To any rational human being, to any person with an ounce of common sense and decency, the world that we’re currently living in, is a bit broken…let’s face it we’re regressing into a menagerie of opinionated, spiteful and downright backward human beings. In an evolved world, where acceptance and universal happiness should be second nature, we find ourselves in a socially political climate where minorities are still chastised for things as petty as belief or sexuality, even gender…or in recent times, a mixture of all three. In a world where political correctness and judgement seem to be at continual loggerheads, it’s often the minorities that suffer…just look at the government. The US for some unfathomable reason voted in Donald Trump as the new President…a misogynistic, brash, racist arsehole…the UK…under its current Conservative leadership has done more to damage the country than it has good, making the poor, the elderly and the disabled suffer through god awful ideological means; ruling through favoritism of social class…everything else? Well, everything else is quite frankly, a little bit shit. Take the issues with gender and sexuality for example…even typing this is weird, but we live in a world where people aren’t even allowed to be comfortable in their own skin…it doesn’t matter if you’re transgender, gay or however the hell you wish to identify yourself, you shouldn’t face scrutiny or prejudice from those who see only “normal” and “abnormal” traits in their narrow minded manner, and one artist tackling the issue is GAYWIRE. Hailing from Philadelphia and founded by Trans artist Jen Mastiffson (a self-appointed identity but through personal issues, not ready to 100% commit to being a woman) following the horrendous mass shooting at the Florida LGBT nightclub Pulse on June 12th 2016, the aggrotek-outfit are ready to spread awareness and promote acceptance simultaneously with the brand new EP “Cisters Of Mersa”…let’s check it out…

To begin with, Gaywire is essentially a play on the term hardwired, the notion that you’re born gay, it’s programmed, it’s not a phase, you don’t grow out of it, it’s part of who you are, part of your identity;  it’s in your genes…secondly the EP title is equal parts a tribute to SISTERS OF MERCY, coupled with the term CIS (a term for basic birth assigned gender identification) and the super-bug MRSA, a dig at those who label the LGBT community a disease, looking upon them as ill or afflicted…while a clever play on words, it’s also very much tongue in cheek…and while that’s more than enough to take in, we haven’t even touched upon any music yet! The EP opens up with a track called “End Of Days” and Jen will tell you personally that it’s “aimed at the squares”…a long drawn intro loop of up-tempo techno and intense, repetitive percussion, before venomously the vocals rasp their way around more tongue in cheek concepts about a dystopian future where the gays have taken over the world; the sole intention being to offend, to make a bold statement…hate all you want, you won’t kill our community.

We follow up with the title track and the electronica here is initially very easy on the ears, more akin to a softer, dance-pop core sound…it does liven up sporadically but overall it’s less aggro, more tek…only the vocal delivery, again, raspy and course distinguishes this from your other EDM offerings…thematically it talks about the oppression and bullying the LGBT community face, highlighting the struggles they have to go through just to be acknowledged as equal or accepted. Lead single “Ave Satanas” also utilises the notion of trying to offend and sticks out like a sore dick…very controversial lyrically and visually too with the accompanying video…very much based around the idea of sin, conceptually using the coming of Satan as a metaphor for an LGBT uprising; a big middle finger up for gender equality, all contained within an industrial-inspired, almost darkwave based track. It’s incredibly bold and gets its point across well…

Elsewhere tracks such as the predominantly spoken-word “American Fear” while not necessarily an enjoyable ‘track’ per se, does successfully have a dig at typically blind, opinionated prejudices from certain folk in the American Bible belt, you know, those God fearing folk, culturally terrified sheep that take that mass produced work of fiction all too seriously and worryingly literally…their lack of acceptance and clichéd, negative, often derogatory views create more hate and their views are all too out-dated, before the EP finishes up on “Battle Hymn Of The Gay Agenda”…a tongue in cheek battle cry; waging war on oppression via the dance floor…the light synths and subtle atmospherics allowing for an aesthetically pleasing finale. Influenced by the likes of SKINNY PUPPY and VELVET ACID CHRIST….the idea was to use aggrotek as a means to release anger and frustration to convey a message, but really this is all musically quite accessible…good cause aside and while I’m not complaining, really I was expecting something far more aggressive and intense…Gaywire here had both the motivation and inspiration…and lyrically they’ve hit the nail on the head, but ideally there could have been a bit more sonic substance…go darker, go heavier, go harder and release the frustration…don’t hold back. Every flower in the gender garden deserves to blossom…don’t let that American fear keep you in the dark. [6]

