard rock veterans and immediately it shows the level of experience behind the band. This is a raw experience, the sort of skill that is only earned in the trenches of playing dive bars and endless low-key concerts, but because of this, ‘G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.’ comes equipped with an integrity that cannot be bought but is earned. Although the album is not initially grabbing, it does not have that raw, quasi-live feel that a lot of younger bands are channelling with a style that automatically pulls you in, ‘G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.’ does come with an excellent smooth production, which serves to emphasise the maturity behind this album showing that that the band know their audience well and what is expected of them.
Fortunately for ‘G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.’, this album is insidious, it works covertly and once stuck with, it is utterly enjoyable and impressive. It has all the AOR and melodic feel of Magnum, crossed with the fun and memorability of Journey, the latter of which is certainly alluded to during ‘The Last Summer’. Furthermore, vocalist, John Cuijpers shows his pedigree and versatility throughout, switching effortlessly between styles, from a beautiful Steve Perry clean soar, to a raspy and much more raw approach which brings back memories of a young Ronnie James Dio in his Elf and early Rainbow days. One of the only downsides to ‘G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.’ is that although the production is slick, during a few tracks, particularly the outro to the title track, the snare drum is so crisp and clear that it stands out well above the other instruments, eventually becoming annoying. However, when this is one of the only complaints of this album, it shows how good of an album that Praying Mantis have released. ‘G.R.A.V.I.T.Y.’ is a decent album, it is a definite grower which becomes more endearing with each listen.
80/100 Adam McCann
Primordial
Exile Amongst the Ruins’ Metal Blade Records Black Metal 2018
Ireland is not exactly the place that immediately springs to mind when thinking of black metal. However, Primordial have managed to beautifully blend the more melodic side of black metal with Ireland’s Celtic roots, the ensuing music is undoubtedly Primordial and their latest release, ‘Exile Amongst the Ruins’ is the bands ninth studio album.
Primordial have definitely evolved as a band, ‘Exile…’ contains very little remnants of the original Celtic folk sound, yet it is still prevalent during the intro to ‘Where Lie the Gods’. Instead, the album chooses to crash forward with heavy, powerful brooding half-time riffs against a typical black metal blast beat. This plays into the hands of Primordial creating an odd, yet pleasing sound, albeit one that does take a little while to get used to.
However, as with every Primordial album, the main flaw of ‘Exile…’ is that each song drags to an average for three and a half minutes longer than they need to be and unfortunately, this means that Primordial take a great initial idea and seemingly meander aimlessly mid-song.
As an album, ‘Exile…’ will initially fail to grab you, it just does not have that instant “wow factor”, but what the album will do is slowly chip away at you with each listen and insidiously, you will realise that every song on ‘Exile…’ is actually quite enjoyable. ‘Exile…’ is not genre defining, but it is atmospheric and thoroughly absorbing. Once this album clicks into place, it will be difficult to not be in a constant rotation.
77/100 Adam McCann
Power Trip
Nightmare Logic
Southern Lord Records 2017
Today is your lucky day
Following the release of their superb debut album ‘Manifest Decimation’, Power Trip have returned 4 years later with their follow up album ‘Nightmare Logic’. The fact that ‘Manifest Decimation’ was that good had Power Trip fans baying for more, their Texan thrash metal tore through the speakers like it was 1988 all over again. There are no modern breakdowns, no whiny vocals, just good old-fashioned balls to the wall, crank it up, play it fast and eviscerate it raw thrash.
‘Nightmare Logic’ picks up perfectly where the previous album left off, there’s not time for silly intros or elongated overly complicated passages a la ‘Rust in Peace’ or ‘…And Justice for All’, Power Trip put the throttle down and don’t stop with the whole album being over in under 35 minutes. Thank you very much, shows done, hit the road to explode once more. Tracks such as the breakneck ‘Ruination’, the old-school Sepultura style ‘Crucifixation’ and ‘Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)’ in which Power Trip manage to take on giants like Anthrax, Cro-Mags, Iron Reagan, Stormtroopers of Death and come out alongside them with what can only be described as a crossover masterpiece.
