ALBUM REVIEW: Chrome Molly re-kindle the magic on Hoodoo Voodoo

WAY back in the long ago mystical times called the '80s' there was this thing referred to as the 'New Wave Of British Heavy Metal'. Always a slightly awkward nomenclature, it nevertheless became a handy name to categorise a clatter of bands under.

Just before thrash outdid the album sales of many of the acts UK rockers Chrome Molly were selling out the Marquee Club (look it up youngsters) and headlining CBGBs in NYC.

After stalling for a while as fashions ebbed and flowed in 2016 Chrome Molly were back on the road with the Graham Bonnet Band including a Belfast show.

As promised on that date Chrome Molly have released their sixth studio album, 'Hoodoo Voodoo' and it is chock full of riffage appropriate for the band's vintage.

For some many the likes of 'Some Kind of Voodoo' will sound a little dated, but this blog is called Belfastmetalheadsreunited! Echoing with the kinds of songs that had us rocking along to Rainbow it takes the template and brings it bang up to date.

Sure, you'll hear all the influences of the likes of Rainbow, Priest, Maiden and Leppard throughout, and the band even play on that with namechecks of the acts on the song 'Pillars of Creation (Albion). If the bands on this track aren't in your collection then you need some serious revision.

The entire album has melodic metal (not the melodic death/black melodies), nicely balanced solos and choruses, and a tight idea behind each song.

There is one song that sits a bit out of place. 'Now That Those Days Have Gone' is a Poison-like ballad and could have been beefed up a little...

Thankfully the following track redeems all, with 'Indestrucible' a well thought out take on Maiden et al.

The band have said that while it isn't a concept album as such, they wanted 'Hoodoo Voodoo' to echo the glory days of the NWOBHM, and they have more than achieved that.

Steve Hawkins (vocals) said: “We wanted to make an album that made us feel like we did in the ‘80’s, one that you can turn up in the car and sing along and play air drums and guitar to.”

Does it achieve that? Well for those of a certain vintage it most certainly does, conjuring up memories of sitting in friends houses, sneaking illicit swigs of beer and comparing band's strengths and weaknesses.

'Rock For You' perfectly captures those feelings, but will a younger audience, now attuned to the various extremes of modern metal 'get it'? If they want to understand the origins of much of what inspired the acts that broke through in the mid to late 80s from the US and Europe then this is an excellent primer (and you'll get an idea of the type of sounds that created all the power metal...).

For the rest of us over 40s and early 50s types this is an album to just wallow in. As the last notes of 'Dial F for Freakshow' fade the repeat button gets hit...leather jackets, cut-offs, tight jeans, white high top gutties, plastic bottles of cider with lager mixed in, and walking tall and proud are but a memory, but one that we can re-live every day and 'Hoodoo Voodoo' makes all the years wandering in the wilderness worthwhile. Welcome back Chrome Molly.

ALBUM REVIEW: Weaponized NWOBHM - Weapon (UK) Rise from the Ashes with classic smooth metal release

OKAY children, gather round the comfort of the fire, settle back and listen to a tale of way back; when denim and leather were the only fashion statement worth making, when bringing on the heartbreak was a source of joy and when we were running free to the sound of heavy metal.

As the winters of discontent and economic hardship merged into Thatcherite austerity for the poor and champagne lunches for the rich punk had become a statement rather than rebellious, and many of the originators of metal and hard rock were disappearing up their own arses with verbose shows that seemed to last decades.

But, before the fashionistas had even began to don frilly shirts and declare themselves as 'new wave' musicians, something stirred in the belly of the beast: punk attitude mind melded with the musicianship of rockers and metal heads.

Thus before it was even given a title, across the land the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), was born and spread like a musical plague across the globe, delivering millions of teenagers the music they wanted to hear. A middle finger was extended to the mainstream, and BBC1 and ITV were forced to include theses hairy type loud bands on to their shows.

However, while tapes were traded across the Atlantic to influence the birth of thrash here in the UK and Ireland the coveted hours were deep on a Friday night when the late, great Tommy Vance presented the Friday Rock Show, sharing classics and the new sounds of the NWOBHM.