On July 20th, 2017, on the birthday of former Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell, who tragically committed suicide back in May, the world has again lost someone truly special. Chester Bennington, vocalist of multi-platinum, Grammy award winning megastars LINKIN PARK, passed away at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, Los Angeles…the cause of death was suicide by hanging…he was 41. There are no words that exist that I can say right now that, will do any level of justice for a man, no, not just a man; a hero…an icon…the voice of a generation…Chester was all of these things. One of the most gifted and talented artists in the world, not just in alternative rock and metal, no he surpassed labeling and scenes, he was beyond pop-culture pigeonholing, Chester Bennington was the real deal. An influence on not only bands that came after their breakthrough success, inspiring song writers and singers from all walks of life, but inspiring us…the fans, the listeners…me and you…inspiring us with his words, his messages, inspiring us to be better people, helping us through some of our darkest times with a true sense of togetherness…for once in our lives, something was relatable and the bond we shared was natural from day one. Like many of you, my introduction to Linkin Park…my awakening…was the game changer we all know called “Hybrid Theory”…in many ways it’s a cliché now, so many people say “Hybrid Theory changed my life” or, “Hybrid Theory was the first record I ever bought” or…”Hybrid Theory got me into metal”…well as cliché as it is, it’s true…legions of young people, lost, confused, trying to find their place in the world gravitated towards Linkin Park’s debut in 2000; some for the release in the angst, a means to rebel…some felt comfortable dealing with personal issues they could relate to within lyrics about struggle, depression and suicide…it’s a heart breaking shame that these same demons got the better of Chester…I’d like to share with you my Linkin Park story and in my own way, pay respects to Chester Bennington…

During my childhood years, I can be honest and say music was never a massive part of my life, strange to think now that I have this blog but it’s true…I was never part of a musical family, it was always simply background noise or, if it happened to be playing, it was whatever was on, my first real connection with music in any capacity was Hulk Hogan’s theme music in the then WWF, hearing “Real American” got me excited because it meant Hogan was coming, that’s all it meant at the time, but it’s interesting to think that, as a rock song in many ways, it subconsciously conditioned me to gravitate towards guitar driven music…I went through other things, like, OK it was the 90’s, of course I had the Spice Girls album…who didn’t? I had that South Park album because the “Chocolate Salty Balls” song was funny, my dad ignoring all parental advisory labels and buying it for me…I missed the boat with Take That, BUT…when Robbie Williams went solo, something happened, something reconnected in my brain because of one particular song; “Let Me Entertain You”…laugh all you want but this was maybe the first defining point in my life in terms of being a consumer of music. For a pop song, it was SO rock ‘n’ roll it was unreal, the imagery, the attitude, the style, the sound…at the time, this was something I’d never heard before in my young naivety and it only fueled my curiosity. My ears would take me through artists such as Savage Garden, Republica, Manic Street Preachers, U2…I was discovering more and more guitar driven music, I didn’t have the internet, I didn’t have a local record store, I could only hear what was on the radio, I remember watching things like MTV Select and hoping one of these cool songs would come on, these artists had songs that stood out from the Westlife’s and the Britney Spears’…until one day, it would all change again…and that would come in my first year of  Comprehensive school…something that would change my life forever.

