We Butter The Bread With Butter - Wieder Geil (CD Review)

01.Ich Mach Mit Medien
02.Exorzist
03.Anarchy
04.Berlin Berlin
05.Bang Bang Bang
06.Mir Mehr
07.Rockstar
08.Thug Life
09.Warum Lieben Wir Nicht Mehr
10.Zombiebitch


Marcel Neumann (Guitar)
Maximilian Pauly (Bass)
Paul Bartzsch (Vocals)
Can Özgünsür (Drums)

"Wieder Geil!“ finally showcases the German fourpiece they way it always wanted to be perceived. Forceful and equipped with the bounce of all bounces.
So says their record company anyway, i'm slightly concerned about reviewing this one sent to me, silly name, great album cover, facebook page says they have over 298k of likes, but then i have also seen the word "metalcore" and am wondering if this is going to be a load of shouty scene kid music?

Well 'Ich Mach Mit Medien' starts off quite well a sort of techno metal sound much beloved of the old nu-metal guard, add in some punchy guitar and then, err wait euro techno dance drum n bass now its more chase and status than linkin park!

After a lot more of the same, all by the way in German, we come to one in English called 'Thug Life' which is another hi-nrg techno rave thing with samples and electronic vocals.

Yep, well then, definatley not my kind of music at all, so i wont go any further, this to me is neither one thing or the other and brings nothing new to the table that the likes of KoRn and Skrillex have not already done very well or some of the cross over music created by Rammstein.

But when it comes to metalcore and unfortunatly i get to hear a lot of it, this one is towards the top of the pile, its well produced and they execute their music with precision.

Rating 7/10
For fans of: Enter Shikari, Asking Alexandra, Finish Him, The Browning

Oktor - Another Dimension Of Pain (CD Review)

01.Another
02.Conscious Somatoform Paradise
03.Dimension
04.Mental Paralysis
05.Of
06.Hemiparesis Of The Soul
07.Pain
08.Undone


Piotr Kucharek (Vocals/Bass)
Jan Rajkow-Krzywicki (Vocals/Bass/Guitar)
Jerzy Rajkow-Krzywicki (Vocals/Bass/Guitar/Keyboards/Drums)

The Polish doom death metal band formed way back in 2003 and are now finally ready to present a full-length album after the years of artistic activity, several successful mini albums, compilations and participation in A Tribute to Skepticism! The long tracks alternate with exquisite piano preludes, as if inspired by Frederic Chopin, demonstrate the diversity of ideas: classical dense riffs and low-tempo interludes, a variety of vocals (from clean to growl), alterations of mood and rhythm … Clean sound of all instruments underlines the high quality of musicians many-years-long searching for their own style.

Well starts with a bloody piano intro as a seperate track and then gets going with the 12 minute piece 'Conscious Somatoform Paradise' and it's pretty good, nice mix of doom, melody and funeral doom like the different vocal styles from growls to clean, works well as does the beautiful slow and melancolic breakdowns with gentle classical precision.

My joy at this first proper song is knocked slightly when track 3 is another short piano filler, which as it acts as an intro to the next song, could (and should) have been at the beginning of the damn song, but anyway lets move to 'Mental Paralysis' (in more ways than one if its followed by another filler).
Now this is a  beast of a track at nearly 18 minutes, starts with this almost prog rock sound of guitar and keyboard, then the dark vocals come in and the song begins to move towards some quite epic almost symphonic doom as it goes on some stunning backing vocals are added and then it all comes to a close with some simple and atmospheric piano.

Next track, yep you guessed it: Filler, i can see a pattern here this is a four track album divided into 8 parts!
So to 'Hemiparesis Of The Soul' another slow and quite symphonic intro with great clean vocal, its when the dark vocals come in that this song gets heavy and nasty, well for a while we then gets some quite jazzy basswork and drums in the middle and a mix of styles and samples at the end.

The last 2; 'Pain' (yep filler come intro) and 'Undone' really are an odd way to end, just very very quiet piano and a near whispered vocal.