As an album, ‘Nightmare Logic’ is easily one of the best thrash albums of 2017, standing shoulder to shoulder with releases from Havok and Warbringer, taking on and even beating Kreator, Overkill and Prong. ‘Nightmare Logic’ is thrash at its most raw and fun, these guys know what they’re doing and they do it pretty fucking well. The age old saying goes: “good things come to those who wait”, the four years for ‘Nightmare Logic’ have been more than worth it. If it takes Power Trip another four years to complete their third album, the question is; can they make it three out of three.
87/100
Adam McCann
The Executioner's Tax; Power Trip 'Nightmare Logic', 2017; Southern Lord Records
Papa Roach
Infest
Dreamworks Records 2000
Infestation
The turn of the millennium would prove to be the pinnacle for the nu-metal movement, multi-platinum selling albums from Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Slipknot and Papa Roach caused millions of teens worldwide to adopt baggy jeans, chains, oversized hoodies and cause widespread moral panic amongst parents.
In a genre wrought with clichés and a bloated excess, the main question to ask is, ‘was there any integrity in this movement? Or was it just a heavy metal fad?’ Well, ‘Infest’ landed in 2000 and did its best to meld the worlds of rap and metal together, much in the same way that Faith No More and Rage Against the Machine had done earlier in the 90’s. However, ‘Infest’ took a more contemporary approach, it didn’t deal with the political or avant-garde issues like the formers, but it did deal with issues closer to their fans, self-harm, broken homes and mental illness. This gave ‘Infest’ a relatable integrity to the masses, particularly aided by high profile placing on soundtracks of the time such as the vampire horror movie ‘Queen of the Damned’, the perpetual fuckery of ‘Jackass’ and big release video games such as ‘Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2’ and ‘Gran-Turismo 3’. The continuing heavy rotation play of ‘Last Resort’ on radio and music television is still testament to the popularity of this album.
There are parts of the album though that haven’t dated particularly well, the heavy guitar tone and effects and DJ scratching are coupled to an expensive 2000’s modern polish which makes ‘Infest’ sound very of its time. However, there are some gems here, ‘Between Angels and Insects’ does not get the love it deserves when compared to ‘Last Resort’ and the hidden track reggae beat of ‘Tightrope’ is possibly one of the best songs that Papa Roach ever recorded. Moreover, if you look beyond the clichés and nu-metal labels, you might just find something that is a little more enjoyable than previously thought.
70/100
Adam McCann
Between Angels and Insects; Papa Roach 'Infest', 2000; Dreamworks Records
Portrait
Burn the World
Metal Blade Records 2017
Set the World Afire!
Portrait are often overlooked and do not get the credit they deserve, the Swedish band are capable to transporting you back to the early 1980’s with their Mercyful Fate sound and follow up their excellent 2014 album ‘Crossroads’ with the far superior ‘Burn the World’.
From its mad ‘Phantom of the Opera’ style church organ intro, ‘Burn the World’ is able to pull you in as the title track gives you all the hallmarks of ‘Melissa’ or ‘Don’t Break the Oath’ with vocalist Per Lengstedt giving his best King Diamond impression. Although in the lower ranges, Lengstedt is not able to truly imitate King Diamond, it is the crescendo to his high register in which Lengstedt breaks the sound barrier, hitting those crucial King Diamond notes, Lengstedt even has a touch of Rob Halford during the intro to ‘Pure of Heart’.
If anything, it is the drums of Anders Persson and guitars of Christian Lindell which provide the perfect canvas for Lengstedt to accent, particularly during ‘Martyrs’, ‘Likfassna’ and the title track. Lindell’s guitar solo alone during ‘Martyrs’ is something to behold with some beautiful twin guitar harmonies providing the perfect homage to Denner and Shermann. ‘Burn the World’ is one of the best heavy metal albums released this year, for many, it may sneak out under the radar, however, there are no songs which let the album down and it is a must for any 80’s metal fan, particularly that of King Diamond and Mercyful Fate. If you like these bands, go out and buy ‘Burn the World’, you will not be disappointed.