During an IT class one particular afternoon, one of the senior teachers was in with us for, whatever reasons, I can’t remember, but I DO remember him asking about us, what we were all into etc…Mr. Thomas his name was…he asked what music we liked; he named Robbie Williams, a few other pop groups, the majority agreed etc…and then something strange happened…he asked the room if anyone liked a group called Linkin Park…absolutely nobody said anything and this…this intrigued me. Who was Linkin Park? Why did nobody say anything? Little did I know I would soon find out for myself…my older cousin was still in school with me at the time and he was good enough to let me walk home with him after school if I didn’t have a lift, looking after me like the good egg he is (Ian you’ve always been a good egg)…he’d make me a cup of tea, we’d talk about wrestling and things, but one time he put on the TV and there was this channel I’d never heard of called Kerrang!...and, low and behold, we catch the beginning of a video and I see words flash up on screen; LINKIN PARK…”Crawling”…I was like THIS IS THEM! THIS IS THAT GROUP! And I watched and listened so excitedly…only one thing crossed my mind for those few minutes…holy shit. This was unlike anything I’d ever heard ANYWHERE…it was incredible, the emotion, the passion, the anger contained within this one song, while being catchy at the same time, it was unreal, it was hypnotic…in front of me was this dude with such an incredible voice…hair all dyed blonde and spiky, he had a lip ring…he was so cool! Over time, whenever I could I would seek out this channel; I would over time discover more videos, songs like “One Step Closer” and “Papercut”…”In The End”…this band could do no wrong! I decided that, I had to have their album and using some pocket money, for the first time I went out and purchased a record of my own, my first album in Woolworths; it was “Hybrid Theory”.

Casting my mind back that far, I don’t know exactly what it was about Linkin Park that made them so special at the time…I didn’t understand music, not instrumentally, I didn’t know what chords were, I didn’t know what chord progression was, or what keys were, and being younger, I wasn’t fully aware of concepts in music, that there could be serious messages in music, but I guess it filtered in emotionally…my parents at the time were coming out of a separation having gone through a divorce and while I’ve never claimed it to damage me in any ways, it naturally did change me, I no longer really had a strong family unit, subconsciously picking sides…back and forth my grandparents’ house where my mother was now living temporarily after the break up, between the odd night at home and occasionally where my dad now lives with my now step-mother…I guess hearing Linkin Park, the noise, the loudness, the emotion that you simply didn’t get from regular music…it struck me as real. I was hearing someone real, someone authentic and when Chester Bennington was singing, it meant something and in ways is resonated through me, it’s like, he felt FOR me…things at a young age I didn’t fully understand…other bands would come, I discovered this scene; I had the baggy jeans, the skateboard, the chains, I started spiking my hair, I had the wrist bands…I lost a lot of weight and I became comfortable within myself, I came out of some self-imposed shell I didn’t even knew I had over me…and I’ve never looked back.

Over the years, Linkin Park have been one of few bands I can say I’ve been loyal to; I’ve bought everything, listened to everything…bands come and go, your tastes evolve, they change with new sounds, you learn more about the world, your output changes, but when a band touches you in such a way, you don’t forget that…be it their underrated follow up, “Meteora”, or even remix albums like “Re-Animation”…all the way through to present day…sure, the last album was challenging…I will hold my hands up and say I wasn’t a fan, I’m sorry to say I slated it on this very blog upon its release…I wasn’t trying to jump on any bandwagons, the album garnered a lot of negative feedback, Chester himself was taking swipes at fans and if only I’d known that deep down he was struggling, it was affecting him in ways we couldn’t begin to imagine, then I wouldn’t have been so eager to pen my views in the character that I’ve become in these pages…Chester was a human being struggling with a depression and facing harsh criticisms, new material was getting booed on stage…he was just an artist looking to create…the trouble is, one of the things he did create was a monster; us. As Linkin Park fans, we were too quick to put down their artistic expression, the bands evolution, too many of us were too focused on nostalgia and disappointment this time around to see what was going on…Chester was already struggling with the passing of his close friend and inspiration Chris Cornell…many of us certainly didn’t help him. Yesterday, his demons caught up with him and sadly, he couldn’t fight them off any longer…Chester hung himself, leaving behind his wife and children and the world was certainly not prepared for it. I was lucky enough to see the band just once…they headlined Download festival here in the UK back in 2014, playing the very album that started it all in its entirety and it truly was a magical moment, sadly one I’ll have to cherish forever, as the only time I’ll have seen them play live. Recently, I’ve come to accept that for several months now, I’ve been quietly battling depression myself,  being prescribed Citalopram to keep me level headed…It’s almost pathetic to think that, I was too scared of what other people would think of me; afraid of those judgments or put downs to speak up, I bottled a lot and in turn, over years I guess I’ve had an on-going issue with alcohol, something I’ve been in denial of…but…I plucked up the courage to go and speak to someone and I’m glad I did. I just wish Chester had done the same. At just 41 years of age, Chester was far, far too young to leave everything behind…he was in one of the biggest bands in the world, he had loving friends, a loving family, but behind closed doors it proves depression doesn’t care and sadly, the world has lost someone truly remarkable as a result. I may not have known Chester personally, but part of me feels like I’ve grown up with both him and Linkin Park over these past 17 years…they truly are a part of me and I honestly feel like a part of me has died alongside his tragic passing…the world of music will never be the same again, but for all they’ve given us they already made the world a better place bit by bit…I’d like to offer my deepest heartfelt condolences to Chester’s family, close friends…the rest of the guys in the band, and every single other fan around the world, whether you’ve been there since day one, or you discovered them recently through “One More Light”…we’re all in this together. Chester…I’d like to simply say thank you; from the bottom of my heart. I definitely wouldn’t be me without you…I love you, and I’ll miss you…RIP <3

