Stonehenge... Göbekli Tepe... Dot Cotton; all ancient wonders steeped in rich cultural history, going back centuries, even millennia. Or, you could just say; old as fuck. Naturally you may be wondering where I’m going with THIS segue... am I about to veer off into some, Neolithically geographical Ted Talk? Am I about to roast June Brown for pretending to run a laundrette into her 90’s knowing damn well the next spin cycle might outlive her? I jest...and I exaggerate.  

Today we’re going to be taking a fresh look at a Welsh band by the name of RECLUSE. You see, I’ve known front-man Britt several years now, and that’s where the intro to this review came from. He messaged me recently asking how things were, and that he’d like to get my thoughts on the band's newest album, seeing as I’d been part of their journey since their debut...he said that I felt at least a small part in their continued story, which to be honest was quite sweet.  

I do indeed remember championing their debut album “Crooked Heart”, but when I went to back-read my thoughts on it here for references, I realised that it actually pre-dates this entire blog! My first GTGC blog post was in 2014, yet I was playing Recluse on my old radio show back in 2011/2012! In the words of Mike Bracken; “Christ I’m Old!”. With that said, let's roll back the years and dust off the cobwebs as we check out “Lay Your Darkness Down With Me”... 

We open up with the track “Stomah”, and like any normal person, I found myself Googling the word to get some context as to what the track could mean conceptually, but the results drew more blanks than the infertile department of your local sperm bank. Naturally I ask Britt what the story was, and the reply? It’s a spelling mistake from Kurt Cobain’s journal, talking about his debilitating stomach cramps, that has nothing to do with the actual songs content itself. For fuck's sake Britt. I digress...the track itself is a fine slab of fuzzy guitar and bass that pushes and enhances his rough and ready vocals; combining the early 90’s grunge aesthetic with more stoner rock and sludge elements, and it’s a fine opener. 

Follow up track “You Get Out Alone” retains this approach with the deeper, rumbling bass complimenting the higher vocal notes. This more powerful, prominent vocal performance gives the track a far more positive energy, almost channelling the likes of SOUNDGARDEN for example, really coming to life towards the tracks climax. Album highlight “Throat” then takes things back down a notch, returning to their more stoner rock influences and there are moments here that could easily befit a QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE setlist. It’s got a solid groove and the distortion and muffling on the guitars again adds ample character; not to be mistaken for lack of production quality or recording cost-cutting...this gives the track a raw, visceral sound that works wonderfully for their stylistic delivery. This wouldn’t sound anywhere near as good too crisp or overly produced.  

“The Quiet Hours” by contrast slows things right down, to more of that sludge-heavy style for a truly moody, brooding piece of alternative rock, that wouldn’t be out of place on the soundtrack to “The Crow”, and is every as bit as enjoyable as the aforementioned, despite coming from opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of delivery. That’s just one half of the album mind you...as Recluse also indulge in several spots of prog inspired writing. “Werewolves” disappoints slightly as I was expecting some bestial savagery to rip through my speakers and maul me with an intense flurry of riffs and percussion, but it’s drawn-out instrumental intro somehow manages to bridge the likes of DEFTONES with the earliest of CKY days, before some very subdued vocals bring the expectations down even further. 

The main issues here however, come from two tracks taking up nearly thirty minutes of the album's hour and three-minute run time...and how they drag. “Olympus” being the longest of the tracks here initially starts off interestingly enough, like it’s about to veer off into some bluesy country-rock, but soon descends into an extended piece of everything we’ve heard prior, and like its name suggests, is a mountain to listen to if you're lacking in the old attention department. Closing track “Le Rose Hotel” then isn’t AS long but is arguably the weakest track on the record. Another needlessly long instrumental intro makes you wonder if they were given a target of how long the albums run-time needed to be, as this is literally nothing but pointless filler at this point. We’re over eight minutes in actually and I’ve not heard a single word...remind me to never stay here, I don’t care what offers I’m presented with on Booking.com! 

Ultimately, Recluse have proven again that when they put their mind to it, they provide some of the finest modern era grunge going, keeping those sounds of the early to mid-nineties very much alive. They’ve shown growth over their three-album career to date and continue to expand their sound, though while the lengthy prog-inspired cuts aren’t for this particular reviewer, there’s definitely an audience for it and it’s a solid recording nevertheless. [6] 

​So back in April, I reviewed an album for All About The Rock called “Italians Die Better”, by B-Movie punks SUPERHORROR. It was somewhat controversial given its title, as it was released during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic (One which we’re actually still in, despite the countries neither here nor there approach to public safety). Their background is plucked straight out of a low-budget zombie slasher, and while I did refer to them as a BTEC MURDERDOLLS, they are at least keeping the horror-punk scene alive. However, diving into my email submissions, I find an album forwarded to me by Stencil PR that predates the Italian’s…

Formed in Budapest, Hungary, THE HELLFREAKS are another seemingly horror-punk inspired outfit, consisting of vocalist Shakey Sue, guitarist Jozzy, bassist Domján Gabi and drummer Budai Béla, though they aren’t quite as tongue-in-cheek or gimmicky. Their own background simply stating that hell was “full” so they came back, but their original sound somewhat contradicts this at least in principle. Sure there were horror elements entwined within their lyricism, but as a generally psychobilly based band, I can’t so much as see them being denied entry to hell because HELL was too full, it’s more likely they were denied entry to an alternative club night for not having ID and exaggerated the story; embarrassed they couldn’t get served WKD. I mean there’s always room in hell for psychobilly!

I digress…over the years however they have adapted their sound to be more befitting of their name and claim, as 2020 finds them releasing their latest album “God On The Run”. With an angrier, seemingly more metallic approach to their writing, let’s see what the almighty father is fleeing…and does it explain the events of 2020 thus far? The album opens up with “Men In Grey” and you can immediately sense the increase in aggression compared to their debut…Sue’s vocals are coarse but retain a level of clarity and melody that drives the chorus hook home, all the while complimenting the more frenetic riff-work wonderfully. This is some enjoyable, up-tempo melodic alternative punk, and a solid start.

Recent single “Red Sky” then follows up and after a brief build we’re thrust into another dose of pacey, melodic alt. rock, combining pop sensibilities with a more vitriolic punk aesthetic…not too dissimilar to our opener but with ever so slightly less attitude; it’s cleaner with more harmony allowing for a generally smoother, easier listen without losing any bite. The rest of the album then  in all fairness sticks to this formula pretty vehemently, fleeting between those same duel aggressive and arresting aspects of their song writing style. “Doldrum Dynasty” is another great example of a simplistic yet really effective chorus hook amidst edgier guitar elements, while “Adrenalized” uses soaring gang vocals and almost pop-punk riffs to great effect, before we eventually finish up on “Tabby”. The odd one out as the slowest paced piece here; it’s got a deeper, darker,pulsing synth underlying some predominantly grunge-influenced hard rock, but this change of pacing is a pleasant one. It’s nice to know that they CAN shake things up a little more at least.

Ultimately while “God On The Run” doesn’t explain the complete shit storm 2020 is turning out to be, what it has done is turned a psychobilly horror-rock band into a more straight up, alternative punk rock monster with a more sleek, serious tone and less of a niche appeal…which is saying something. The only thing going against it is its lack of real overall diversity; as it’s pretty much all systems go until track ten, and while the melodies are tight, it CAN sound a little samey. If you’re a fan of SUMO CYCO and NEW YEARS DAY…check out The Hellfreaks…if they let you in that is. [8]

When it comes to Irish music, it’s safe to say that there more than a handful of mainstream tropes and clichés in regards to what the country exports. As stated recently they are the current record holders for Eurovision wins (I’m still gutted JEDWARD didn’t win in 2011, “Lipstick” was TIGHT)…they also have a knack for churning out successful pop groups like BOYZONE and WESTLIFE, and they have this traditional drunken-punk aesthetic with the likes of FLOGGING MOLLY ticking off all of the stereotypes. Oh, and some little band called U2, not sure if you’ve heard of them?