86/100
Adam McCann
Burn the World; Portrait, 'Burn the World', 2017; Metal Blade Records
Paradise Lost
Medusa
Nuclear Blast Records 2017
Paradise Lost return with another Gorgontuan album
In a career that has spanned and is now fast approaching their 30th birthday, Paradise Lost have pioneered and blazed a trail in the gothic metal/death doom/whatever you want to call it genre. Not only have Paradise Lost managed to create their own legacy with this, but they also had a chance to dabble in darkwave/synth towards the millennium, planting their flag their too. More recently, Paradise Lost have progressively got heavier and heavier, ironically, coming full circle and over the course of the 2000’s, Paradise Lost have created some of their heaviest work to date releasing their 15th studio album ‘Medusa’ on the 1st September.
Back in 2015, Paradise Lost released ‘The Plague Within’ to a massively warm reception and rightly so, ‘The Plague Within’ more than earned its place high up in the echelons of the best albums released that year and ‘Medusa’ follows on perfectly like a little brother, born from the same mould but unique in every way. ‘Medusa’ is full of the motifs that you would expect to hear from a modern Paradise Lost record, Greg Mackintosh and Aaron Aedy’s guitar is as distinguishable as ever, cutting their way through and creating that funerary dirge in a way that only Paradise Lost can. However, the first thing to note about ‘Medusa’ is that the violins and violas which made some of the tracks on ‘The Plague Within’ so haunting are now absent, replaced by a focus on an equally eerie keyboard to fill the sound out. This gives ‘Medusa’ a slightly different feel than the previous effort with a sound more akin to that of ‘Draconian Times’ in parts.
Beginning with the blindingly superb ‘Fearless Sky’, the bar is already set high for the remainder of the album as ‘Fearless Sky’ flickers into life with a chord from a church organ, sustained and added to that sounds initially more like Ghost than Paradise Lost. Then, like a rolling clap of thunder, the unmistakeable tone of Mackintosh and Aedy rumble into the life as Paradise Lost pummel through one of the best doom songs they have written in years, ‘Fearless Sky’ even comes complete with a Sabbath style breakdown, a bouncing riff of ‘Vol. 4’ standards, a pure homage if anything to an influential band which called time on their illustrious and ground-breaking career this year. If the guitars of Paradise Lost aren’t instantly identifiable enough, then there is no denying the sheer vocal power of Nick Holmes, from a rasp and a growl to the almost hypnotic Sisters of Mercy croon.
For those who also bought the latest album from Vallenfyre this year (which features Mackintosh and current Paradise Lost drummer, Waltteri Väyrynen), will already have sampled the excellent energetic drumming of Väyrynen and the talent the Paradise Lost new boy possesses. Väyrynen is easily their best drummer since Lee Morris and brings his interesting drumming into Paradise Lost, creating a backbone to each song that gives your full attention to the songs, especially during the long sustained notes in songs like ‘The Longest Winter’, ‘No Passage for the Dead’, ‘Until the Grave’ and the title track alongside some beautifully serene keyboard arpeggios which manage to blend both the solemnness and anger of death.
‘Medusa’ is not without familiarity, ‘Blood and Chaos’ has the feeling that it was buried in a time capsule somewhere in 1995, dug up and used on ‘Medusa’ as the song itself could easily have slid in anywhere on ‘Draconian Times’ and that is certainly not a criticism, maybe ‘Blood and Chaos’ doesn’t quite fit the ‘Medusa’ trend, but it is definitely a breath of air from a different time and a welcome one at that. An interesting point to mention is that your mind can instantly be dragged to another song when hearing something else, and in this case it is something that you wouldn’t expect, the beginning of ‘From the Gallows’ can make you hum the melody to ‘In Bloom’ by Nirvana before marching off on its own drum, a foreboding chug which quickly makes you forget about the rather odd introduction familiarities.
