ACHILLA - ARASHI (Cd Single Review)

01.Arashi
02.Volcano
03.Wild Flower (Acoustic)


Martamaria (vocals)
Daniele Panza (Guitars/Programming)
Gus Macricostas (Bass)
Vincenzo Infusino (Drums)

Guest
Gonzalo Carrera (Keyboards on Arashi)


Achilla are a London based four piece symphonic metal band made up of Hungarian singer,
Martamaria (a vocalist already in the Guniness Book of world records), Italian guitarist,
Daniele Panza (Ex Cavalar), Greek bassist Gus Macricostas and another Italian, drummer
Vincenzo Infusino. The band first formed in 2006 and there have been numerous line up changes before settling on the core quartet we have now.
Drawing on a myriad of influences that range from folk and progressive to good old heavy
metal they increasingly set themselves a reputation and high standard throughout 2009 and
soon came to the attention of TotalRock Radio, Metal Hammer magazine (Who had an earlier
version of Arashi on a cover mounted cd), Classic Rock magazine, Fireworks magazine,
Powerplay magazine (who had a demo of Wild Flower on their cover mounted cd) and even the
Guardian newspaper!

At the beginning of this year they set about recording their debut album 'Timeless' and also managed to tour the uk with 'Delain'.

This first single is released in digital form on September 1st and in physical form on the 16th (also the date for the official launch show at the Purple Turtle in Camden).


The song 'Arashi' will be know to many of you through the Metal Hammer cd anyway, but this is a far superior version.
Epic, Anthemic and Symphonic excellence, a truly great song that has everything you would expect from a band destined to be a leader in this genre.
This will no doubt have the same effect as a certain song called "Nemo" did a few years back (and we all know what that did to Nightwish's career).

'Volcano' has a cool bass and drum intro into some awesome guitarwork greet this first "new" track, clear and defined vocal comes through a superior production.
Some outstanding riffage from Daniele lifts this way above average and if this is representative of the album, then look out ears!

The exclusive acoustic version of 'Wild Flower' shows just why the "Achilla Acoustic Show" has become a popular duo (Marta & Dan) on the live circuit.
This is a much better version than appeared on the private released ep last year.
Superb in every possible way and in marked contrast to its electric brother, tis brings out different haunting qualities.

Without a doubt (ahem) "A Killer" little single, cant wait for the album.


STU

Rating 10/10

For fans of: Nightwish, Therion, Epica, Tristania, Within Temptation

UPCOMING GIGS FOR AUGUST

Okay so this is not a gig but itis the release date for Al B Damned's debut album!!!!

THERION - SITRA AHRA (CD Review)

01.Sitra Ahra
02.Kings Of Edom
03.Unguentum Sabbati
04.Land Of Canaan
05.Hellequin
06.2012
07.Cu Chulain
08.Kali Yoga III
09.The Shells Are Open
10.Din
11.After The Inquisition/Children Of The Stone


Christofer Johnsson (Guitars/Keyboards)
Christian Vidal (Guitar)
Nalle "Grizzly" Påhlsson (Bass)
Johan Koleberg (Drums)
Thomas Vikström (vocals)
Snowy Shaw (vocals)
Lori Lewis (Vocals)

Legendary Swedish heavy metal band founded by Christofer Johnsson in 1987.Despite the religious connotations their name is actually a homage to the Celtic Frost album To Mega Therion.

Beginning as a death metal band, they later turned to combining orchestral elements with their metal music, employing heavy use of choirs and classical musicians, not only as additions to but also as integral parts of the composition.

There are a number of slightly exagerrated claims such as "Therion is the first metal band with fully live orchestra", something that Deep Purple first did back in 1969 and "It is also the band which originated, popularised and influenced the symphonic metal genre", i would suggest the Italian band Devil Doll have more of a right in the "originated" and that it was Nightwish who "Popularised" the genre.

However Therion are almost certainly the best exponents of the genre that at times is more operatic than mere symphonic metal.