Regardless of this however, Ireland of course has a much richer appreciation for music than that, and over the years has churned out some incredibly talented alternative rock bands, ranging from ASH all the way to THERAPY? and everything in between. Today’s band is very much in between, with their blend of mature indie-pop and a rough-around-the-edges, punk-inspired mind set. That band is NEW PAGANS, and they’ve recently released their debut EP “Glacial Erratic”. Comprising of Allan McGreevy, bassist Claire Miskimmin, guitarist/vocalist Cahir O'Doherty, drummer Conor McAuley and vocalist Lyndsey McDougall, they were forwarded to me by the team over at Wilful Publicity; let’s just hope their sound is anything BUT glacial…

The EP kicks off with “It’s Darker” which is promising as that is precisely how I prefer things, ranging from my humour, to my coffee, to my slaves (Just kidding I don’t drink coffee). A slightly disjointed, somewhat clunky dose of bass-soaked guitars greets us over some generally piercing vocals. There’s a certain off-key charm to it, coming across as very raw and grunge-inspired, with a rather PJ HARVEY or THE PIXIES vibe, and it’s a promising start. If it’s the rockier aesthetic you prefer then you’ll certainly find this to be an EP of two halves…”Bloody Soil” in particular is an EP highlight with its up-tempo, more energised delivery, showcasing that punk-oriented approach to their sound. The longer intro has a subtle KILLING JOKE vibe going on but it eventually erupts into a hook-laden emotive chorus and it’s wonderfully catchy. Closing track “Lily Yeats” then too has a more energetic urgency to it, but instead utilises a more melodic, indie-based rock ‘n’ roll sound which closes out the EP on another highlight, easily making you want to hear more; it works brilliantly in that sense.

If however, you do prefer to take things slowly, opting for some more subdued content, then they have you covered too, especially on the tracks “Charlie Has The Face Of A Saint” and “Admire”. The former is still guitar driven but it slows things right down to a more methodical, plodding pacing that gives off an almost, rugged shoegaze vibe, while the latter, which was appropriately released on Valentine’s Day as a single funnily enough, is a much gentler piece of soft, mature indie-pop, absorbing you into its sweet dreamscape. Ultimately here the five-piece have showcased a wonderful range of influence and direction on their debut, touching upon varied styles and managing to find their own sound amongst that, without sounding lost or desperate for identity. As stated it can be rough around the edges and raw but that’s part of the charm here. Fingers crossed their trajectory following this EP will be anything but glacial, and they are certainly a band to keep an eye on. New Pagans could one day be your new favourite band. [7]

So, I’d like to kick off the New Year, by talking about burning churches…now, typically you’d expect me to go on some tirade about black metal, and all of the clichés that come with the panda-painted faces of our Scandinavian metal brethren. But while some of the black metal community did in fact, set fire to several Norwegian churches between 92’ and 96’ in the genre’s heyday, today’s band are so lit they may as well have called themselves fucking Notre Dame! Let’s talk about CATHEDRAL IN FLAMES…before Quasimodo starts asking questions…

Formed in Prague in the Czech Republic (And consisting of vocalist Phil Lee Fall, bassist/programmer Gatsby, guitarist Billac de Ville and vocalist Ambra Von Bernstein) the four-piece unveiled their debut EP, entitled “Children Of The Blackest Hole”, towards the tail end of 2019, having sent me an email in late December requesting a review. While I missed it over the Christmas period, it just so happens that the EP is getting a physical release on vinyl in early 2020, so I thought what better way to transition into the New Year than with some new Goth…

The EP opens up with “Python” and immediately the chilling atmospheric tones take you way back to the 80’s post-punk revolution. With haunting wails providing backing vocals over Phil’s deep drawl, while soft piano’s compliment the overall grittier instrumentation wonderfully, allowing for a real raw sense of melancholy. Respectfully channelling the likes of FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM etc. “Red Car” in turn houses a solid bass-driven groove that matches the depth of Phil’s baritone growl really well, but it somehow manages to retain a sense of up-beat melody, especially as the track climaxes with a subtle key-change, and it’s an enjoyable listen this.

The title track, despite keeping up with the Nephilim, almost RAMMSTEIN levels of gruff crooning harbours a slower, shoegaze inspired backing track with a lighter guitar tone and this gentler approach provides a sombre yet sweet listen…if I were to get married this could for all intents and purposes be an acceptable, albeit alternative first dance slow jam. “Hungry As The Grave” returns to a more simplistic, retro post-punk stylistic, plodding along, wallowing in its own self-inflicted misery, before closing track “Gunslinger’s Blues” ends proceedings on a dreary, despondent note. A dark, anti-ballad with church bells and subtle Western undertones; it really is quite tender in its own morose way. Essentially, this is equally superb as both a debut AND a Gothic rock record, especially the latter as it ticks so many confession boxes. They’ve really captured the cold emotions and melodic yet monotonous vibe of the era so well, and old-school Goth fans are going to want to pick up a copy of this on vinyl as it’s going to sound absolutely incredible. Cathedral In Flames are legit lit fam…now, Quasimodo, about your home insurance…[7]

2019 has like most years, been a strong year for new music. It doesn't matter what genre we're talking about; it's been a year of triumphant returns, exploratory and experimental albums and EP's and an overall win for you and me, the consumer. Over the past 12 months, in between changes in my personal life with relationships and employment, undertaking a completely new job with no prior training or background, I've still done my best to keep on top of new music, more specifically my reviews, despite my own mental health which I don't really talk about much. With all of that said, I've still managed to listen to a total of 274 brand new EP's and albums in 2019 and out of all of those, I've managed to whittle down that number to a categorised series of Best Of lists. Ranging from EP's specifically, to pop music, metal and my own personal favourite releases of the year, I've managed to expand my listening experiences and broaden my horizons to allow myself to grow as a reviewer, and these albums sum that up quite well in my opinion. While I've already shared these lists on social media, such as my Twitter ( @GavinJGriffiths ) my Instagram ( @gavthegothicchav ) and my Facebook page ( www.facebook.com/GTGCReviews ) I wanted to give a more in-depth look at my choices for the year, and my individual scoring of each record...essentially doing a Dave Meltzer star-rating system for each individual track. I hope you find my choices interesting, and as usual, I've compiled my official Spotify end of year playlist which I've included at the bottom of this post for your listening pleasure. Here's to 2020 where all of this starts again...until next time...have a happy new year, and, A LITTLE BIT OF THE BUBBLY! 

20] KILO KISH - "Redux" EP - 1.60/5
19] HEAVY LUNGS - "Measure" EP - 1.60/5
18] NAUT - "Semele" EP - 1.66/5
17] INTERPOL - "A Fine Mess" EP 1.80/5
16] POPPY - "Choke" EP - 1.80/5
15] SODOM - "Out Of The Fontline Trench" EP - 1.80/5
14] YUNGBLUD - "The Underrated Youth" EP - 1.83/5
13] BENNY BASSETT - "Words For Yesterday" EP - 1.83/5
12] 8MM - "Heart Shaped Hell" EP - 2.00/5
11] MILEY CYRUS - "She Is Coming" EP - 2.00/5
10] CATHEDRAL IN FLAMES - "Children Of The Blackest Hole" EP - 2.20/5
09] SKYLAR GREY - "Angel With Tattoos" EP - 2.20/5
08] SUN ARCANA - "Just Another Dream Away" EP - 2.20/5
07] PALAYE ROYALE - "Massacre, The New American Dream" EP - 2.25/5
06] YEAR OF THE LOCUST - "Year Of The Locust" EP - 2.25/5
05] RXPTRS - "I" EP - 2.40/5
04] LIL NAS X - "7" EP - 2.50/5
03] HAWTHORN AVENUE - "Wildfire" EP - 2.50/5
02] HER DESPAIR - "Exorcisms Of Eroticism" EP - 2.50/5
01] SOME VILLAINS - "Outliars" EP - 2.75/5

20] P!NK - "Hurts 2 B Human" - 1.53/5
19] BASTILLE - "Doom Days" - 1.54/5
18] TOM WALKER - "What A Time To Be Alive" - 1.57/5
17] BILLIE EILISH - "When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go" - 1.57/5
16] EMMA BUNTON - "My Happy Place" - 1.60/5
15] POST MALONE - "Hollywood's Bleeding" - 1.64/5
14] BLACKPINK - "In Your Area" - 1.66/5
13] KERLI - "Shadow Works" - 1.66/5
12] MIKA - "My Name Is Michael Holbrook" - 1.69/5
11] ALICE MERTON - "Mint" - 1.81/5
10] SIGRID - "Sucker Punch" - 1.83/5
09] LEWIS CAPALDI - "Divinely Inspired To A Hellish Extent" - 1.83/5
08] MARINA - "Love + Hate" - 1.87/5
07] DAVE - "Psychodrama" - 1.90/5
06] BUSTED - Half Way There" - 1.90/5
05] WILDWOOD KIN - "Wildwood Kin" - 2.10/5
04] WILL YOUNG - "Lexicon" - 2.16/5
03] JAMES BLUNT - "Once Upon A Mind" - 2.18/5
02] HANTE. - "Fierce" - 2.23/5
01] SCANDROID - "The Light" - 2.28/5

