Fist City - Everything Is A Mess (2015)

01.Intro
02.Fuck Cops
03.Let's Rip
04.Hey Little Sister
05.Bad Trip
06.Interlude I
07.Shotgun
08.Surf's Up
09.Interlude II
10.Interlude III
11.Rats
12.The Smell
13.End Of The Good Times
14.Losers Never Die
15.Interlude IV
16.The Mess
17.Interlude V

Kier Griffiths (Vocals/Guitar)
Brittany Griffiths (Bass)
Evan Van Reekum (Guitar)
Ryan Grieve (Drums)

Supercharged Southern Alberta quartet Fist City burst from basement studios onto the stage in 2009. The twin sibling duo of Kier and Brittany Griffiths — musical collaborators from the womb to the tomb — found ideal foils in frenetic guitarist/songwriter Evan Van Reekum and powerhouse drummer Ryan Grieve. A solid string of releases from labels such as L.A.’s Dead Beat, Victoria’s La Ti Da, and Transgressive have been coupled with tours at home and abroad, glowing reviews, recording with Don Pyle, a Nardwuar interview, and other thrills.

2014 marked a transitional year, including personal changes among the band members, the reissue of their debut LP It’s 1983,Grow Up! from Transgressive Records (originally issued by L.A.’s Black Tent Press in 2012) and the recording of Fist City’s sophomore salvo Everything Is A Mess. The new album finds them primed to take the future by storm and was recorded at Steve Albini’s Electrical Audio studio in Chicago.


If you take out the intro and interludes, all of which are just very short instrumentals you are left with 11 songs.
These songs are simle, short, almost post grunge pop rock numbers, delivered mainly in the style of say the Pixies.

The sixties influenced (Mainly) instrumentals songs like 'Surfs Up' and 'Rats' are reminiscent of Greg Sage, and have a slightly punky vocal.

Honestly can't think of much to say here, it's a listenable album, nothing to get too excited about.

Rating 7/10
For Fans Of: Greg Sage & Wipers, Pixies, Buzzcocks

Wasted Puppets - Puppet Show (CD Review)

01.My Sweetest Poison
02.Lousianna's Son
03.Lovestruck
04.Just Disapppear
05.Black Tar Medicine
06.Brothers
07.Your Mother Knew I Was Bad News
08.Don't Save Me
09.Outlaw Story


Anssi Tuomikoski (Vocals/Harmonica)
Jani Klemetti (Guitar)
Samuli Visuri (Bass)
Mikko "Hyrski" Hyyryläinen (Drums)

Wasted Puppets is a rock group formed in 2011 from Lapland playing music based upon the foundation which was built by such heroes as Zeppelin, Hendrix, Purple, G N' R, Kiss, Whitesnake and many others that came after them, with their own twist.

Fairly straight forward classic rock stuff here, nothing to get over excited about, more of a small club band than one that would ever get near a stadium.

Its melodic and well played, would suit a drive radio playlist, so to pick a couple out i will go with 'Black Tar Medicine' a slow and anthemic song with huge riffs and a good vocal performance, this one has that Audioslave vibe.

Another stand out is 'Your Mother Knew I Was Bad News', its got that American post glam swagger of G'N'R with some rock n roll thrown in as well.

As i said this is an okay album, just dont expect it to leap out at you.

Rating 7/10
For fans of: King Lizard, Mercy House, Wasted Sinners, Bad Son

Borealis - Purgatory (CD Review)

01.Past The Veil
02.From The Ashes
03.The Chosen One
04.Destiny
05.Darkest Sin
06.My Peace
07.Place Of Darkness
08.Welcome To Eternity
09.Sacrifice
10.Rest My Child
11.Purgatory
12.Revelation

Matt Marinelli (Vocals/Guitar)
Mike Briguglio (Guitar)
Sean Werlick (keyboards)
Jamie Smith (Bass)
Sean Dowell (Drums)

Starting out in 2005, Canadian band Borealis wasn't supposed to sound as it does today. The first songs and live performances were done with a female opera singer. It was quickly realized that the possibilities were limited following that path, so they set out to find the right sound. During their search, enough songs were written to record an album, but there was no luck finding a singer, until they realised their guitarist could sing!

With their new singer and an arsenal of songs, Borealis entered the studio, and after a long and endlessly drawn out time, World of Silence was unleashed. Having played locally with Kamelot, Epica, and Sonata Arctica with nothing to sell, patient fans were elated to finally get their hands on the album, and Borealis played a packed show with Edguy to support it.