Following the record company pressures of darkwave, Paradise Lost have gone from strength to strength, rebuilding their reputation and solidifying their place as heavy metal legends. ‘Medusa’ is a strong, solid album, a strong chain with no weak links, it is the perfect successor to ‘The Plague Within’ and without a doubt ‘Medusa’ will be riding very high for the best albums released in 2017.
85/100
Adam McCann
Until the Grave; Paradise Lost, 'Medusa', 2017; Nuclear Blast Records
Prong
Zero Days
SPV/Steamhammer Records 2017
Countdown to Zero
Tommy Victor is somewhat of a legend within the circles of thrash metal, hardcore and crossover. Under his leadership, Victor has guided Prong through both the good and bad times and is the man solely responsible for the ever evolving sound of Prong through his vision. With yet another line-up shuffle in 2016 following the release of the previous Prong album ‘X – No Absolutes’, a process that will be familiar to all Prong fans, sees the arrival of former Ritual Sacrifice bassist Mike Longworth who replaces Jason Christopher after 5 years, with the arrival of Longworth meaning that he joins the ever present Victor and drummer Art Cruz to complete Prong’s 2017 line-up. Tommy Victor is a workhorse and never one to rest upon his laurels, 2017 has Prong releasing their 11th studio album ‘Zero Days’ through SPV/Steamhammer Records on July 28th.
As you would expect, ‘Zero Days’ begins in true Prong style with a typical Tommy Victor bellow and the more than decent crossover touches of ‘However It May End’. The opening track may have all the hallmarks of the thrash and crossover, but there is a hint of something else here, the half time sections would appeal to fans of groove metal and maybe even nu-metal with the throbbing beats and double bass blasts. As usual, Tommy Victor writes the best when he has a bee in his bonnet and with ‘Zero Days’, the bee has most definitely returned and is politically driven. Even on superficial listening, you get the feeling that Victor is not happy with the political climate in the USA; Donald Trump, race riots, fascist marches and the threat of nuclear war all hang over ‘Zero Days’ like an omnipresent mushroom cloud.
The album begins with the one-two punch of ‘However It May End’ and the title track. Both these tracks deal with the atomic holocaust lingering over our heads like the Sword of Damocles, as Tommy Victor preaches from his pulpit as a heavy metal doomsayer. Given the rather gloomy lyrical content of impending obliteration, both songs fit really well, however, at times, both Art Cruz and Mike Longworth add little more than garnish to let’s face it, the Tommy Victor show and both ‘However It May End’ and ‘Zero Days’ will make you sit up and think: “wow! Prong are back with a bang!” if you excuse the explosive pun.
With ‘Zero Days’, Prong provide a bit of everything, not just for new fans to the band, but for those just passing by and those long time Prong fans with ‘Off the Grid’, ‘Operation of the Moral Law’ and ‘Blood Out of Stone’. Each song provides that perfect high rhythmic tempo, complete with a gang vocal that not only lets you sing along but also provides the perfect backdrop for you to slam to, if you are of that inclination. There are also traces of the industrial sound which Prong also dabbled in with ‘Wasting of the Dawn’ – a song which begins with a fast paced drum machine introduction reminiscent of ‘Mein Land’ by Rammstein before descending into its own beast. Whilst ‘Interbeing’ is a song of modern day Killing Joke proportions minus Jaz Coleman’s trademark voice, it would appeal to any fan of that industrial sort of sound whilst ‘Wasting of the Dawn’ is an excellent way to close ‘Zero Days’.
All this however only serves to strengthen ‘Zero Days’ as it is the politically charged songs which steal the show; ‘Divide and Conquer’, ‘Forced Into Tolerance’ and ‘Self Righteous Indignation’ all show Tommy Victor at his most pissed off and therefore his best. ‘Self Righteous Indignation’ has all the bullish pig-headedness of the person it is clearly aimed at – the President of the United States, Donald Trump. This song, coupled with ‘Interbeing’ and ‘Operation of the Moral Law’ make ‘Zero Days’ the angriest of Prong’s albums to date, with all this being possible now that Victor has an outlet and a physical target to focus is hatred and rage upon.