20] KHAIDIAN - "Penumbra" - 2.00/5
19] INCITE - "Built To Destroy" - 2.00/5
18] LEACH - "Hymns For The Hollow" - 2.00/5
17] SWALLOW THE SUN - "When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light" - 2.00/5
16] HEARTSICK - "Sleep Cycles" - 2.07/5
15] CRYSTAL LAKE - "Helix" - 2.08/5
14] AS I LAY DYING - "Shaped By Fire" - 2.08/5
13] KILLSWITCH ENGAGE - "Atonement" - 2.09/5
12] FALLUJAH - "Undying Light" - 2.10/5
11] AFTERLIFE - "Breaking Point" - 2.10/5
10] THROUGH THE NOISE - "Dualism" - 2.11/5
09] KAAMOS WARRIORS - "Ikuisen Talven Sarastus" - 2.12/5
08] ABIGAIL WILLIAMS - "Walk Beyond The Dark" - 2.14/5
07] AMON AMARTH - "Berzerker" - 2.16/5
06] MEGADETH - "Warheads On Foreheads" - 2.20/5
05] SOILWORK - "Verkligheten" - 2.33/5
04] DEMON HUNTER - "War" - 2.40/5
03] CORRODED - "Bitter" - 2.41/5
02] ROTTING CHRIST - "The Heretics" - 2.41/5
​01] CHILDREN OF BODOM - "Hexed" - 2.45/5

20] RISKEE & THE RIDICULE - "Body Bag Your Scene" - 2.33/5
19] DEMON HUNTER - "Peace" - 2.40/5
18] THE DIRTY YOUTH - "Utopia" - 2.40/5
17] DREAMSTATE - "Primrose Path" - 2.40/5
16] THE WRAITH - "Gloom Ballet" - 2.41/5
15] NORTHLANE - "Alien" - 2.45/5
14] D-A-D - "A Prayer For The Loud" - 2.45/5
13] PAPA ROACH - "Who Do You Trust?" - 2.50/5
12] SUM 41 - "Order In Decline" - 2.50/5
11] IN FLAMES - "I, The Mask" - 2.50/5
10] WHILE SHE SLEEPS - "So What?" - 2.54/5
09] BAD RELIGION - "Age Of Unreason" - 2.57/5
08] LINDEMANN - "F & M" - 2.69/5
07] WEEZER - "Teal Album" - 2.75/5
06] MOTIONLESS IN WHITE - "Disguise" - 2.81/5
05] RAMMSTEIN - "Rammstein" - 2.90/5
04] YONAKA - "Don't Wait 'Til Tomorrow" - 3.00/5
03] LACUNA COIL - "Black Anima" - 3.18/5
02] THE 69 EYES - "West End" - 3.27/5
01] BLAQK AUDIO - "Only Things We Love" - 3.33/5

People sometimes wonder what the difference is between irony and coincidence…well if you were run over in the street, and an ambulance just happened to be passing by, that would be a wonderful coincidence. Irony on the other hand, would be getting run over by the ambulance itself and, so long as nobody dies, is much funnier. Today’s review falls under the coincidental category for me personally…let me explain.

Back at the start of the month, I took a mini vacation down to the South English coast at Torquay for a couple of days, where, to be honest, I spent 80% of my time enjoying the sun and drinking. On the way there however I made a little stop at some place called Burnham-On-Sea…never heard of it before, but all I can tell you is that it was quiet…windy as all hell and the tide had gone out for what seemed like MILES. I honestly thought Godzilla had mistaken the place for Hawaii and was about to stroll up the beach causing another tsunami it had gone that far out. Anyway my time there was fleeting and I thought nothing else of it. Today however, I decided to take a dip into my email submissions and low and behold, the first EPK I click on happens to be from a band from Burnham On-Sea! Let me introduce you to SOME VILLAINS.

The four-piece (Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Edward Graves, guitarist Luke Tozer, drummer Stu Donavan and bassist Jake Beckett) have been on the scene since their 2014 single “Loose Generation”, and with their love of everything between classic rock ‘n’ roll, indie and prog, they’ve established themselves as a group of interesting and intelligent musicians. Their 2016 EP “Lizard Teeth” highlighted their admiration of experimental prog-rock and shoegaze, with predominantly longer tracks and the influence of RADIOHEAD and SMASHING PUMPKINS shining through…but here now in 2019, they’ve stripped things back a little and focused more on a grittier rock ‘n’ roll sound for their latest EP “Outliers”. The lads asked me to check it out, and seeing as I visited their home town it would be rude not to sample some of their wares!

The EP opens up with “Masters Sun” and it really doesn’t take long at all to get into the meat and potatoes of this record…we start off with some simple alternating chords, before the track lets rip with some ballsy, hard-rock riffage. The bass is deep and rumbling almost to the point where it’s sludge inspired, but we’ve got a rich groove, and vocally here Graves’ is rather hushed and subdued. Their love for QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE shines through here given the stoner / desert rock tones, coupled with an energetic up-tempo chorus; this is simply a great rock track. EP highlight “Burn Me Down” follows up and we’re initially met some almost WOLFMOTHER-esque instrumentation; combining classic rock and indie tones…the guitar is slick and frankly gallops along excitedly. The prog influences filter through vocally as Graves’ sings in an almost polyrhythmic manner, but it’s the convivial guitar tone that makes this track; it’s just fun.

“The Skin” again maintains an up-tempo vibe albeit somewhat darker in tone, bordering on atmospheric, with more hushed vocals, slightly raspy sounding in places reminding of JULY TALK to some degree, but we’re treated to a strong solo that certainly stands out as the tracks major talking point, before closing effort “Ghosts In The Field” incorporates a more shoegaze aesthetic alongside some again, darkly tinged indie rock…the type of sound that would appeal to fans of INTERPOL and the like. All in all though, there’s nothing truly negative to say about this EP whatsoever quite frankly. While the band are clearly better when they let their hair down and get gritty when it comes to the rock ‘n’ roll, the mellower tones do naturally compliment Graves’ vocal approach. There’s no  bells and whistles here, they’re a band and they keep it simple…having stripped back to a more classic rocking approach, and by cutting the track length from their previous EP ever so slightly, they come across as more polished and clinical in terms of their presentation. Not knocking the more prog-based sound of their previous work, but this does sound like an improvement. Some Villains by name but to fair lads you’re not sounding half bad at all. [8]

As it currently stands, we live in a time where our more Westernised society is, for want of a better description; all over the fucking place.  While culturally we’re (For the most part) all steadily becoming more and more open-minded and understanding, of the ever expanding perception of normality, there are still people who may get, ‘triggered’ as you may say, by certain topics and buzz-words. Some of the most common are generally simple things like veganism which, ironically, causes a lot of beef between some people…then there are prejudices and confusion surrounding the ever growing list of sexualities and gender fluid identities. Seriously now they’re giving rock and metal sub-genres a run for their money in volume and I just don’t have the appropriate graphs to go into that right now. Then there’s feminism…

Let’s be honest, it’s 2019 and the very fact feminism is still such a strong word speaks for itself. The inconsistencies regarding equality (Or lack thereof) can still be beyond laughable, covering everything from salary to bloody abortion rights! Well today’s band are proud and passionate to provide a voice for the cause, exuding a positive feminist vibe; let me introduce you to HANDS OFF GRETEL. The four-piece (Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Lauren Tate, guitarist Sean Bon, bassist Becky Baldwin and drummer Sam Hobbins) formed in South Yorkshire in 2015, and with influences including JACK OFF JILL, HOLE and THE DISTILLERS it’s easy to see where they blend punk and emancipation. They recently released their brand new album “I Want The World”…but where’s the equality in that? Let’s find out…

Opening track “Kiss Me Girl” gets the record off to a roaring start with an up-tempo flurry of punk-rock, laced with lashings of attitude and a tongue-in-cheek sense of taboo; it’s very Brody Dalle. The track explores female sexuality within same-sex relationships, with lyrics like “Have you never kissed a girl before?” and “What’s wrong just feels so right” entwined within a narrative of naughty excitement. Tate delivers the track with a brilliant sense of sarcasm and it kicks things off wonderfully. The first half of the album as a whole in fact doesn’t miss a beat and really we’re treated a solid run of tracks from the word go…”S.A.S.S” continues with its sense of female empowerment by taking a swipe at misogyny with an assertive hard rock number, balanced with subtle layers of funk, something which fans of SUMO CYCO would appreciate for sure. “Big Boy” is another up-tempo piece with a solid rock ‘n’ roll rhythm and more than a sprinkling of innuendo. Very lyrically suggestive, Tate is clearly having fun here and resonates through the track.

