Slowcoaches - Thinkers EP (CD Review)

Self titled 'Slack Metal' band formed in 2010 return with a new four-track EP, THINKERS. The EP follows on from their 'Tye Die Tapes' release, We're So Heavy back in May 2012.

Along with a fistful of new songs, Heather and Matty instigated another line up change, with the addition of Mazes' Neil Robinson on drums. The band maintains a fiercely DIY ethic and the past year have performed across the UK and Europe with bands including Mission of Burma and The Thermals.

Opening song 'Thinkers' sounds like L7 back in their SubPop days, its a raw guitar driven, grungey mix with riotgrrrl attitude.

'Total Block' is a distorted faced paced fuzz monster, simplistic in delivery like a classic 3 chord Ramones song.

The weirdly titled 'Biennal Drool' is the first to not feature Heather on vocals, the song is reminiscent of the post punk sounds of Buzzcocks and even a touch of Joy Division.

Finally 'Nightlife' sticks with that new wave vibe, the vocals are full of harmony and the music flows wiyhut becoming complicated.

Neat little ep, good old "DIY" ethics creating good easy to listen too sounds.

Rating 8/10

For Fans Of : L7, Hole, Buzzcocks, Throwing Muses, Sonic Youth

Red Jester - Nasty (NEW PROMO VIDEO)

Red Jester have just released a promo video for the song 'NASTY' as featured on the front cover cd of this months Classic Rock AOR magazine.
A strong hard rocking number with some slightly rude lyrics! that even got the attention of legendary music journalist Xavier Russell who also gave them a 7/10 review for their album.

Aside from the gig advertised above they have just been announced for the all day music festival to be held at the Leopard venue in doncaster.
More information here : https://www.facebook.com/events/533873806707245/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

News from the band is that they are recording a new EP for release early next year and also plan a new promotional video to be shot on location somewhere in Yorkshire!

Copies of the album are available from the band, contact them via facebook : https://www.facebook.com/RedJesterUKBand?fref=ts

Official Website : http://redjesteruk.wix.com/redjester

AND FINALLY THE VIDEO :

Crystal Viper - Possession (CD Review)

01.Zeta Reticuli
02.Voices In My Head
03.Julia Is Possessed
04.Fight Evil With Evil
05.Mark Of The Horned One
06.Why Can't You Listen?
07.You Will Die You Will Burn
08.We Are Many
09.Prophet Of The End
10.Thundersteel

Marta Gabriel (vocals/Guitar)
Andy Wave (Guitar)
Golem (Drums)
Michal Badocha (Bass)

Polish heavy metal band formed in 2003, was the vision of guitarist, singer and composrer Marta Gabriel.

This is their fifth release and is a concept album about young girl named Julia, where the movie-like story gets an unexpected twist.

The recording of this also includes contributions from 50 of their most loyal fans who added screams to be used in various songs, also the song 'Fight Evil With Evil'(recently released as a limited edition vinyl single) features legendary American singer Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer), while 'Julia Is Possessed' we can hear growling voice of Sataniac, vocalist of the German Black/Thrash Metal act Desaster.

The also pay homage to one of their influences with a cover of 'Thundersteel' originally recorded by Riot.

A solid album of classic 80's sounding euro metal, have to pick out 'Prophet Of The End' a great symphonic rocker full of melodic vocals and layered backing vocals.

Epic solo's, solid drumming all go to create an album of anthemic metal, surprisingly at times more Nightwish than Warlock.

Rating 8/10
For fans Of : Helloween, Dio, Warlock/Doro, Nightwish, Sister Sin

Black Messiah - Heimweh (CD Review)

01.Symphonia Pagana
02.In The Name Of Ancient Gods
03.Jotunheim
04.Wildsau
05.Edmund von Ostanglien
06.Nidhogg
07.Heimweh
08.Die Quelle Der Weisheit

Zagan (vocals/Guitar/violin)
Frangus (Guitar)
Meldric (Guitar)
Garm (Bass)
Agnar (keyboards)
Brooh (Drums)

Formed in 1992 in Germany, the band began with a tradition Black Metal style, their debut album "Spectres Of Black Knowledge" in 1998, however started to display a more refined sound drawing on folk/pagan influences which is the direction they continued with.