‘Zero Days’ shows that Prong are back on top of their game, they haven’t sounded this good in years and what adds the final cherry on the top is the that ‘Zero Days’ has had fantastic production upon it courtesy of Tommy Victor and Chris Collier. ‘Zero Days’ is sleek and smooth without losing any of that raw anger and energy that seems to have been the catalyst in making ‘Zero Days’ a strong and excellent release.
84/100
Adam McCann
Divide And Conquer; Prong, 'Zero Days', 2017; SPV/Steamhammer Records
Pallbearer
Heartless
Nuclear Blast Records
2017
Heartless is borderline soulless
Doom. Doom can be an awfully picky genre, from those initial rumblings from Birmingham with Black Sabbath, to those that trail blazed the scene such as Candlemass, Trouble, Pentagram and Saint Vitus. Post this, doom made love with many other genres, stoner, black, sludge, the list goes on and on. The only downside to this, is that yes, doom multiplied like horny rabbits and there are now literally thousands of bands, with a lot of it being generic boring doom that is best avoided. However, as with most genres, there are a lot of diamonds gleaming from the stone.
From out of literally nowhere, Pallbearer exploded onto the scene in 2012 with their storming debut, 'Sorrow and Extinction', followed 2 years later by the equally good 'Foundations of Burden' and this leads us to 3 years later, 2017 and the much anticipated third album from Pallbearer, 'Heartless'. This time Pallbearer have moved on from Profound Lore Records and into the big time with Nuclear Blast Records and this shows instantly with 'Heartless'. The lilac album cover coupled with the very retro introduction on the cover itself of: ‘Heartless – a long playing record by Pallbearer’ brings up memories of the 60’s and/or those Indie bands that look like hipsters and try to be retro.
'Heartless' kicks off with the rather beautiful 'I Saw the End' and that gleaming production burns through the speakers immediately showing that Nuclear Blast Records expect Pallbearer to be at the cutting edge of their label, but hang about? Is this Pallbearer? Where are the crunching, droning guitars that got Pallbearer where they are? Heartless signals a huge step away from their previous sound with the album focusing more on multiple melodies that swathe and interweave together more like a classical composition than your regular average song. However, there are glimpses of Pallbearer’s previous work, if you were a fan of 'The Ghost I Used to Be' from 'Foundations of Burden', then tracks such as 'Dancing in Madness' and 'Cruel Road' will be right your up street.
One of the main points about 'Heartless' that may interest people is that it attempts to break the norms set down by genres over the years. In 'Heartless' you will find no chorus’ and very few hooks that will pull you in which goes for some very difficult listening and can easily fall into the category of background noise. Obviously, there is a perfectly acceptable amount of droning expected from a doom record and as you would expect, 'Heartless' is no different. The main issue with 'Heartless' is that this droning just doesn’t go anywhere and although there are parts to certain songs that make your ears prick up and go, hang on, what did they just do there? It is far and few between.
The vocals of Brett Campbell are a lot stronger on 'Heartless' than previous releases which beautifully twine and drift ethereally over the music and this is shown perfectly in 'I Saw the End', the lengthy 'A Plea for Understanding' and album’s initial video release, 'Thorns'. However, it is 'A Plea for Understanding' that steals the show with Pallbearer waiting for the end of the record to unleash it and if this marks the start of a new venture for Pallbearer then they won’t find a better benchmark than that song.
All in all, 'Heartless' is a huge step for Pallbearer, the question is; is it necessarily in the right direction? There are some very good melodies on 'Heartless', but a melody can’t carry an album alone and you have to question whether the refusal to follow the norms was a good idea, but only hindsight will tell. 'Heartless' will be an album that will divide Pallbearer’s fan base, there are those that will thoroughly enjoy 'Heartless' and those which is distance themselves from it. The only way to choose is to buy the album yourself and make up your own mind.
62/100
Adam McCann
I Saw the End; Pallbearer, 'Heartless', 2017; Nuclear Blast Records