Rating 8/10
For Fans Of: Sorrows Path, My Dying Bride, Anathema, De Profundis

Lucifer - Lucifer I (CD Review)

01.Abracadabra
02.Purple Pyramid
03.Izrael
04.Sabbath
05.White Mountain
06.Morning Star
07.Total Eclipse
08.A Grave For Each One Of Us



Johanna Sadonis (Vocals)
The Wizard (Guitars)
Dino Gollnick (Bass)
Andrew Prestidge (Drums)

Following the premature demise of The Oath, Johanna Sadonis formed Lucifer.  Whilst The Oath was a much-celebrated band, she wasted no time in creating a new beast to go beyond previous limitations.That beast is Lucifer and this is their stunning debut album titled Lucifer I.
Having released their debut single, Anubis earlier in 2015, there has been a significant buzz generating around Lucifer. The anticipation for Lucifer I is high and it will not disappoint.

With the addition of Garry Jennings (ex-Cathedral/Death Penalty) as co-songwriter and studio guitarist, Lucifer have moved forward into a realm of rock music which is very rare and very special in this time. Genuine, classic, heavy, studied and passionate are just a few words that instantly spring to mind upon first listen. Lucifer's instinctive take on the very soul of early heavy metal is the electrified essence of rock’n’roll at its nascent purest. This is Magic Rock – heartfelt and holistic.

Eschewing the now well-worn clichés of the ‘occult-rock explosion’ in favour of a truthful and tempestuous re-imagining of classic 70s proto-metal and turbocharged blues, the eight songs on this band’s debut album crackle and fizz with burgeoning energy and the compelling conviction of music made for all the right reasons.

Although still firmly rooted in the fertile soil first cultivated by Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Blue Oyster Cult, Lucifer exist in a proudly liberated and limitless sonic realm, where the heaviest blues rock is a mere starting point for the band’s skyward creative trajectory.

So 'Abracadabra' is not quite the breathtaking start i was expecting, seems more like a continuation of The Oath, which was good mid seventies hard rock but pretty mainstream.

Again with 'Purple Pyramid' its just The Oath with a slightly heavier guitar sound, really not what i was expecting at all, look im not saying this is bad, far from it, this is great stuff with awesome vocals, but, ahh wait towards the end of this track im starting to get a different sound come through, more doomy, so maybe.....

'Izrael' quite a Sabbath like intro into some great bass and drum rhythms, nice harmonic vocal over it all, then it all comes together, this is more like what i was expecting, like Heart jamming with Sabbath.

And now a song called 'Sabbath', bells, slow pounding music, pure old school proto doom, stunning vocal ringing out through the speakers, oh yes this is the stuff!

This style does not last as we return with 'White Mountain' classic hard rock all the way and a killer solo at the end.

Really like the slow and slightly psychedelic/doom of 'Morning Star', half way through this one picks up the pace with a speeded up riff akin to 'Children Of The Grave' and more killer guitar work.

The doom returns with a vengeance on 'Total Eclipse', slow, pounding and pure, that vocal once again really sings through the speakers, love it when it goes all quiet and just a simple guitar riff is playing, then the drums start up and all of a sudden the pace picks up, creating happy doom sounds!!

Having finally got into this album i find myself at the last song, 'A Grave For Each One Of Us' nice acoustic start then a doom pattern appears, but just as it gathers pace they bring it down with the acoustic again, so its up and down all the way to the end.

So i may have had some doubts, writing this review as i go along, track by track for the first time, i then went back and listend to the whole thing again and it was even better.

Rating 10/10
For Fans Of: The Oath, Cathedral, Death Penalty, Bloody Hammers, Jex Thoth

Albatross - Fear From The Skies (CD Review)

Story 1: Children Of The Cloud
01.Intro - Advance
02.The Raptorsville Fair
03.Jugglehead The Clown
04.Children Of The Cloud
05.Outro - Fold

Story 2: The Assassin's Flight
06.In The Lair Of Dr.Hex
07.A Tale Of Two Tyrants
08.The Empire Of Albatross

Dr. Hex (Bass)
Biprorshee Das (Vocals)
Vigneshkumar Venkatraman (Guitar)
Nishith Hegde (Guitar)
Varun Singh (Guitar)
Jay Thacker (Drums)

Mumbai-based traditional heavy metal quintet Albatross formed in 2009 and are a band that combines bone-chilling stories with bone-crushing metal. The band started out as the solo project of bassist Riju Dasgupta (Workshop, Old Monks) who wanted to marry his love of literature with his other love: metal.