Musically Borealis leans towards the power metal sound, not too far removed from a band such as Evergrey or even Savatage in their prime, but also the more progressive bands like 'Vanden Plas' or 'Dream Theater' springs to mind here and there.

Well lets start on a positive note, the intro IS included as part of the first song, so thats a couple of rating points already, but then the first 3 songs are pretty much straight forward power metal, not quite as annoying as the european stuff but not far behind.

Track 4 'Destiny' kicks off with a solid and heavy riff, some great technical drumming and good use of keyboards, yes its symphonic, especially when the vocal and piano replace the rest of the band, but when it comes together, this one turns into a pretty solid song.

They seriously drag this down with the next song 'Darkest Sin' an acoustic ballad, this has no place anywhere in modern metal music at all.

The rest is back to the "slightly less annoying power metal" style, though they do throw another damn ballad in for some strange reason.

So bar one track this is yet another average metal by numbers album, that seems to be on the increase at the moment.

Rating 5/10
For Fans Of: Evergrey, Nickleback

A S OErchestra - Winter Rain (2015)

01.Winter Rain


Aleksi Susi (Vocals/Programming/Guitar)

An experimental new band from the finnish musician Aleksi Susi (Alexanred, 2 Wolves, Scent of Flesh).

One track from the upcoming album, its a nice commercial sounding song with a very catchy chorus, best way to describe it is symphonic pop/rock with gothic undertones.

Will wait for the album to get a better idea of what this is about.

Rating 9/10
For Fans Of: Nine Inch Nails, HIM, Placebo

Child Of Caesar - Love In Black (CD Review)

01.Defector
02.Red Sun
03.Gates
04.Nero
05.Long Live The Night
06.Lost Sacrifice
07.You
08.At Heart
09.Love In Black
10.Worlds Without Skies


Daniel Mitchell (Vocals)
André Marcussen (Guitar)
Christopher F.Kassad (Bass/Guitar)
Dino Cadavian (Drums)

Love in Black is the debut album of German Goth Metal band Child of Caesar featuring Daniel Mitchell from U.S. Metal band "Autumns Eyes" on vocals.

It lyrically deals with morbid themes about life & death whereas the musical influences reach from The Sisters of Mercy to Tiamat and Paradise Lost.

Child of Caesar is making no secret about its love for 90’s heavy music. After recording and mixing at Tones & Tunes Studios in Oberhausen, Mika Jussila from Finnvox was hired for mastering to show gratitude to the evocative sound of that time…

So first question is who's on the keyboards??? I ask because the playing on this album is very good, yet no credit???

Right so we start with 'Defector' a stunning Goth/metal hybrid, simple chords power through the frantic drumming and synth patterns whilst the vocalist remains at a calm and harmonic level.

'Red Sun' is a slow, near anthemic song, more rock than metal with a dark overtone, in fact this is the way forward, forget the "Metal" tag this is pure Gothic Rock.

I tell you the haunting keyboard on 'Long Live The Night' is pure Static X, the mood of the song, just everything about it, just brilliant.

Whole albums fantastic, stop reading this and go buy a copy now :-)


Rating 10/10
For fans of: Static X, Tiamat, Placebo, Sisters Of Mercy, Deathstars, Marilyn Manson

Black Claw - Black Claw EP (CD Review)

01.Nothing
02.Factual Accusations
03.Broken Hands
04.Find The End
05.Horrible Days

Reverend Black Claw (All Instruments/Vocals)

Formed in 2013 playing primitive and angry Death Roots envisioned in the desolate forests of the Canadian Wilderness.
Coming from a black metal background and now playing country music, Chris said; "I am the only member of the band. A few different people have been on the recording but 90% of it is just me.
Live performance wise there are a few people I play with some times but they are just session musicians".

Well as i was expecting C&W, i was surprised by 'Nothing' which has a simple acoustic riff, very dark and agressive vocal and some nice backing vocals, towards the end is some very gothic sounding keyboard and vocal effects.


'Factual Accusations' gives us more in the style of modern C&W, but there are hints of rockabilly and goth as well, the gruff vocal style cuts through the music to hold your attention and again some great backing vocals.

The tempo and delivery of 'Broken Hands' reminds me of Gogol Bordello, with this great ethnic/folk song.