If you fancy something a little less intense however the album houses further gems such as the wonderfully infectious “Alien”…vocally not as fervent; there’s a predominantly more funk-pop aesthetic here with a cleaner sound and a more polished, commercial production value…this one would easily entertain fans of NO DOUBT / GWEN STEFANI and it’s got a brilliant climactic flurry. The album does run out of a little steam as it reaches its final moments however with a couple of less inspired cuts not quite on par with the aforementioned. “Milk” for example carries a strong grunge influence and as a result it’s a lot deeper, but at the same time more sluggish; sadly a boring listen, before “My Friend Said” then despite being a generally jovial little track becomes pretty stale and repetitive very quickly…I guess you could say it’s lyrically la-la-la lalalalalala-lazy? Aside from those hiccups it’s safe to say that this is, overall, a very strong and entertaining album. The punk elements where needed are raw and confrontational to aid the subject matter well, allowing Tate to get her message across in an epigrammatic fashion, while the more pop-driven segments allow for a genuinely infectious listen. They may want the world, but you may want to just give this album a listen, and very much get your hands ON Gretel…with consent though, naturally. [8]

Back in 2010, Gothic music, no, ALL of music, lost someone truly gifted and remarkable. Yes, on that April 14th, the not-so jolly green giant Pete Steele of TYPE-O-NEGATIVE passed away, somewhat ironically, due to heart failure aged just 48. Initially we had to double check, as not only was their previous (And as it turns out final album) entitled “Dead Again”…the album itself was brought to everyone’s attention through a hoax, suggesting Pete’s passing on their website, via a macabre but not unexpected marketing ploy by the band. Sadly this time wasn’t to be a dark humoured joke tying into a promotion, this time it was for real…Type-O-Negative were no more.

Luckily for fans, and in loving memory of Pete Steele, original Type-O drummer  Sal Abruscato (Up until 1993) wasn’t long in allowing this new source of mourning and melancholia to fuel his creative juices once more, and stepping aside from his other band LIFE OF AGONY, he formed A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH in 2011. With their first two albums (“And Hell Will Follow Me” and “Lay My Soul To Waste”) receiving praise and critical acclaim, it’s only natural we get excited to know that the third, despite the five year gap, was still on the way. In early 2019, they returned with “When The World Becomes Undone”…let’s see what Sal and co have been sitting on all this time…

The album begins rather fittingly with “As It Begins” and really it’s just a brief intro piece; the church bells, the weeping woman, a continuous, haunting drone…it’s really quite ominous as it seemingly sets you up for a  ritual, or, something far worse and sinister, but the transition into the title track is a little disjointed. It lacks a clean flow as it switches up into this, chilling piano led piece, while Sal’s lyrical delivery and vocal tone hints at a disturbing, nursery rhyme-inspired track. The percussion initially seems stuck on a loop, with little in the way of tonal progression, like the CD was skipping, if it wasn’t for the subtlety of the bass, before we eventually get underway with some classic sounding, deep, dragging riffs. At near seven minutes it keeps in tradition with the drawn-out doom metal influences, but there are a few tempo and key changes to keep it ticking over, improving as it progresses.

It’s not all ENTIRELY doom and gloom mind you, as there’s still room for a tune or two amidst the misery. “Love The Ones You Hate” being a prime example…the classic guitar slides, the almost “My Girlfriends Girlfriend”-esque delivery harking back to classic Type-O, adding both hooks and tempo to proceedings. While not the most melodic of vocalists, the whole thing takes on an almost grunge-like yet, hypnotic tone, thanks to Sal’s musical direction, and it makes for a clear album highlight. The same can be said for “Lay With The Wicked”, “Fell In My Hole” and “We All Break Down”…the former with its darkly sensual opening, embracing the seductive yet, again, haunting aesthetics of the deep harmonies. A slick guitar solo makes for an even more emotive listen and it reeks of gothic lust, while the latter maintains the low-tempo, dreary appeal of classic doom-inspired goth, with more subtle nods to “October Rust” musically as we head towards the tracks climax.

Granted, it’s not a perfect album…”Succumbing To The Event Horizon” is only marginally longer than its own name; no more than a brief instrumental interlude in the loosest possible sense, while “The Woods”, which despite being longer, doesn’t have much more of a point, though conceptually you could say it harks back to the tribal tones of “Fay Wray Come Out And Play”, before closing track “Closure” returns to the church bells, weeping and organ music as the album goes full circle. All in all, we have to accept that there’s only so much you can get from a doom-based record in terms of appeal, and in a world without Pete Steele this will always have to be your next best choice. Both sonically and aesthetically on point, APHND and Sal deliver a fine slab of sadness here as they’ve clearly found themselves musically; this is more polished, crisp and cathartic too as it provides respectful throwbacks to Sal’s formative years with Type-O-Negative. In a world of post-metalcore, mumble-rap and grime, it’s refreshing (Or should that ironically be rotten?) to find there’s still a place for such wonderfully presented woe…a great gothic-metal album and a great start to 2019. [8]

“That was intense, REALLY intense…well, not really intense, but pretty intense”…you may remember this quote by Chris Pontius from Jackass Number 2, when Preston and Wee-Man did the “The Bungee Jump”, but as intense as that was, it pales in comparison to the recent touring cycle undertaken by CKY. Yes the Philadelphia three-piece (Consisting of Chad I Ginsburg, Jess Margera and Matt Deis) made their triumphant return in 2017, with their comeback album “The Phoenix” (Their first in nearly a decade) and ever since the guys virtually haven’t stopped. From US headline tours, supporting HIM on their US farewell tour, covering the entirety of the Vans Warped Tour, touring with SKINDRED, playing multiple festivals, touring with NEKROGOBLIKON, they’re own UK headline tours…the guys have practically LIVED on the road for the past two years! That’s not enough though for these rejuvenated rockers…hell no, amidst all that they still managed to find time to record and release a new EP especially for Record Store Day. Let’s check it out and find out exactly why camp kill yourself are in fact “Too Precious To Kill”…

The EP opens up with “Chase Me” and as the title may suggest it’s got a not-so-subtle action-packed car chase vibe to it…the up-tempo feel, the catchy guitar licks and the brass-bursts take this back to the golden era of James Bond films if you will (Think DURAN DURAN)…there’s elements of a detective caper to this and it’s a really fun opening track. The track flows with an easy listening fluidity and really is infectious, great stuff this. “Fists To The Sky” follows up and here we have a more traditional sounding CKY musically…the imposing trademark riffs are instantly recognisable in tone and although the track has a very steady pacing, broken up by THE DOORS inspired organ-esque synths, it’s still very up-beat…doubling as not only a statement of intent from the trio regarding their come-back, but also maybe a subtle nod to Rocky thematically, given the Philly connection.

As this was a vinyl release, side-B kicks off with “One Step Ahead” and it immediately starts off darker, atmospherically speaking…the slow build leading to a frenetic chorus, with Chad belting out the lyrics against a wall of reverberated noise. He gets to fret-wank his heart out here too as he embarks on an incredibly trippy, psychedelic guitar solo and you can sense the enjoyment had in writing this one, it resonates through his playing. The final track however is the one we’ve all been waiting for…not just over the course of these four tracks…no…I’m talking over the course of the last TWENTY YEARS. Yes, for the first time ever, CKY have FINALLY given us a recorded cover of GG ALLIN classic “Bite It You Scum”. A long-time fan-favourite and a staple of their set list on the live stage forever, they finally put it to record and they’ve more than done it justice. It’s lost none of its raucous rock ‘n’ roll charm and still retains all of its raw punk attitude, while both refreshing and nostalgic at the same time. Having heard it live for all these years, we finally get a studio recording and it’s magnificent. While currently only available as a limited edition vinyl released for Record Store Day, (Were you lucky enough to get one?) I’m sure that sometime over the near future the EP will become available for download or streaming, or you should hope at least. Is this an EP you want? Is this an EP you NEED!? fuCKYea! [9]

Anniversaries…usually happy times shared by couples as they grow old together, celebrating their love and commitment to one another…sometimes they can be nostalgic or, historic; marking so-many years since an incident or an event…though other times they can be painful; tainted with sad memories and tearful reminders, and I’m afraid in this instance we’re referring to the latter. Yes it’s nearly been a year now since Ville Valo and HIM went out with a bang and a whimper on their, admittedly rushed, 2017 farewell tour… a whole year of knowing that the Heartagram had beaten for the last time, buried alive by its own love, and it’s a truly sad fact. However…even the most melancholic gothic-laced grey clouds have silver linings, and in this instance, after a metaphorical mass funeral of hearts, in HIM’s absence we’ve got some new projects from our favourite Finn’s! Let me introduce you to FLAT EARTH…

A Finnish super-group of sorts…HIM’s six-string maestro Linde Lindstrom and former drummer Gas Lipstick make up 50% of the band, while it’s completed by former AMORPHIS bassist Niclas Etelavuori and POLANSKI vocalist Anthony Pikkarainen, and together, over the past several months they have stripped everything back, wiped the slate clean and written a no-nonsense, no frills, no gimmicks hard rock album by the name of “None For One”. The question is, is their musical prowess better than their apparent grasp of basic geology? Let’s find out…

We open up with “Subhuman” and ironically, it’s what you’d suggest someone who DOES believe that the Earth is flat would be in terms of mental capacity…slightly sluggish in tone for the most part, it comprises of slower riffs and percussion, combining a classic rock tone with just a touch of blues metal, although there’s an incredibly subtle middle-eastern feel to some of the more melodic guitar notes. Pretty straightforward stuff but it’s a fine start nevertheless. “Blame” follows up and here we find Anthony leading the musical direction more with a primarily 90’s grunge-inspired piece, backed with Linde’s distinctive string-work…the solo here is classic Linde, his fret-work is on point and you remember here how underrated a guitarist he really is.