1989…a truly breath-taking album by born-again pop prima-donna Taylor Swift…lol…is it fuck, let’s start again. In 1989 we witnessed a lot of historical events; McDonald’s began construction of its first Russian restaurant in Moscow (I’ll have a McOkroshka meal with a triple vodka please)…Nintendo gave us the Game Boy, infuriating many an OCD sufferer with Tetris and, David Hasselhoff literally sang the Berlin wall into a pile of rubble…however, the Goths among you will note that it was also the year that gave birth to THE 69 EYES…yes the Finnish Goth ’n’ roll veterans started out as a glam rock band nearly thirty years ago, but over time, influenced by the likes of THE SISTERS OF MERCY and THE MISSION, they established themselves as true stars of gothic rock…front-man JYRKI 69, (real name Jyrki Linnankivi) iconic with his deep baritone crooning and clad head to toe in black leather, quickly became known as the Gothic Elvis and in 2017, we see him embrace that by lending his fangs to a new project. Releasing his debut solo album; “Helsinki Vampire”…has Jyrki raised the stakes? Or is this just coffin fodder? Let’s find out…

We open up with “Ad Infinitum” which translates as “To Infinity” and it’s incredibly fitting…at near 8 mins long this is one hell of a challenging opener and really does feel like it drags infinitely…it’s annoyingly slow and for more than half of the song, all we’re given is a brooding, dreary instrumental…we get simple guitar and drum output, it’s quite bass-heavy in tone, but for the most part it’s less menacing, more monotonous…when the track does actually come to life mind, it’s actually decent! There’s a rich electronic vibe, the guitar is grittier; becoming a really slick, dark,rock track, it’s all going well and almost makes up for time wasted, but there’s another plot twist…the last minute becomes a sullen, piano led spoken word outro reminiscent of something Lestat would spout in Queen Of The Damned…it’s a right mixture this…

“Versailles” follows on with the same bleak, despairing piano tones as means of continuation but sadly it provides little in way of encouragement…in ways it harks back to earlier work such as “Stolen Season” but it doesn’t have any of the appeal…thematically it’s interesting, rooted in French monarchy but as a song it’s almost…lazy…a disappointing offering. There are more energetic tracks that inject some life into this album however and luckily they are top draw, first and foremost we have “Bloodlust”…taken from the upcoming movie “Sunset Society”, with cameo’s from the late MOTORHEAD vocalist Lemmy, and Ron Jeremy no less, it’s about vampires ruling the Sunset Strip, a modern day Lost Boys you could say…it’s a great throwback to the 80’s with its pulsing electronica and keyboard elements, it’s got some great new-wave pop hooks, coupled with Jyrki’s vocals it’s very “Paris Kills”…an easy album highlight. The same can be said for “In Your Dreams”, a wonderfully slick, Gothic rock ‘n’ roll track, the church bells, the deep bass, the addictive chorus, this is the Jyrki we know and love, you can’t fault this. “Last Halloween” has appeal of its own, with its up-beat tempo, some quirky little nods to horror classics like Friday The 13th and Nightmare On Elm Street, but it suffers from repetition and a very unimaginative chorus…