Now we come to 'Find The End', it begs the question can dark gothic vocals and a banjo make for a a dark, moody and quite stunning song? The answer is yes, this is by far the ebst song so far, a perfect mix of styles that simply should not work.

Finally some more traditional "hillbilly" style with 'Horrible Days', but its the "Hail, Hail, Hail" backing vocals and kick ass guitar solo that turn this into something quite unique.

Rating 9/10
For Fans Of: Buck Satan, Bourbon Crow, Hank III, Gogol Bordello

Soldier - Defiant (CD Review)

01.Conquistador
02.Leaving
03.Kill Or Cure
04.Concrete Wilderness
05.Fight Or Fall
06.Dead Man's Curve
07.Bullet Belt Blues
08.Six Hundred
09.A Light To See The Darkness
10.Dont Come Crying To Me Defiant

Ian Alan Dick (Guitars)
Miles Goodman (Guitar)
Steve Barlow (Bass)
Richard Frost (vocals)
Tim Churchman (Drums)

Formed by Ian Dick in Northampton in 1979, the band soon built up a strong following, after releasing a demo early in 1982 they were signed to Heavy Metal Records and release the single 'Sheralee, a year later after a live album the band split.

Returning in 2003 with a new Ep titled 'Infantrycide' followed by a compilation album 'Heavy Metal Force' in 2004 and a single 'Murderess Night'.A year later they released a new album 'Sins Of The warrior'.

We now jump to their 30th anniversary of the single 'Sheralee' and live appearences at the British Steel and Hard Rock Hell festivals, this lead to a determination to return to the scene and the band set about recording a new album.
The result was 2013's 'Dogs Of War', following year drummer Alex Smith was replaced by ex IQ man Tim Churchman and the band released a 2-cd compilation of mainly unreleased tracks from 1980 to 2007 and a bonus disc covering more recent recordings.

Opening with a seven minute epic called 'Conquistador' this sounds like a young progressive metal band creating clever layers and throwing in timing changes to make one helluva statement, add to this the experience of the musicians and what we have here is a stunning piece of music, full of melody, controlled agression and multi instrumental passages.

Next up is 'Leaving' a solid drum driven mid paced rocker, melodic vocals soar through the riffs, the next one 'Kill Or Cure' is more of the same, good quality hard driving music and some nice bass playing coming through my speakers as well.

Now 'Concrete Wilderness', a song i have played 3 times in a row, why? well first time i wasn't sure about it, second time i started to get used to its style and third time (now) whilst i'm writing this.So starts with a simple guitar riff then suddenly gets all "Judas Priest" riff wise, just as you start to get used to that, it slows down and gets all serious, then goes even slower with just a bit of guitar and a passionate vocal, then (keep up with me here) it bursts into life again all heavy and anthemic, nice guitar solo and crashing drums, speeds up again keeps a steady pace, then slows down again, then gets all epic towards the end.Right then by far the most intresting multi layered song so far and one of the best rock songs i have heard this year!

'Fight Or Fall' and 'Dead Mans Curve' are both solid rock songs, great riffs, great drums, pounding bass and excellent vocal delivery, nuff sed.

I wonder if 'Bullet Belt Blues' will be a blues song? No its not its another anthemic rocker and its not lyrically what i expected either, i thought it may be a homage to heavy metal fans, but instead its about the politics of war.

Love the phase effect on the drum intro to 'Six Hundred' which turns into another riff lead driving rocker, yes i know i've said that before in this review, but hey this music just drives along at such a great pace, its the best way i can describe it.

Please dont let 'A Light To See The Darkness' be a ballad, coz it sure as hell sounds like one so far, slow and moody guitar riff and nice vocals, but wait the tempo increases, there is life here (and some nice acoustic sounding guitar in the mix), so yes okay its a kinda ballad but there is enough structure here to avoid the cliche.

Finally wild riffs and frantic drumming introduces us to 'Dont Come Cring To Me Defiant', the vocal is at a different pace to the music, this works really well and it all comes together during the chorus, after which it goes crazy full speed on the drums again.

This is an album by a band who have clearly moved forward from the retro sounds of many a NWOBHM band, its a modern heavy rock album, well thought out, executed and produced.

Rating 10/10
For fans of: Neon Fly, Amulet, Saxon, Judas Priest, The Deep, Weapon (UK)