This combination of styles is, for the most part the very foundation of this album as a whole…the back-to-basics, guitar heavy instrumentation being the very backbone of their sound while vocally we hark back to a simpler time; clean but with a certain raw emotion and in ways, at numerous points throughout this record you get a sense of ALICE IN CHAINS meets THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, really embracing those 90’s characteristics. The title track is a wonderful example, highlighting the above point really quite well…”Noble Swine” has some intense percussion and oh how we’ve missed Gas behind a drum kit, he can really drive a track and here he does just that…also baring a light resemblance to Linde’s other work with DANIEL LIONEYE in tone, before album highlight “Limelight” carries you away with a genuinely catchy little harmonic chorus and a simplistic groove. The rest of the album is generally run of the mill hard rock but as I said, that’s the aesthetic they’ve gone for; nothing fancy or over the top…just some good honest rock, which is fine. Admittedly it CAN feel a little lethargic at times, and if anything is to blame for that it IS Anthony’s vocals…maybe it’s just because I’m not too used to them and, to some extent can’t quite yet fully separate this from HIM, but he’s no Ville Valo. I know that’s the point to a degree, but this album DOES lack in belters and could do with a shot of adrenaline really. He’s got the emotion, but lacks in power. Overall the Earth here isn’t entirely flat, but it’s only just slightly concaved…they need a little more depth next time around. [5]

Now, if you’re from the UK then you are BOUND to know someone, who, when you merely mention the Polish, that will go all South Park on your ass and start shouting “Dey terk er jerbs!!”…but we’re not here to highlight immigration fearing UKIP voting redneck folk, no, we’re here to talk music, and today’s band just happens to be from Warsaw, Poland; Let me introduce you to THE FREUDERS. The four-piece (Consisting of vocalist / guitarist Tymon Adamczky, guitarist Olek Adamski, drummer Jacek Lodi Piatkowski and bassist /programmer Maciek Witkowski) got in touch with me via email and asked me to check out their newest EP by the name of “Omniform”…the tracks have been described as being 4 atoms, distances apart but ready to collide together to exude the powerful force that is this EP, emanating in a metaphorical black hole, sucking you in to the music. That’s a pretty bold statement! Where did they produce this; the fucking Hadron Collider? Let’s check it out…

The EP opens up with “Rhino” and just like the hulking animal itself the idea is that it charges at you with its duel socio-political message of combating terrorism and the idea of lady justice; the government’s that live vicariously through her via means of war and conflict…an incredibly deep track that musically takes on a morose, grunge-fuelled post-rock tone channelling influences such as AFGHAN WHIGS. Mostly spoken word, but thankfully it does come to life for the chorus salvaging something at least from a listening perspective; it’s a decent start. “Alter Ego” follows up and it’s like a constant battle between warring split personalities, like Tymon is speaking of the allowed consumption of his one side by the other, almost singing to himself, but again, aside from an bold yet fuzzy, classic-rock guitar solo at the tracks climax it’s still just another slow, monotonous offering for the most part.

“Brotherhood” continues this approach with another sluggish, grunge-based, mostly spoken work piece, only offering slight melody with the brief chorus…slightly droning, even layering what sounds like whale-song inspired instrumentation within the latter half of the track, allowing for a somewhat shoegaze experience but it still feels and sounds lazy, before closing track “Shipwreck” takes you on a nihilistic journey through the zombified mind of a sailor going through the motions at sea…fed up of his Captain’s seemingly endless quest, the voyage at sea becoming bleak, the repetition pushing him to almost breaking point…the mantra of “we sink – we drown” the only thought seemingly keeping him going, veering off at the end like he secretly wishes to end his existence in the cold sea below. With the grunge elements still driving the music there’s also subtle prog influences here too and at points you can hear the bands appreciation of TOOL creeping through, giving us the EP’s only other notable point of interest really.

Mind you with that said it, doesn’t take away from the fact that, overall, the seventeen minutes of music that makes up this EP is arguably some of the dreariest you’ll likely hear all year…even instrumentally, aside from a few interesting guitar licks and ideas, it’s just a really lacklustre listen, both uneventful and unexciting. They may share a name with Sigmund Freud, historically possibly the world’s foremost leading name in neurology and psychoanalytic research, but even he would struggle to find motivation here, sadly this EP really is that boring. [3]

The place you grow up, the place you call home very often has an impact on your outlook on life, easily shaping who you can become, and this can ring true with certain styles of music too. Just take BLACK SABBATH for instance, out of the poverty of working class Birmingham in the late 60’s and early 70’s, they arguably crafted heavy metal as we know it today; using their surroundings and social standing to fuel their bleak brand of heavier blues rock…well this can also be said of today’s band; THE BALANCE FACTOR. Formed in Gary, Indiana, just 25 miles outside of Chicago, The Balance Factor (Consisting of vocalist John Yaney, guitarists Heath Reid and Jason Zeilstra, bassist Aaron Brown and drummer Jonas Doran) have for years been surrounded by a booming steel industry, that over time faded away through job loss, political corruption and racial segregation, as America looked to import cheaper steel, killing industrial cities such as Gary.

Very much like Ozzy and co before them however, they’ve put all this to good use and started writing music which leads us to the here and now; following on from 2016’s debut album “Here I Am”, they return with a brand new EP by the name of “Ouroboros”…perfectly summing up their situation and up-bringing with a symbolic gesture of creation born from destruction…artistically poignant, or are they just chasing their own tails? Let’s find out…The EP opens up with the imaginatively titled “Introduction” and to be honest; while I’m not a fan of intro’s generally I do appreciate the no-nonsense approach here. The minute and a half of TV static, broken channel reception and police sirens portraying a state of unrest and uncertainty; a level of chaos, as it transitions into lead single “Killafornia”…and god how I wish Arnold Schwarzenneger was a part of this. It’s a word tailor made for a Terminator parody that hopefully AUSTRIAN DEATH MACHINE will pick up someday. The track itself is a brilliantly rugged blend of hard rock and early 2000’s nu-metal; it's coarse production quality with a more melodic chorus combining elements that would appeal to the likes of ORGY and at points MUSHROOMHEAD; a promising start.

Follow up track “Hypochondriac” jumps straight out of that same era quite frankly with its underlying techno elements and angst-ridden style of riff-heavy rock…a little repetitive for the most part and the vocals do seem off during the chorus, but the guitar solo delivers well it has to be said, an unexpected surprise in an otherwise grating track. “Arrows In My Heart”, the longest on offer here is itself too let down by some off-putting vocals…again harking back to Orgy, they’ve opted for an almost, mechanical /  filtered vocal recording but John’s no Jay Gordon I’ll say that much, he’s too off-key too often. The sudden switch then to album highlight “Die For Another Day” is very welcome, as it opens up with an almost trad-goth / post-punk guitar tone, with layers of piano giving it extra character, coupled with the chorus’ rhythmic hooks and a more pop-based vibe, it’s incredibly catchy while still retaining the raw rock elements, before closing track “Taken By Surprise” sounds like it could have easily been taken out of the “Queen Of The Damned” soundtrack, musically having similarities to “Redeemer” in places, rounding things up on a somewhat nostalgic note.