Musically taking its themes from different mythologies and is based on concepts ranging from occultism, magic and ancient traditions and writings. The majority of their lyrics were written by Thomas Karlsson, head and founder of the magical order Dragon Rouge, of which Johnsson is a member.
The band has seen many changes in line-up and style throughout its history, perhaps the most shocking was the departure of Karlsson in 2008, however in November 2009 a new line up was put together along with the announcemnet of the recording of this album.

Generic symphonic pomp is a perfect way to start this album and 'Sitra Ahra' ticks every box, with high female vocal and dark male vocal, full chorus, driving drums and powerchord structures and a blazing solo.


'Kings Of Edom' has an operatic start but quickly switches to folk/ballad influences.
Half way through the epic vocal chorus brings to mind Turisas, whilst dare i say that towards the end it has all the qualities of a Moody Blues song before heading into speed metal territory.


A serious nod towards doom metal heralds 'Unguentum Sabbati' a straightforward blast with awesome vocals and lurking in there some keyboard riffs from Phantom Of The Opera.


'Land Of Canaan' oh fuck!!!
Seriously how do i even begin to review this song???
Its a 10 minute mini opera that throws everything at you, okay so it has that spookycore start a la KoRn, then we enter classic euro prog metal, then harmonica and acoustic guitars that would make Ennio Morricone proud, which then morphs into battle metal territory with some great flute playing thrown in.
Then here comes that epic male choir, then damn we get some accordian and soprano female vocal to slow things down a bit.
Yet another tempo change with harpsicord leading to traditional eastern european folk with a vocal that could be Marilyn Manson duetting with Topol from fiddler on the roof!!!
A melancholy breakdown then blends into a mid tempo drum rhythm with violins and cello's and another male chorus, then a happy upbeat almost pop bit with some humming and a Kate Bush (ish) vocal blended with more opera.
This is just the most stunning song i have heard in a very long time!

Just how many vocal styles can they keep coming up with??? 'Hellequin' seems to be able to put in black metal vocals and Male tenor that could be Christopher Lee.
Some great 60's style organ playing add's to the ecletic mix to create yet another outstanding piece of music.


'2012' continues this pure aural delight that has a great pumping bassline, Iommi' style guitarwork, high male vocals, superb choral backing, and breakdowns with violins.


The anthemic 'Cu Chulain' with its echo of a traditional welsh male choir on the chorus mixing well with its hard rock verses and overall structure, definatley a touch of Thin Lizzy lurking in the background.
Funnily enough its not unlike a heavy metal take on pet shop boys go west!


Gothic and anthemic and heavy as hell, 'Kali Yoga III' and taking on the Krishna mythology way better than George Harrison ever did!
The song continues from parts one and two from their Sirius B album from 2003.


That wonderfull tenor vocal returns for 'The Shells Are Open' its an almost bouncy ska like backing, a typically operatic song.


Whoa!!! suddenly satyricon make an appearence (well not actually them) but could be with this full on black metal assault with the aptly titled 'Din'.
Furious double peddling and blast beats with full choral vocals create a stunning headbanger.


'After The Inquisition/Children Of The Stone' brings us to a gentle and calm finale.
Beautiful acoustic guitars lead into a pink Floyd/Moody Blues chill out.
The choir sounds almost childlike bringing to mind that song from the Lost Boys movie.

In terms of musicianship, structure, production and emotion this is quite possibly the best album you will hear this year.


STU (Valued contributions from Chelle).

Rating 10/10

For fans of: Nightwish, Epica, Tristania, Devil Doll, Cradle Of Filth, Turisas, Dimmu Borgir

PHYREXIA - WORLD ANNIHILATION EP (CD Review)

01.Bladewing
02.Bloodfire Colossus
03.The Pyromaniac


Elliot Beaver (Vocals)
Daniel Saunders (Guitar/Vocals)
Paul Nazarkardeh (Guitar)
Bobby Dennis (Bass)
Rhys Sinclair (Drums)
Vicki Thompson (Keyboards)


Formed in 2007 the band play an organised blend of music which they call "Epic Melodic Dragon Metal",taking influences primarily from metal but all across the musical spectrum and beyond to create an original sound.


'Bladewing' has a classic symphonic/black metal sound, some quite good guitarwork and harmony keyboards and a nice Maidenish guitar solo towards the end.
The vocals however clearly need work unless tasmanian devil is what was intended.