If kiddies, you are expecting to check into the deep bowels of the NWOBHM cellar and find sounds that echo through to 'modern' metal and its scenes, you will disappointed. In 2014 many of the bands from those halcyon days seem 'lighter'.

But whether it was Sweet Savage, Praying Mantis, Tygers of Pan Tang, White Spirit, Girlschool and many more they provided something vibrant, something combining the visceral with tunefulness.

Among those knighted warriors of metal were Weapon, now named Weapon (UK) to avoid confusion with a US act, who recorded a double 'A' sided single, and toured extensively with Motorhead.

Alas, they faded away in the heady days of the 80s. But you can't keep a good band down [Even Hetfield adorns his cut-off with a Weapon patch...although whether that is payback for using sections of the Weapon song 'Set The Stage Alight' on 'Hit The Lights remains undetermined....] Earlier this year Weapon (UK) released their 'Rising From The Ashes' album.

Why are we taking you on this little musical history lesson, and reviewing the album?

For a start it is a great album. Secondly Weapon (UK) will be appearing at Limelight2 on November 8th in a line up that includes Donum Dei, Conjuring Fate, Midnight Transmission and Rabid Bitch of the North.

As you settle down to consider how great this line-up is we are more than a little excited to see Weapon (UK) play tracks from 'Rising From The Ashes'.

This is an album that includes great hard rock melodies such as on 'Bad Reputation' and 'Wonderland', classic NWOBHM riffing ('Ride the Moriah!' and Burning Skies') and considered, well structured rockers such as 'Warrior' and 'Alamein'.

But the question is always when a band returns, are they stuck in the past? As Black Sabbath proved on 13 (apart from Rick Rubin's production) you can still keep the 'soul' of the band without being stuck in yesteryear.

And Weapon (UK) have achieved that balancing act. There are a few moments when they disappear back into the past; but they are few and far between.

Keeping the intrinsic 'sound' of NWOBHM without sounding like a parody of the era Jeff Summers guitar work sounds fresh, while Ian Sweeting (drums) and PJ Philips (bass) play under-stated rhythms that belie the devilish patterns.

Dublin-born Danny Hynes vocals are sweet, ('Bad Reputation') and impassioned ('Bloodsoaked Rock'), but the whole essence of each element of the band is summed up on closer 'Killer Instinct', a super exemplar or how to make NWOBHM songs contemporary.

What is exciting about this release is that it is not just a re-tread of the NWOBHM sound, it is a fresh interpretation without the band trying to fit in with what is 'expected' of metal in 2014.

From the ashes arises a phoenix, spreading wings through re-birth: Weapon (UK) have not lost their roots...nor their edge.

Review by Jonny
Rise From The Ashes is available now

Weapon (UK)'s November 8th appearance is a Distortion Project promotion.

Tickets on the door, doors open at 4pm

Storm front set to hit Helfast

WITH less than two days to go before the Helfast mini-festival opens its doors for an afternoon and evening of noise, we caught up with Stevie Moore, guitarist with headliners Stormzone – a band with rightly justified high sights for the future.

For Stormzone it has been a year of touring as they prepare for the imminent release of the new album Three Kings.

And with a recent support slot with Saxon safely tucked under their belts, Helfast festival at Belfast’s Limelight2 looks set to the opening chapter for another book of successes.

After their apparent unjust treatment at the hands of a certain American singer, Saxon proved a much more enjoyable and professional slot for Stormzone.

“It really was ‘a dream come true’ for us,” said Moore. “We have toured with a lot of bands over the years and this pairing with Saxon, being at the forefront of the NWOBHM, was just the absolute perfect match for us.

“The audience was geared up for the kind of music and performance we deliver, and the whole thing couldn't have gone better for us.”

And for the band it was a cert that they were looking forward to being on the bill with the English metal legends.

“We're all big fans of the band so it's hard not to feel a little starstruck when you're hanging out with Biff, swapping tales from the road!”

And their treatment...”Saxon and their crew were extremely professional and courteous throughout the tour, and we were lucky enough to enjoy a few beers with them after the shows. “

With these support slots safely notched up to experience Moore reflected on the positive road experiences they have had hitting the festival stages across Europe, which has bonded them ever tighter together as a band and as friends.