The band themselves cite influences such as NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON and TOOL but listening to this EP we find them to be nowhere near as profound or creatively edgy, and instead we find them more closely resembling the lesser end of the Nu-metal gene pool…I mentioned Orgy but you’ve also got the likes of ADEMA and POWERMAN 5000 layered within these songs, bands that saturated a trend as opposed to setting one. Yes it’s nice to listen back fondly to that era, but to ironically paraphrase Trent Reznor, it’s just a copy of a copy of an already ridiculed genre. Silver linings, The Balance Factor are still better than the fucking X factor…[6]

Formed in Seattle, Washington back in 1987, ALICE IN CHAINS would go on to become one of the ‘Big Four’ of the game-changer we refer to as grunge. Alongside SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM and of course, NIRVANA, they pushed alternative music ever further into the mainstream and affected pop-culture in ways polar opposite to the glam rock era they oh so miserably replaced. Far more stripped back, raw and emotive; the audience could identify with them as opposed to the sheer shock value and flamboyance of glam, and what they lacked in sass, they made up for in song writing. While the movement was for the most part short lived as music and tastes evolved (And not to mention Kurt Cobain French kissing a shotgun) the more successful of these bands would continue on and 2018 see’s AIC release the brand new album “Rainier Fog”…actually only their SIXTH studio album in 30 years! Grab your umbrella’s folks…this is gonna’ be a wet one…but let’s check it out…

The album opens up with “The One You Know”…which is a blatant lie because this is the first time I’ve listened to the album and I’m not psychic! I jest…it opens up with a series of short, sharp guitar chords, repeated like some really lackluster Norman Bates parody. Seriously it just half-asses it’s way along with about as much momentum as a bout of constipation…the chorus has a decent groove and the guitar solo salvages something at least, but this a poor opener, it’s one I NOW know but also one I want to forget…moving on. The title track does at least have decent rhythm and it’s riffs do have a certain hook to them, which coupled with the tracks key changes make for a more fluid listen I’ll give it that, but what IS rainier fog? You don’t see the weather man warn you about that special rainy fog…of course it’s fucking wet otherwise it’d be smoke! It is in fact a nod to Mount Rainier, a volcano overlooking Seattle, and the aforementioned cities music scene which appropriately erupted like a volcano in the early 90’s…fitting, both then and now, as like a volcano the genre is thankfully dormant.

Further notable points on the album are sadly sparse as AIC are hardly the most energetic bunch…”Fly” opts for a far lighter approach with its melodious guitar tone and almost indie-esque post-rock feel; it’s simplicity and harmony allowing for one of the records more enjoyable listens. “Maybe” and similarly “Never Fade” do utilise far catchier choruses for the most part, the latter having a little more grit and attitude to it throughout but it hardly gets your blood pumping, and this is arguably the best track on offer here! The rest of the album sadly makes you feel not only as miserable as you do when it IS raining, but there’s a leak in your roof to boot, plus your toilet has flooded. “Drone” does exactly what it says on the tin and drones on like it’s even bored of itself…it actually musically sums up grunge in one damning swoop, utterly boring stuff this, while closing track “All I Am”, the longest track on offer, just feels completely drawn out and needlessly time consuming. I’ll tell you this much, All I am, personally, is fed up, and I’m glad this is the last track.

Now, I’ll be fair and as impartial as I can be…vocally Jerry Cantrell, as far as clean vocalists in rock and metal go, does have a distinct and iconic sound; he’s crafted the style to his own and he knows how to carry a song…likewise with the musicianship; yes there are some solid riffs utilised here and you can’t fault the band for their prowess as song writers…but there’s only so far that can go when the song’s themselves are so utterly depressing. Alice has been in chains for 30 years now and for some reason she’s still being kept alive; reasons which frankly elude me…and truth be told she’s brought nothing new or interesting to the table with this one sadly. [4]

Omne trium perfectum…no, before you ask I’ve not been to Hogwarts and that isn’t a spell for perfectly cooked three-egg omelettes…but it is in fact the Latin for ‘the rule of three’. As the saying goes, the best things come in three’s, at least that’s the common conception anyway, and what better way to explore this, than the trusty trilogy…let’s look at some examples. There’s the pioneering “Carnosaur”, that so heavily influenced “Jurassic Park” to the point that came out just FOUR WEEKS later, so inspired was Spielberg…there’s the “Star Wars” prequels with the phenomenal Jar Jar Binks…and then there’s “Jackass”, which has some of the strongest story telling ever put to the big screen. What’s that? I’m being facetious? Me?

The point I’m trying to make is that for everything that’s good in the world, it’ll have an opposite, and that sometimes three isn’t necessarily always the magic number (Even one in some cases), and to explore this further today we’ll be looking at NINE INCH NAILS and the new mini-album “Bad Witch”. Front man Trent Reznor initially started messing around with some ideas back in 2016 which later became the EP “Not The Actual Events”, which was a decent extended play that followed “Hesitation Marks” really quite well thematically as a stand-alone slab of bonus NIN…but he went on to reveal it was to be the first of  trilogy. This was soon followed up by 2017’s “Add Violence” which despite starting strong, soon found itself going further down the electro-prog rabbit hole, before we wound up in there here and now. All that’s left to find out now is, on a scale of one to ten (One being Sabrina and ten being Gruntilda) how bad IS the witch?

We open up positively, and more importantly promisingly, with “Shit Mirror” and we’re instantly met with the gritty, grainy, riff-heavy bitterness that we’ve come to love from Reznor; his tortured vocals iconic as ever, while the clap-along percussion provides an up-beat tempo, yet it also harbours an almost QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE type bluesy, stoner rock vibe, subtly layered within…until a brief pause, before the track ends irritatingly on a loop, ultimately spoiling all initial momentum. “Ahead Of Ourselves” opts for a more pulsing, droning, drum ‘n’ bass approach…before slowly ascending into an almost, aggrotech barrage…combining Reznor’s penchant for the industrial with more jungle elements, before the instrumental “Play The Goddamned Part” takes us on a journey of disorientating, progressive jazz-infused electronica…the psychedelic jam-session rich in distortion and the use of brass is on the verge of haunting as it relentlessly pierces your ears.

This continues with “God Break Down The Door” and while it retains certain drum ‘n’ bass elements it also contains certain qualities found in DAVID BOWIE’s “Blackstar”…albeit more up-tempo. The tone, the vibe, the almost trance-like nature of its delivery, backed up with those soft jazz influences, it almost finds itself bridging the two all the while remaining entirely separate concepts and entities. “I’m Not From This World” is another instrumental that works on the gradual build; appropriately sounding much like a score from a sci-fi movie, you could easily imagine being stalked along the decks of a space station to this before getting brutally skull-fucked by an alien…before closing track “Over And Out” brings us back down to Earth with its long, drawn-out, sweeping dreamscapes. So how bad is this witch? Upon first listen, it’s an uncomfortable and frustrating wall of noise and ideas mangled into a 30 minute record, and although repeat listens do draw out its nuances, this is more of an art-rock piece that needs your undivided attention, as oppose to an album with choice cuts. On that scale of 1 to 10, I wouldn’t go as far as Gruntilda, but I certainly wouldn’t need to think twice about dropping a house on this son of a witch and stealing her ruby slippers…[4]

If you’ve at all followed the UK’s alternative scene over the past say, ten years or so, then no doubt you will have at some point stumbled upon the work of Scott Lee Andrews. The wild Welshman originally found minor fame with mid-2000’s post-hardcore rhythm thieves MIDASUNO, before forming Cardiff-based chainsaw loving noise cartel EXIT_INTERNATIONAL, but, more recently, and arguably most notably, his collaboration with GINGER WILDHEART for the third installment of the darkly psychotic project MUTATION. Very prolific and reliable in underground UK music circles, Scott has always been about the intensity, the invigorating sense of finding pleasure in noise and chaos and here we find him working on yet another project to quench his own thirst for the unorthodox. Allow me to introduce to you JAWS OF DEAF and the EP “Delicious Discomfort”…6 tracks hand picked out of around 50 that Scott’s been working on, as he prepares to drop a full length album. Now settle down and get uncomfortable as we check it out…

We open up with “Bait & Switch” which at little over 2-minutes long is the shortest track on offer here and Scott wastes no time delving into his frantic, raucous, thrashy punk roots with an absolute bombardment of messy riffs and demented screeching’s. In his own words; “I really haven’t got a clue what it means”…and that’s partly the fun of it, sometimes noise for noise’ sake is therapeutic. We follow this up with the wonderfully titled “Porno Without The Fucking” and as ridiculous as the statement is, it’s no surprise to learn it came from a YouTube comment that Scott read…intended as a derogatory slur, it’s full of oxymoronic similes, riddled with daft humour, but also a deeper meaning of how the very medication that’s meant to help you can strip you of your identity, resulting in a creative catch-22…another interesting and ultimately fun track.