Sadly however, a lot of the album falls short of expectation and really I drive a stake through my own heart saying that…”Spanish Steps” is again, pushing 8 mins in run time and it’s simply more joyless piano with synth overlay and the gloomiest of vocal displays, stylistically it’s about as Spanish as a kilt-wearing kangaroo eating sushi in a snowstorm, nothing about this track says Spain, its more boredom than Benidorm but, I digress…while “Happy Birthday” is honestly about as happy as Count Dracula getting a garlic flavoured birthday cake, and “Perfection” is audibly anything but…sinister pulsing techno aside, almost creepy, it’s a spoken word piece, very philosophical but, ultimately it’s quite dull. For a first outing as a solo artist, while you expect him to retain some of the trademark 69 Eyes catchy, Gothic rock style, he does so in such an uninspiring fashion…in ways, the tracks on offer here do span the entire 69 Eyes timeline, and you can pick out certain era’s from the bands history throughout this one album, the trouble is, there’s very little momentum driving the album as a whole. While Goth as a genre isn’t exactly chirpy, a lot of this album borders on depressing. He may be THE Helsinki Vampire but, sadly here he’s no Bela Lugosi…die-hard fans will sink their teeth into this but if you’re new to Goth as a genre this probably won’t do you or it any favours. [5]

Going back just a couple of years, an up and coming band by the name THE QEMISTS emerged from Brighton, UK, grabbing the attention of rockers and ravers alike. Having already been around for a couple of years prior, even finding themselves supporting the likes of ENTER SHIKARI on tour, they were still a project looking to find their place, looking for their own glass slipper so to speak and that search, led them to 2015's "Warrior Sound". The album, released through Amazing Record Co. was 45mins of some of the freshest, crisp crossover electronic rock you could ask for, combining their original rock band idea with their fondness of DJ sets and Breakbeat...finding themselves sounding like latter-day PENDULUM in some aspects with a heavy grime influence. Collaborations helped too, with the likes of HACKTIVIST and Kenta from CROSSFAITH getting involved only further backing up this groups credibility...they found themselves signing to FiXT over in the US for American distribution, alongside artists such as CELLDWELLER and THE ALGORITHM. Now settled in, they've treated their fans State-side to a brand new EP "Warrior Soundsystem"...an add-on so to speak following up from the last album...let's check it out!

We open up with brand new track "Stepping Stones" and we're greeted with a pretty guitar-driven introduction...from the word go this track is fueled by riffs, a strong hard rock / metal influence at the core of this track, but it's brilliantly balanced with some classic drum & bass, the beat driving the track forward alongside Bruno Balanta's grimy, hip-hop vocals, while Oliver Simmons utilizes the grittier approach for a genuinely catchy chorus; it's ballsy and authoritative and the electronic breakdown rounds the track off well. Immediately after this, well holy shit...it's only a cover of "Blind"...yes...that blind...by KORN. We all know Korn, the godfathers of nu-metal haven't exactly been shy when it comes to dabbling in dub-step, but what happens when a predominantly dub-step outfit does a bit of role reversal? Can they do such an iconic track justice? Yes and no...while the electronica adds some truly dark atmospherics to an already disturbing track; freshening up a track over twenty years old, it's just not quite Jonathan Davis is it...ambitious though, credit to them.