Later on, a lineup of like-minded musicians was standardized and Albatross was born. The band released the critically acclaimed 'Dinner is You', a concept EP about cannibalism and the Kuru disease, which was mastered by Grammy nominated Swedish producer Andy LaRocque from King Diamond, in September 2010.

In 2012, Albatross released ‘The Kissing Flies’ EP as part of a split CD with American doom metal band Vestal Claret to critical acclaim. This EP features contributions from famed luminaries such as Niklas 'Viper' Stalvind (Wolf), The Demonstealer (Demonic Resurrection) and Murari Vasudevan (Rat King).

Albatross has supported legendary bands like Kreator and Wolf in the recent past and besides being a regular in the Indian live circuit did a successful three-city tour of Australia in 2013.
Since then they have been working on their debut album.

Are you sitting comfortably? then lets begin with our first story, and yes the intro starts us off with a spoken story and then 'The Raptorsville Fair' starts and it sounds like something from Nightmare Before Xmas, a very theatrical vocal over some silly fairground style rock music, then a more technical progressive metal sound kicks in, but it returns to that strange but quite awesome other style.

'Jugglehead The Clown' is more traditional heavy metal, pounding drums and maidenesque guitarwork and a more "serious" vocal, very rhythmic and catchy.

Next up is 'Children Of The Cloud' this one throws everything in from prog, death and thrash metal, lots of intresting timing changes and a fantastic vocal performance that ranges from Bruce Dickinson to Dani Filth!

The story ends on the outro with some church bells and a bit more story telling.

So from what appeared to be a light hearted first story the next one seems to be a bit darker, 'In The Lair Of Dr Hex' has this slow powerchord driven rhythm and more vocal gymnastics, the quality of the guitar solos matches anything any euro power metal player can offer, very very impressive.

The pace picks up with 'A Tale Of Two Tyrants' and once again it is the vocalist that takes centre stage here, another stunning and diverse performace from dark bass to near soprano, all over solid heavy power metal.

Opening with some beautiful acoustic guitar comes our final piece 'The Empire Of Albatross', this one is very much influenced by Iron Maiden, but this has some very good modern elements in the mix, as ever the vocalist does what he does best and also tells us a little bit of a story as well.

Rating 10/10
For fans Of: King Diamond, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Dream Evil, Iced Earth

Insect Ark - Portal Well (CD Review)

01.Portal-Well
02.The Collector
03.Lowlands
04.Octavia
05.Crater Lake
06.Taalith
07.Parallel Twin
08.Low Moon

Dana Schechter (All Instruments)

Debut album from composer/multi-instrumentalist Dana Schechter.


Schechter has a deep and unshakeable relationship with music that has seen her criss-crossing over the United States, and for a prolonged stint living in Europe as she explored creative avenues with her previous projects and passions. From being offered bass lessons by Cliff Burton at aged 15, to self teaching herself piano, guitar and drums, Schechter's talent and abilities have led her down a diverse array of artistic paths.

Having co-founded instrumental band Gifthorse with drummer Jef Whitehead and guitarist Douglas Hilsinger in her early twenties, Schechter has also lent her bass skills to Michael Gira (Swans), American Music Club, Keren Ann, and many others; in her band Bee and Flower, she's worked with artists such as J.G. Thirlwell, Thomas Wydler, Bertrand Burgalat, Martin Wenk (Calexico), and Toby Dammit.

Although the fruits of her collaborations brought artistic satisfaction, the ease of creating alone appealed to Schecter, and over the year in which Portal/Well was borne, Schechter wrote and recorded alone, at all hours of the day and night. The album was built with careful attention to immaculate detail, but also takes chances, pushing beyond personal barriers. The album is the product of a journey into composition and sonic exploration using a small but dynamic palette of instruments and a singular compositional voice.

Upon completion of Portal/Well, Schechter felt the addition of a live drummer would further push INSECT ARK  to expand sonically, both in the studio and live. In January of 2015, San Francisco Bay Area drummer Ashley Spungin (Taurus) joined as a band member. The duo performs together when possible; when apart, Schechter plays solo.

An intresting collection of Instrumental doom with some hints of electronica and some almost ambient interludes and one track 'Low Moon' so ambient you can barley hear it at all until towards the end.

Each piece creates mood, as if part of a soundtrack to some strange underground gothic horror film.