“Cupid Stunts” is another brilliantly titled self-depreciating effort, with Scott using bleak humour and a wry smile as he sings with a jolly despair about his questionable decisions in life; full of melody and some surprising vocal harmonies it channels the likes of WEEZER in its overall tone and delivery, even down to the climatic key change and its possibly as accessible as you’re likely to find him on any record. Having said that, there’s also “Californian Frown” to take into account which I’ll be honest, initially reminded me of the credits sequence from “Bottom” but that’s something for another time. A bass-driven affair with wacky vocal delivery (Featuring guest vocalist Givvi Flynn), finding itself stuck between being musically designed for Exit_International but lyrically leaning towards Mutation, resulting in a quirky little, edgy indie-rock number. The final two tracks; “An Alone Wolf” is ripped straight out of “Ash Vs. The Evil Dead”; an animalistic take on grunge, before closing track “The World Looks Better From Behind” is an intentionally misogynistic play on words, but also utilises hidden depth with the idea of hindsight and nostalgia. Musically exploratory, dabbling in brass instrumentation for extra character, the drawl of Scott’s vocal harbors elements of Matt Bellamy from MUSE; elongating each note as the track is stretched towards its dying moments.

All in all despite being just six tracks in length, it more or less caters for everyone if you’re familiar with any of Scott’s previous work; it’s got the tumultuous punk-inspired tones of old, it’s got groove-heavy song writing at its core but it also retains a level of darkness brought on by his collaborations with Ginger…it’s not polished, it’s not fucking meant to be; it’s just raw, and rowdy and fun…he meant delicious discomfort quite literally. [7]

A little while ago I was sent an email by a fellow named Andrew Dex and, he contacted me on behalf of Stencil, a UK PR team with their own publication in print. He said he was a fan of the blog and in turn forwarded me an eclectic mix of artists, submitting them for potential coverage on this here little blog. Flattered I of course gave them all a listen, but in the name of democracy I put the bands to a reader’s poll to see which of them you’d like given the GTGC treatment, and here we have the first lucky victim; let me introduce you to a band by the name of RUSTY SHIPP. Formed back in 2014 in Nashville Tennessee, consisting of bassist Michael Craft, drummer AJ Newton, lead guitarist Elijah Apperson and…I shit you not, vocalist Russ. T Shipp…that’s literally his name I’m not making that up and I really, really wish I was. As if that play on words wasn’t enough for you, you’ll also be interested to know that despite being totally landlocked, they are a nautical inspired band! Oh I do love a gimmick! Back last year they released their debut album; “Mortal Ghost”…and you voted, so let’s check it out.

Opening track “Sea Sentinels” gets things underway and as is tradition it’s a brief intro, initially utilising subtle, haunting tones but transitioning quickly into a grunge-inspired riff-heavy affair, musically finding itself somewhere between ROYAL BLOOD and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE. As I said it’s brief but it’s at least an indicator of the style to come. First track proper “Treading Water” follows and what’s immediately noticeable is the complete change of tempo; still with a rich grunge influence, and vocally in places you can hear Kurt Cobain being channelled through Russ, it takes on a ballsy, up-beat garage rock tone and its rawness allows for an honestly enjoyable listen. The solo is decent too, couple that with some smooth key changes, we have an early album highlight; a good start. “Devil Jonah” is an interesting take on the old Bible tale of Jonah And The Whale; a classic story of repent, rebuttal and defiance leading to punishment and consequence…here we go more into Jonah’s psyche as opposed to anywhere near any colossal marine mammals, though the deep rumblings of the bass-heavy approach are fitting regardless.

In keeping with their nautical theme we have “SS Naronic” which is a chilling precursor to the legendary Titanic…the true story of the ill-fated Naronic, which on February 11th, 1893 had left Liverpool to cross the Atlantic to New York, only to mysteriously sink, taking with it the lives of all 74 people on board. Inspired by letters in bottles from the crew, it’s a despairing song of hopelessness and the distorted guitar qualities add to the sense of mess and struggle that the crew and those on board faced as they ultimately awaited death. Elsewhere we have “Song Of The Storms”, a brief interlude of gentle acoustic harmonies; a musical interpretation of sailing upon smooth seas, the idea of calm before the storm and it’s slotted in nicely here. There are naturally some clichés too such as “The Lighthouse” and closing track “Davy Jones” which are staples in maritime song content, but the rogue wave so to speak comes courtesy of “Caligynephobia”. The recognised irrational fear of beautiful women, here Russ sings and shouts of former young Disney starlets over an intense punk-rock backdrop and it’s utterly bizarre…I mean I’ve learnt a new word but, other than that…why? Essentially what we have here is a gritty, grunge-fuelled concept album and if you like that sort of thing, you’ll likely find something of value here but personally, I had my heart set on being jolly rogered by some ALESTORM-esque pirate rock and more naval innuendos than a Captain Pugwash marathon. Why is all the rum gone? Because I bloody drank it all…disappointed, by a severe lack of swashbuckling. [5]

Outside of the squared circle, wrestlers are very rarely (if ever at all) taken seriously…obviously I mean by people who, don’t particularly care about wrestling in the first place that is…sure there are anomalies, Rock “The Dwayne” Johnson has become a global movie star all credit to him…John Cena is trying too but nobody can see him doing it and Hulk Hogan? The Hulkster is a living legend there’s no two ways about it brother! Say your prayers eat your vitamins and believe in yourself and you too, could land yourself winning millions of dollars in a court case over a sex tape…but I digress…what about music? Chris Jericho has been gradually winning people over with his rock band FOZZY…John Cena, again, remember that rap album? Enough said…and then there’s JEFF HARDY. Hardy is one of the most loved and decorated tag team wrestlers the industry has ever seen alongside his brother Matt, he’s won numerous singles titles too in both WWE and TNA (Or whatever the hell it’s called these days)…but…did you also know that he front’s a band too? Let me introduce you to PEROXWHY?GEN…no that’s not a typo, that’s actually the band’s name (Pronounced Peroxygen) Hardy and co have released several EP’s and albums over the past couple of years and this year they dropped “Precession Of The Equinoxes”…let’s see how far we can get before we tap out…

We open up with “Sphere On Earth” and it’s an interesting one to say the least…it’s a weird, spoken word track, almost a monologue in ways…he speaks of his mother with a poetic adoration and it’s all an ode to her in her passing, this family role model, loved and respected and while quaint, it goes full-on track length at 3:00…it’s really quite artsy instead of being a brief intro and while creative it doesn’t really benefit as being an opening track…an odd inclusion this. The first proper track, “Revived” gets the album going more adequately with a mixture of rock, indie and emo qualities, tapping into that general genre-bracket…imagine bands like AMERICAN HI-FI and that ilk…clean vocals, melodic but raw…it’s got substance this…there are moments where the vocals can come across a touch flat but there’s enough here to carry it forward, this is more enjoyable start. We change gears again though as immediately we follow up with “Occasion” and while we stick with certain, soft-emo tones we’re given a far more delicate track. Heavy on piano and strings, leading into acoustics it’s got an almost semi-country feel and in ways develops into something fans of SMASHING PUMPKINS could appreciate.

At 2:44, “Otherwise” is the shortest track on offer here and while it’s a little disjointed in places, we’re treated to some decent throwback, early 2000’s alternative rock, this could have easily of come out of the nu-metal era listening to this chorus, balancing on a fine line between nostalgic and dated…”Unforgiveable” then retouches certain ballad aspects but here it’s clear Hardy doesn’t have the vocal capability to properly do this justice, he lacks a softness; a sweetness at times which would have taken this track to the next level, before we finish up on another diverse trio of tracks. “Emotionless” has more of that throwback nu-metal influence with its crossover rap metal vibe, “September Day” utilises slow, gritty electronica; coming across as spacey before we close on “Catastrophic” and it’s a weird mixture of trippy spoken word and poor rap…leaving the listener with more of a sense of “Why?” as opposed to “Wow!”. Overall…while I can sit here and applaud Hardy for all the entertainment he’s provided me over the years in ladder matches, musically he doesn’t quite grab my attention so easily, there are genuine moments here that offer a great deal of promise as some of the rockier tracks have potential, and credit to him he's not afraid to experiment, but he needs to iron out a couple of things. One things for sure, it’s not as bad as THAT match with Sting at Victory Road 2011….[4]