Now for 'Bloodfire Colossus' the vocal is much better, still shouty and more akin to hardcore than the symphonic background would normally be used to.
The timing changes are well executed and again the guitarwork shines through and it sets the right mood.

The epic metal elements are here with 'The Pyromaniac' at times reminescent of early cradle Of Filth, but it's that vocal style which still sits uncomfortably for me.
The breakdown with 3 different guitar solos is well put together and the way the drums kick back in is very good.

This cd is good, dont get me wrong, but i really think that the music deserves a better vocal approach, its too hardcore to do the music justice.
The band clearly have the ability to produce music of a high standard and it will be intresting to see what they produce next.

STU

Rating 6/10

For fans of: Cradle Of Filth, Children Of Bodom, Mayhem

THE MERCY HOUSE - EP (CD Review)

01.Greed
02.Lead The Way
03.Inversions


Drew (Vocals)
Dany (Guitar)
Dan (Guitar)
W.R (Bass)
Nick (Drums)

So for the last 16 months Mercy House have been working hard, very hard, numerous gigs, 4 demo cd's, support slots to major bands like Hamlet, Vains Of Jenna and Biohazzard.
Their popularity caught the attention of Kerrang, and both Metal Hammer and Classic Rock magazines put one of their songs on a cover mount cd.
The band seemingly grow from strength to strength and have now arrived at their first official cd release and are to emabark on their first big uk tour in September.

The Ep along with other merch is available from : http://themercyhouse.bigcartel.com


The dark, brooding 'Greed' kicks off this EP with pure majestic power, it brings to mind Judas Priest's 'Touch Of Evil' with Zeppelinesque qualities, superb production brings out every instrument to perfection.
Drew's vocal delivery is reminicent of Chris Cornell doing an impression of Johnathan Davis, but has those trademark high notes that still makes Drew "THE" rock vocalist in the UK today.
The multi tracking and layering of the vocals and their various styles just adds to a superb piece of work.

That relentless wall of power continues into 'Lead The Way'starting off with a bass riff that would fit any decent Korn track, the song has an Audioslave vibe.
Part ballad part rock monster it is a song destined for american rock radio and a subsequent begging letter to come and tour.


Im not sure how they have managed to do it but the breathtaking 'Inversions' has now reached a level of brilliance beyond my ability to describe, in fact one of the lyrics,"you wont find the answers, they are too deep inscribed, deep within the maze that is your mind" just helps to illustrate my fail here on words.
The music is tighter, the little vocal effects added here and there, the cleaness of the guitars to such clarity that each note has its own purity, i mean its just fucking perfect!
There are few modern songs that have those elements of "classic" but this song will be around to entertain many future generations.

That this band remain unsigned and yet can produce an EP to such a level as to rival (if not surpass) any signed band with a huge budget is nothing short of criminal, this band have a right to be taken to the world stage and the ability to back it up all the way to the top.

STU

Rating 10/10

For fans of: Audioslave, Helloween, Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Alice In Chains, Led Zeppelin

FLYTEONE - NEHULA (Free Download Album Review)

01.Night Vision
02.I Am Unicron (Transformers Remix)
03.Dubplate
04.Pussyhole (Remix)
05.Welcome To Flight One
06.It Died A Quiet Death (Remix)
07.Fucking Croissant
08.I Kissed A Girl (Remix)
09.Woo Ha (Remix)


Tim Storey (Keyboards/Sampler/Electronics)
Adam Ever (Vocals: It Died A Quiet Death)


Tim is better known to most of you as the drummer for the rock group 'From Great Height', perhaps less well known is that his love of all musical genre's from Black Metal to Dub and his abilities as a multi-instrumentalist and producer make him an undiscovered talent as well as an asset to his band.
So here is the first downloadable album of his original electronic compositions and a few clever remixes.

'Night Vision' was actually the first song Tim ever wrote in the electronic field.
Whilst the overall feel is calm, chilling with epic sweeps the loops and phased main keyboard is a little too prominent and takes away much of the harmony that lays behind the mix.Nevertheless an impressive start.