Sticking to new tracks, the EP includes "Find My Way" and it opens up with some slick, UK underground rap / hip-hop, again channeling that grime-influence which we've seen emerge as one of the hottest genre's in the UK right now thanks to the likes of STORMZY and SKEPTA...musically the electronica is a little stripped back for the most part, as are the guitars; it's darker overall, yet it's spiritual, personal soul-searching again, touching on my earlier comment on them looking for their place in the world, it's a solid track ending with a climatic key-change sequence. The rest of the EP consists of remixes and a single live track...five in total...three of which are "Jungle" (-_-) first off, the live track is "Jungle" and it's really not necessary here, it really isn't, this belongs on a proper live album, it doesn't bring anything to the EP and the EP doesn't benefit from it being here, it's essentially filler. The first remix is by masked Venezuelan DJ ZARDONIC, the garage/trance qualities injecting life into the track, picking up in pace over it's run time with an interesting solo to boot, while the other, a remix by German drum & bass artist VOICIANS; taking the track literally, utilizing a rich jungle style with softer synths; the more aesthetic of the two.

Overall, the new tracks are good and provide great additional content to the previous album, making their mark on the FiXT roster in the process, the Korn cover, again, it has to be said fair dues to them, far from the easiest track to work with...the rest of the EP isn't exactly bad, the other two remixes ("Warrior Sound" and "Run You") had their place, but the inclusion of three versions of "Jungle" was just a bit much, two of them could have been different tracks entirely, there are better tracks on the album that deserve revisiting to be honest, a "Let It Burn" remix for example would have been a much better choice than that live track...even though all remixes are different, they could have given American listeners more variety here on their first release for the label in terms of their back catalog...other than that, a decent EP. Now I'm off to check out the new Jumanji...oh for fuck's sake...more jungles...[6]

Klayton is...in some ways...the Mick Foley of music. I know what you're thinking, that's one weird-ass analogy, Gav's been slammed in thumb-tacks again...but go with me on this one...Mick Foley was one of WWE's most loved in-ring personas, either as himself or, Mankind...who was twisted enough, but if he wanted to get serious, if he wanted to be the tough bad-ass, well he'd whip out the hardcore Cactus Jack character...but, on the flip side, he also had his far brighter, colourful character in the hippie Dude Love...he catered for a vast demographic. Klayton's virtually the musical embodiment of this; most of you know him through CELLDWELLER, the aggressive alternative rock / drum & bass hybrid...but he too has more than one trick up his sleeve. If he fancies making something far heavier, well he turns to CIRCLE OF DUST, the cold, mechanical, industrial metal monster...but if he wants to tone it down, he's got SCANDROID, the softer 80's inspired synth pop project...he's pretty much got it covered! 2017 see's the return of Celldweller but, not everything is what you'd expect...he's been tweaking again and he's delivered something totally new on his latest album "Offworld"...let's boldly go to where he until recently had, not gone before...

We open up with the title track and we've got a very gentle intro; it's got a deep, somber tone courtesy of minimalist piano play, layered over equally minimal synths, gradually building up in both intensity and emotion, it's almost watery, otherworldly in a sub-aquatic sense and it retains this when Klayton's vocals echo through the tracks murky depths. It's got all the trademark elements of Kalyton's love of all things space and Sci-Fi in it's tone alone and the track itself touches on a longing to get away...get away from this Earth, a new start, a new beginning, escape humanity....it's a very delicate track indeed. The sentiment here is echoed again through the track "Last Night On Earth" which is quite self-explanatory, or should that be planetary? Again though, he speaks of the world not being civilized, he awaits his flight, his ascension, as you witness his rebirth...conceptually a metaphor for this new direction he's taking Celldweller...he's embarking on a new journey and there are no limits and certainly no looking back...

The album is also unafraid to tackle personal issues as well as it exposes a tenderness rarely seen in Klayton's previous works, not to this level at least..."How Little I Must Know" is a perfect example of this...despite it's short, two and a half minute run time it's a beautiful little acoustic driven track; it's incredibly short and sweet but, under that sweet exterior lies a dark and distressed song...it's message is lost and confused, there's a sense of inner struggle and it's incredibly emotional, it's very despairing...it's...quite sad. The same can be said in a sense for "Too Many Tears" (A wonderful THE CALL cover from 1987)...again, a song of hardship and struggle, the pain of failure, the frustration, going to dark places, living through dark times to reach the point he's at and it's almost submissive from Klayton here, again, very emotional stuff, though there's more angst fueling the track and it's more intense as a result.