A stunning female vocal harmony greets the opening piece 'Symphonia Pagana' with some very atmospheic orchestration this leads us into 'In The Name Of Ancient Gods' a drum driven fast paced song that clearly displays the Black Metal influence both with the vocals overall feel to music.

The next song is in their native german, once upon a time that would have been a problem but thanks to Rammstein we have got used to it, but this is mucher darker!

'Wildsau' has a traditional folk vibe with flutes and accordian, a real happy drinking song, well sounds like it then it it goes into some black metal riffery and demonic vocals before returning to tradition, a little more black metal and then finally some squealing pigs!!

Do i detect Diamond Heads Am I Evil riff on 'Edmund Von Ostanglien' followed by Thin Lizzy's Emerald, well yes i do but thats a good thing because its used to perfection in creating an atmospheric song with a deep almost crooner like vocal delivery.

After the heavy sound of 'Nidhogg' we are then treated to a really beautiful folk ballad called 'Heimweh', again there is a fantastic female backing vocal and an emotional violin solo.
If you are a fan of classic folk rock and know the song Lady Margaret performed by the Trees then this would sit very nicley next to it.

It all ends with an 8 minute mini epic, starting acoustic guitar and then moving into heavy but melodic sounds with subtle keyboards, bells and other instrumentation all thrown in the mix and used to perfection.

A brilliant album one that blows away the recent offering from Turisas and rivals even Amon Amarth!

Rating 10/10

For Fans Of : Turisas, Blood Ceremony, Amon Amarth, Imperium Dekadenz, Cradle Of Filth

BB Blackdog - Live At Cask Corner 25.10.13 (Gig Review)

BB BLACKDOG

Cask Corner, Doncaster 25.10.13

One drummer and two bass players might seem an unusual line up for a rock group, but in this instance it is all that is required to create a unique,totally original sound and concept.

In an attempt to describe their music i am reminded of many things, the lead bassist and vocalist Dale Rowles has the vocal harmony of Jack Bruce mingled with the non folkish stylings of Ian Anderson, whilst his outstanding ability at playing a rickenbacker bass as a lead guitar (reminscent of Lemmy way back in 1973!) with the addition of say Geezer Butler and Les Claypool. Creating amazing sounds by what from my angle appeared to be a wah wah pedal and phaser f/x unit, he also threw in some slide guitar work, something which i have never seen on a bass in 36 years of going to gig's.

The second bassist Molly May Hooper ranges from the traditional job of a bass player to turning her hand to rhythm playing with some added f/x for extra depth.

Axel Boldt plays an unconventional drum kit, holding solid and rhythmic patterns throughout (also operating the bands self contained PA system and mixing desk) and perhaps more shockingly actually manages to wear more pink items than Sky London did when he was in King Lizard a few years back.

So to the music, some songs worked as pure seventies psychedelia harking back to the legendary Hawkwind (during one song i found myself singing 'Time we Left' in my head due to the hypnotic basswork) blended with german art rockers Can, others were in the hard rock style, i managed to pick out elements of Black Sabbath and Primus.

There were a few comical songs and a reggae number broken up by some blast beats and heavy riffing.

As to the lyrical content which ranged from Politics (Dale is a member of the Monster Raving Loony Party) to Ex Wives and some roosters coming to a nasty end at the farm!

We should also not forget Sex (and lets face it who would want to forget such a thing?) with songs about Gimps and Speed Dating showing the loving and caring side of initial relationship contact, the woman wanting security and romance, the man wanting to tie her up and err well you get the idea.

The final elements making the perfect evening were the humorous quips from dale in between songs I (imagine Viv Stanshall doing an impression of Graham Chapman) and crowd participation with members of the audience invited to wear rooster hats and dance like chickens and also a conga line running throughout the venue.