The second track 'I am Unicron' was created as a Christmas present for one of his close friends.
The care and attention to this piece is obvious, even down to the maticulas recreation of the original sounds from the cartoon Transformers of which Unicron was a character.
This is an epic track with a clear nod to Tangerine Dream, its epic qualities ring through the speakers as does the stunning piano playing that eventually leads into some hi-energy beats at the end.


Old skool dub is on the agenda next with 'Dubplate', Tim's attempts to convey happy times of hot summer days in London after the onslaught of rain and snow echo gently with its laid back rhythmic sounds, delicate string orchestration and light pulsing synths.


Dizzee Rascal's 'Pussyhole' gets the full Flyteone treatment with an inspired face paced remix that retains the rapping but totally destroys (in a good way!) the original musical backing.

Echoes of Brian Eno ambience bring the mix back to earth (or should that be up in the air?) with 'Welcome to Flight One'.
Just fasten your seatbelts, sit back and enjoy the ride, but hope that the pilot isnt listening to it because its seriously laid back!

Something of a gamble seems to have paid off with 'It Died a Quiet Death', as Tim said " Well, I thought I’d give remixing my own bands song a go,i tried hard to incorporate Pauls big bassline, mikey’s soloing over the chorus and verse, and of course Adam’s synth towards the end, to give it that extra epicness".
Adam's vocal delivery gives the song an almost menacing element and the use of electronics essentially creates an entirley new song when adding drum 'n' bass/dubstep themes.

The title itself is worthy of praise 'Fucking Croissant', this may be filed under generic Dubstep with its repetitive structure designed for DJ’s, yet at times it has a slow almost industrial mood.

Katy Perry's homage to lipstick lesbians 'I Kissed a Girl' is the next remix target and Tim claims to have not heard the original until after he completed his version.
Now that was clearly a big advantage here as he has turned an upbeat happy pop song in a darker, sleazier almost gothic song bringing to mind Marilyn Manson's take on Tainted Love and Madonna's Justify My Love.


'Woo-hah' the Busta Rhymes classic from 2007 get taken into the realms of Jungle and Drum 'n' Bass with high velocity rhythms and thumping bass to recreate the song for a whole new genre of fans.

To get your copy of the album for free download just go to:
http://soundcloud.com/flyte-one
STU

Rating 8/10

For fans of: Drum & Bass, Dubstep, Ambient, Electronic, Dance Remixes

Such is the impact of Tim's work that he himself has since been remixed, you can find them here :
http://soundcloud.com/modo8-modrecordings

REVIEW of 'The Way we Feel' EP by Last Breath .

Track 1: Drive All Night

Track 2: Craze

Track 3: Break Your Heart (Taio Cruz cover)



Band Members:

James Parkinson(vox and guitar)
Tom Parkinson(guitar and vox)
Mike Croft(drums)
James Gradwell(bass)


Bio :

Last Breath are a four piece melodic rock band from Blackpool.
Their sound has been described as being full of 'catchy rock pop hooks and low tuned rock riffs'
and could be England's answer to Nickelback .


Their first track 'Drive All Night' is a catchy pop number that has a nice melody and a fairly decent guitar solo in there.
The harmonies are very good and the song has an overall Mc Fly /Busted feel to it .

'Craze' comes as quite a suprise given the younger typical'boy band' sound of the first track.
This one has a heavier adult classic rock sound to it and has some awesome riffs!!
Can definately hear Nickelback,Jovi, and maybe even a hint of Metallica in there !!!

The last track is a cover of the Taio Cruz smash hit 'Break your Heart',
although you get the impression that they've attempted to give it a different, more rock based sound ,
they haven't quite achieved it and basically the song sounds just the same which is a shame...
but it will still no doubt be a crowd pleaser and will get their fans singing along .

I think that these guys have got the potential to go far ,
they've got all the ingredients needed ie sound,talent,looks and image...
but the question for me is, in which direction will they choose to go ???
The good McFly/Busted style pop that would please a more younger audience especially teenage girls ??
or
will they produce more of the excellent adult orientated rock that would appeal to an even wider audience ??


Chelle

8/10