There are more questionable offerings however..."Mother's Arms" for example, while humble and showing an open, honest, vulnerability within Klayton, again showing an incredibly tender, sincere side we've not previously seen to this extent, at little over a minute long, it's essentially an interlude and for a track to delve so deeply into ones personal state of mind, it would have benefited being a longer track, but we have to remember, it's personal and, we have to respect how comfortable Klayton is as an artist touching upon topics no matter what they are, while "Awakening With You", despite it's catchy, melodic qualities (Imagine an early post-JOY DIVISION demo) does sound like it's lost somewhere between this project and Scandroid...though "Into The Fall" and even more so, "The Great Divide" provide wonderful album highlights returning to the soft, acoustic, almost Western country style...honestly the kind of tracks I wish JOHNNY CASH was still alive to cover...all in all, however much of a departure this is from the norm, here we have a Celldweller album that stands it's ground without needing noise, intensity and massive tunes, it's a very well written and produced album from start to finish...Klayton once again proving his artistic merit, without it ever really being questioned. [7]

I often touch upon the 80's...not in a shamed former BBC executive / TV personality sort of way...touching people of a certain age group inappropriately, but in the fond, neon glow of nostalgia sort of sense; everything from Tetris to techno, but what I don't often cover was was the continuing evolution of metal. Coming out of the 70's into a new decade, we'd already seen a transition from the classic heavy bands such as BLACK SABBATH, into a new era of glam-rock...and hair spray...like MOTLEY CRUE etc...but some bands wanted to keep the spirit of metal alive, regardless of trends. This my friends is what metal is all about...this my friends, is what ICED EARTH is all about! Formed in 1985 in Florida (But having previously been called PURGATORY), with a love of JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN, they've always flown the flag for all things classical and in 2017, they continue to do so with their brand new album "Incorruptible"...are they true to their word?

We open up with "Great Heathen Army" and we're greeted with a very appropriately sounding, battle march...as if in preparation for war...the simplistic pounding of the drums coupled with chanting and almost viking horns adds to the theme here very well and already, we have the makings of a story, before out of nowhere the band bursts into life with a surging metal onslaught...the double kick drums, the classic riffs and sometimes screeched, power-metal vocals; it's all very traditional, all sounding very epic and it serves well as an opener. "Black Flag" follows up and has a theme of it's own...it's set within old pirate lore and speaks of the governing of the seas, the historical relationship between these pirates and their battles with the law, for the black flag itself is an old signal for parley; the act of looking to find democratic resolution; backed by some more traditional metal it's combined very well.

There's more to these veterans than meets the eye however, as they do mix it up just a little to keep interest peaked throughout the record..."Raven Wing" utilizes a soft acoustic lead introduction which for all intents and purposes, is really rather sweet the way everything sounds poetic before it spreads it's wings so to speak...that solo too, it's so 80's it's brilliant...on occasion galloping along with the Maiden influence clear for all to see. Speaking of influence, album highlight "Seven Headed Whore" is a faster, far more aggressive offering and it's style originates from more of a thrash-inspired background; the riff-work is very SLAYER.

Elsewhere, highlights include "The Relic (Part 1)" which is an incredibly melodic hard-rock based track, it flows wonderfully and really is equal parts dramatic and catchy, however there is no sign of part 2 here....(Did they forget it? Or is it a spoiler for the next album?)...and also "Ghost Dance (Awaken The Ancestors)"...an unexpected near 7 minute instrumental, bar the sparse tribal incantations...the pan pipes add they're own unique flavour and amidst the metal there's a strong ritualistic feeling which they've pulled off well. The rest of the album is what it is essentially; you either really love this classic style, or you can have too much of a good thing...some of it can't help but sound generic after all these years, however closing track "Clear The Way" is one for the history buffs...it's a concept piece on the Battle Of Fredericksburg...at over nine minutes, it's a battle indeed. Overall it's a solid, proper metal album and in 2017 it's great to see that the principles remain generally unchanged and that bands like Iced Earth still follow the old blue print...incorruptible? I'd say so...[7]