FACEBOOK : https://www.facebook.com/BBBLACKDOG?fref=ts

Korn - The Paradigm Shift (CD Review)

01.Prey For Me
02.Love & Meth
03.What We Do
04.Spike In My Veins
05.Mass Hysteria
06.Paranoid And Aroused
07.Never Never
08.Punishment Time
09.Lullaby For A Sadist
10.Victimized
11.It's All Wrong

Jonathan Davis (Vocals/Bagpipes/keyboards/Programming)
Brian "Head" Welch (Guitar)
James "Munky" Shaffer (Guitar)
Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu (Bass)
Ray Luzier (Drums)

Guest Musicians
Zaylien (Keyboards/Programming)
Sluggo (keyboards/Programming)

Studio album number eleven and the first album to feature original guitarist Brian "Head" Welch since 2003's Take a Look in the Mirror.

I am hoping that with 'Head' back in the fold (i guess being back with the sex, drugs, bad language and satanism is okay now after his outburst many years ago?) and with 'Munky' saying they are trying to get back to the sound they had with the 'Issues' album that Korn are leaving all that skrillex crap behind and getting back to doing what they do best which is their own strange mix of rock/goth and hip hop.

Well here's hoping; Click Play and........

Well 'Prey For Me' certainly makes an impressive opening, really sounds like the old Korn, solid drum, that epic bass sound, the weird and quirky bits they thrown in (spookycore wasnt it once termed?), Davis vocal is on top form and the backing vocals work well.

From this point onwards every track sounds just as good, different moods, some more atmospheric than others, some get heavy some stay with that commercial edge.
What this album proves is that Korn can still play proper rock music (yeh okay call it Nu-Metal if you want, but that was always a weird tag anyway, pretty meaningless in reality) and dont need all this "dubstep" experimental crap.

Rating 8/10
For Fans Of : Slipknot, Fear Factory, Rammstein, Tool, Stone Sour

Paradise Lost - Tragic Illusion 25 The Rarities (CD Review)

01.Loneliness Remains
02.Never Take Me Alive (Spear of Destiny cover,Tragic Idol bonus track 2012)
03.Ending Through Changes (Tragic Idol Japan bonus track 2012)
04.The Last Fallen Saviour (Appeared on a Decibel 7” flexi 2012)
05.Last Regret Lost in Prague Orchestra Mix (Faith Divides Us bonus track 2009)
06.Faith Divides Us Death Unites Us Lost in Prague Orchestra Mix (bonus track 2009)
07.Cardinal Zero (Faith Divides Us bonus track 2009)
08.Back On Disaster (In Requiem album sessions 2007)
09.Sons Of Perdition (In Requiem Japan bonus track 2007)
10.Godless (The Enemy Single B-Side 2007)
11.Missing (Everything But the Girl Cover In Requiem bonus track 2007)
12.Silent In Heart (In Requiem  bonus track 2007)
13.Gothic 2013
14.Our Saviour 2013

Nick Holmes (Vocals)
Greg Mackintosh (Guitar)
Aaron Aedy (Guitar)
Steve Edmondson (Bass)
Adrian Erlandsson (Drums)

Jeff Singer (Drums on 2007 Tracks)

Of the three new recordings guitarist Greg Mackintosh said, “ 'Our Saviour’ was one of our present drummer’s favourite songs when he was a teenager, so when we were deciding on a really early track to re-record, this was high up on the list. This version is not meant to be better or even comparable to the original, which was of a certain time when perfection was not the order of the day. It was a time when music had charm and innocence. This new version is simply an affectionate look back on that time, and hopefully we did it justice.”

The other two are 'Gothic' a re-record of the genre defining title track from the 1991 classic and a brand new song 'Loneliness Remains'.
These three tracks will also appear on a 10” exclusive white Vinyl limited to 100 copies.

So if you are a fan but couldnt afford all the different limited edition releases then this is the perfect album, and if you do have all the tracks you get 3 new ones, so either way its a good compilation to own.

Im not that keen on the cover versions, but thats more of a case that i have no intrest in the originals.

Rating 8/10
For Fans Of : My Dying Bride, Anathema, Vallenfyre, Him, 69 Eyes