Over the course of time I’ve spent reviewing, I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate with a number of PR companies and labels, covering a wide variety of artists and genres and in recent times, one of the labels I’ve highlighted has been FiXT. Based in Detroit, U.S, and founded by workaholic visionary Klayton, its home to artists like CELLDWELLER (Klayton himself) and BLUE STAHLI, and focuses primarily on electronic music; ranging from synth-pop and EDM to industrial and aggrotek…slowly but surely, the label has steadily been growing in success and as a result, its roster has been growing in numbers. Recently, Klayton dusted off (pun intended) CIRCLE OF DUST, a heavy industrial metal beast that was prominent in the 1990’s and introduced a lot of fans to a back catalogue of music showcasing his heavier history…but it’s not the only thing to resurface and, as it turns out, he isn’t the only musical member of his family! Let me introduce you to LVL…formerly known as LEVEL, it was formed by one Mr Dan Levler (Dan Albert, Klayton’s brother) and back in 1999 he released his sophomore album “Devil’s Advocate”…now, in 2017 it’s been remastered with 7 additional bonus tracks and will be available digitally for the first time ever on September 8th courtesy of FiXT…the question is, are FiXT going to level-up? Or have we found a glitch? Let’s find out…

The album opens up with “She: Backslide” and after some brief, semi-pleasurable, almost sadistic screams, we’re greeted with some fairly basic drum & bass style percussion accompanying generic crunching riffs…to a degree up-tempo but to another degree a little repetitive…there are basic breakdowns and key changes, brief pauses allowing for certain progressive qualities but vocally it’s a little rough, almost demo-like in places…and it ends really quite abruptly too which sounds a little off…a faltering start. “Best Way Out” follows up and here we’re given a far more metal-based offering…the riffs are meatier, there’s more weight behind them and there’s an anger within Dan’s vocals this time around…it’s very much of its era, bridging the gap between grunge rock and the early days of nu-metal…utilising the electronic elements to offer a slightly different sound for its time, fans of say, PITCHSHIFTER would appreciate this…this is better.

Further highlights include “Caught Slick”; a complete contrast in style comparatively…it’s incredibly light electronica, it’s gentle and almost aquatic…the synth carrying an almost bubbly tone and as a result we’re given a far calmer track, before the end sadly spoils things with its randomly included chugging guitar and another complete cut-off…the title track on the other hand kicks into life with a sense of assertiveness…we’re back with attitude; edgy, riff-laden guitar and raw, shouted vocals layered within a generally industrial tone gives this track a feeling of STATIC-X inspired metal however yet again, the ending feels cut short, it’s a reoccurring problem that hampers the record, while “She: This Time” closes the album, similar in style but not as heavy, leaning more towards the style of say, early ORGY. Sadly however, the majority of the record fails to excite…”Downplay” is rather lacklustre, it’s quite lifeless with a dull vocal tone, despite the brass inclusion peaking some interest while “Hero Zero” has a real, slow, foreboding, generally depressing feel and suffers similarly to the aforementioned…before 6 of the 7 bonus tracks ultimately waste your time purely as instrumentals…there’s virtually no need for them. There IS a Circle Of Dust remix of “Backslide” at the end but, it’s too little too late. While die-hard fans would appreciate this album getting a second lease of life, especially with the additional content, and yes, it did in its own way help develop the sounds and styles honed by the rosters main stays today, it’s a shame it just hasn’t aged well since its first release on CD nearly 20 years ago…if you like your electronica dreary with occasional metal dabbling’s, you might find something of value here but, personally, this isn’t even a glitch, it’s a corrupt file. [4]

I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again; south Wales has one of the richest deposits of talented and/or passionate musicians in the UK, if not the world. Everywhere you look you’re a stone’s throw away from a gig or an up and coming band, busker or songwriter, and one of the freshest bands on the scene, are Pontypridd’s IN REQUIEM. The alternative rock 4-piece (consisting of vocalist/guitarist Adam, guitarist Owen, bassist Grant and drummer Lee) have literally only been around a couple of months, but they’ve already played a promising debut live show supporting REAPER IN SICILY and also, already have a self-titled  4-track EP under their belt…Too much too soon? Let’s see…

Opening track “Trapeze” softly seeps out of your speakers with a really mellow, almost sleepy tone. It’s gentle indie rock, very hushed in its delivery, aside from its chorus, leaving you with a feeling of “oh…” rather than “ooooh!” but it’s a pleasant start, nothing wrong with the track as such but it’s a timid introduction.

“Animal” seemingly has a little more life to it, crunchier guitars, an almost grunge-like tone and when it kicks off properly it’s a welcome riff driven number, albeit a familiar one…anyone else recognise the slight hint of “Fortune Faded” by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS as it gets going? Just me? It’s there! Coincidence or not; a solid track none-the-less…

“Into The Night” returns to the delicate, ambient tones of the first track, at over five minutes long it does appear to go on a little bit but it’s got some fairly boisterous segments that’ll wake you up If required, before we finish on “Holy Hands”, which is a classic case of leave the best until last. It’s a good quality, straight up rock song, easy on the ears, and over before you can fully appreciate it, making you want to hit replay. Again, there are subtle similarities to the likes of RHCP, but this time in general style as oppose to any section in particular, it’s got that feel about it and all in all, it rounds the EP off nicely.

In Requiem may have only been around since, well, May, but they are clearly eager to get the ball rolling early on. Obviously there’s a long way to go before they’re a fully polished outfit but more live shows, more hard work and ultimately more patience, I’m sure they’ll be around for some time to come. Until then, enjoy this for what it is, rough and ready, there’s nothing wrong with that at all. [6]


Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rqmband

You can listen to "Holy Hands" on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/rqmband

Regardless of your opinion of the man, BAM MARGERA does a lot for bands. Be it his massive endorsement of the band HIM, their fellow Finn’s THE 69 EYES, or be it lesser known bands such as THE MOXY and LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE, he’s always promoted artists through whatever he’s done, whether that’s a compilation CD or the soundtrack to a TV show or a DVD, and, more often than not, they’re awesome too! So when Bam personally recommends a band to you, you check them out. Back when I interviewed him in July, he suggested I check out a band called THE FAINT, who just so happen to have a new album out called “Doom Abuse”. Here’s what I discovered…

Opening up with “Help In The Head” it’s apparent we’ll be dealing with a variety of influences from the word go. Vocalist Todd Fink carries similar tones to the likes of indie artists such as KASABIAN, while musically it’s slightly grungy, a little punky and very alternative; interesting stuff. “Mental Radio” introduces more of a synthesized electronic sound, but it’s quite straightforward, generally consistent throughout, plodding along enjoyably enough before “Evil Voices” unleashes some quality up-beat indie rock. It’s got a brilliantly catchy chorus and is easily an album highlight.

“Salt My Doom” is an altogether different kettle of fish, far brasher, more intense and as far as this album extends, it’s heavier too, delivering a short burst of energy, while “Animal Needs” on the other hand is fairly monotonous in a KRAFTWERK sort of way, albeit rockier. “Loss Of Head”, “Your Stranger” and “Lesson From The Darkness” keep everything flowing smoothly, before we eventually finish up on “Damage Control”; a relatively slow, sullen anti-climax.

It’s a shame really that, these four guys from Nebraska have been at it since the mid-nineties…yet they’re relatively unknown within the UK. Hopefully “Doom Abuse” can change that, it’s well worth checking out, whoever you prefer to trust, me OR Bam. [7]


The album "Doom Abuse" is available on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/doom-abuse/id827930963 
The Faint on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefaint

Described by some as a “four man punch in the face” and, “explosive, creative and unique”…there’s a lot of promise surrounding Oregon based alternative grunge rockers BLACK HARE. Inspired by the likes of CHIODOS and NIRVANA, we find the four-piece releasing their second album; “Seasons”…something tells me that it’s not going to be all Summery and fun…

Kicking the album off with “Break Away”…we’re greeted with some simple guitars, it sounds slightly promising at the very least, before the vocals start up that is. Zacky Settergren’s vocal tone is, for the most part flat and occasionally down right unpleasant, but he can deliver a decent growl which when utilised is more than welcome. With regards to the guitars and the overall vibe of the song, it’s got a slight MISFITS feel to it but sadly that doesn't save it. “Sin Tax” has a little bit more weight behind it, heavier in its alt/punk roots and again, musically, it’s enjoyable, but you can’t help but wish it was just an instrumental for the sections where Settergren isn't shouting.

The rest of the album is essentially more of the above; the odd shimmer of hope engulfed by poorly delivered vocals. Even the growls get on your nerves eventually and you just want the album to end, so when “Nite Lite” finishes and it does, there’s nothing but relief. As I said musically there is so much potential evident here; there’s an underlying quality to the album that can’t be denied, but it would benefit being used in a completely different band all together…such a shame. [4]


The album "Seasons" is available now on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/seasons/id879567891