Take 'Octavia' as a prime example, starts with some synth pulses, in comes a slow drum beat, more synth adding different layers of sound and texture, to this add some guitar, simple chords full of phasing, what sounds like some whispered vocal, as the piece progresses add some weird sounds, distortion and occilation and then a few more power chords and then it ends.

Rating 9/10
For Fans Of: Mekigah, Boris, Sunn 0))), Wolvserpent, Selim Lemouchi, Aphonic Threnody

Lockersludge - Drawing Lessons EP (CD Review)

01.Burden Of Pain
02.Guilt, Anger And Agression
03.Drawing Lessons
04.The Beard Of Doom
05.Burn In Hell


Mark Lockyer (Vocals/Drums)
Andy Lockyer (Guitar)
Brew (Bass)

3 piece doom/sludge with a hardcore edge from South Devon formed circa 2011.
Lockersludge essentially started out as a side project for Mark and Andy they have now recruited bassist Brew so they can begin rehearsals and take the project out live. Mark and A having been playing together since 1993 also enjoying slow, sludge (bands like Melvins & Eyehategod) power metal (Pantera) as well as an appreciation for the old skool hardcore scene (Madball, Biohazard) & the hardcore scene of today (Terror, Sworn Enemy) believing that there is no heavier form of music.

Maybe it's because of the punk vocal style and the lack of doom structure, i really don't get the doom/sludge tag here at all.

The first four songs are more of a grunge/sludge hybrid, nice raw sound with the instruments, but because of the shout it out/sneering vocal style this sounds more like Cockney Rejects play metal, Oi Metal???
It has a real dont care/fuck you attitude, simple punchy riffs over a basic drum beat and then short burst guitar solos.

It's not agressive enough to have a clear Hardcore tag either, really the more i listen to these songs i just get punk every time.

Now with that said the last song 'Burn In Hell' has a different feel, slow rhythmic drum pattern and obvious doom guitar, now here's the thing the lyrics are those of a certain Mr Dorain and this does "Borrow" quite a lot from Hopkins Witchfinder General, a hell of a lot, most of it actually, yet they still make this a punk rocker of a song.

Weird bunch can't quite work out what they are or what they want to achieve with the music.

Rating 8/10
For fans Of: Viking Skull, Anti Nowhere League, Warfare

Black Pestilence - Outsiders (CD Review)

01.Cult Class
02.Silent Assassin
03.Unseen Force
04.Horns For The Devil
05.Sonic Static
06.Cellblock
07.Razing Taboo
08.Voiceless Generation


Valax (Bass/Vocals)
Viktor (Guitar)
Little V (Drums)

Canadian band formed in 2008, Black Pestilence combines grimy punk rock with electronic noise, all through the devastation of black metal. In 2009, Black Pestilence's first full­length album, "Vice" was independently released. “Vice” was originally released as a one­man solo project. However, later on Valax recruited live members in order to take the music to the live stage. Founding member, Valax simply describes the music as "black metal built on punk and noise."
In 2011, "Tradition is Obsolete" was released. This album is a representation of Black Pestilence's more experimental side with a strong emphasis placed on electronic noise and samples.
In 2013 Black Pestilence released their third full­length album, “In Defiance”. This album was by far their fastest and most fierce release, it featured intense speed from street punk, all presented through the furious lens of black metal and otherworldly samples.

Wow what an intresting mix of styles, listening to 'Cult Class' we get a sampled start, then the drums kick with some brilliant bass work, like early 80's punk bands, then as the speed picks up even more it gets this Motorhead vibe, the vocals are very rough and the backing is very "shout it out".

'Silent Assassin' begins with some electronic samples and then turns into a very punky metal song, again really ahve to pick out that bass playing, its got a great live and raw sound.

So from the punk/metal genre we now move somewhere totally different with 'Unseen Force', this is a slow an almost symphonic/goth sounding song, except its very electronic and has a vocal tubed effect on it, the heavier elements come in with death metal precision, this could almost be Fear Factory or Ministry.

The next few songs return to the punk/metal style and then finally we end with 'Voiceless Generation', a mid paced mix of samples over bass and drums then towards the end when the keyboards come in it gets symphonic.

I dont know which band member is the samples/keyboard guy but he really does this very well, this is a great an very unexpected album, electronic punk, the one thing i didnt get from any of the songs was black metal, so this is not in "Aborym" territory.

Rating 9/10
For Fans Of: Anything from Ministry to UK Subs!!!!!