 “Stormzone is definitely five brothers united in a common goal, and we also have our team around us that give just as much as we do,” he said. “If you see some of the backstage footage of us available on YouTube etc, there are no separate dressing rooms and back-biting, it's a bunch of guys who are genuinely excited to be doing what we do and it shows!”

Moore continued: “The tours and festivals we've done have been a cross between work and a holiday, from my own personal point of view.

“There's a job to be done but everyone is pulling in the same direction, so there's always time for cutting loose and having some fun. I try to keep Facebook and twitter up to the date with the more light-hearted side of things, as people may have noticed from the pictures of our recent trip to the Metal Assault festival in Wurzburg...”

On the road the last Stormzone album, Zero to Rage (review here) has been nestling down nicely with previous releases as Moore explained.

“There are a few of the songs that have become "standards" in our set and will probably always be that way. Now that we have a bigger pool of material to choose from, you can't play as many songs from each album as you'd like to, so we like to make sure the fan favourites are in there with a little surprise every now and then.

 “It's quite a feeling to look out and see fans from Spain, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, all over Europe, singing every word to songs like Fear Hotel and Where We Belong,” said the axeman.

 “And when you find out that some of the fans have literally driven across Europe to come to a festival to see Stormzone, it's hard to express to them what it means to you that they would do that. You find yourself scrabbling for things to give them - picks and drumsticks don't quite cut it in those scenarios!”

With Helfast knocking on the doors, and appearances at Dundalk’s NSX Festival and Hillsborough’s Sunflowerfest, the band are gearing up for the release of Three Kings.

“We've just finished recording and mixing the album, which will be available in July on Metal Nation Records,” said Moore.

“We are beyond delighted at how it has turned out. It'll show another step up for the band in terms of song-writing, sounds and overall production.

“I can't wait to have people hear it, I'm so proud of what we have achieved with this album, and going by the reaction to a sneak preview played on the radio last weekend, I know the fans will be as pleased as we are.”

No matter the weather there’s a major Storm Front moving in, and from what Moore explained – you have a choice, stand in the Stormzone and relish the metal – or get out of the way.

 
Helfast takes place on June 1^st at Belfast’s Limelight2. Joining Stormzone on the stage will be Altus, Warcrux, and Triggerman. Helfast is a joint promotion between The Distortion Project, Paradise City and Blink Management. Tickets, priced £10 will be available on the door.

Sometimes when you been away coming back is all the sweeter

SWEET Savage's return to the metal fold has been building for a wee while now. From being joined onstage by mega-metal star James Hetfield, through to last year's triumphant homecoming gig, the veteran Belfast metallers have been building up a head of steam.

This month they join a clasic NWOBHM metal line-up as part of Saxon's Battalions of Steel II tour, which touches down in Belfast 's Mandella Hall on April 26th.

"Can't wait," enthuses Sweet Savage's guitarist, Ian 'Speedo' Wilson. "We played with Saxon last year and are really looking forward to this 10-date tour. With Biff and the guys at Saxon and Doro [Pesch] it's shaping up to be a great tour for all of those, of any age, who love the vibe and feel of good old fashioned heavy metal."

But for Sweet Savage, other developments are just as important.

"We've just put the finishing touches to the new album, which is shaping up really well," said Speedo. "We're having a tough time deciding what we leave out!

"Before we end the Saxon tour we hope to have a release date set, and we're aleady looking forward to gigging in support of it. If you can make it along to the Mandella Hall, we might eve air a track or two!"

"Our return to form has been bubbling away for a while now, and we're all just delighted to be finally getting there with new material and feeling more enthusiastic than ever. Thanks to all of you out there who have kept the Sweet Savage dream alive!"

Tickets for gig are available at all usual outlets.

Savage coming home

SWEET Savage - Belfast pioneers of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal - are coming home to bring their classic metal sound to the Spring and Airbrake on Friday, 3rd October.

It has been widely noted that it was the influence of the music of Sweet Savage were among those that inspired the young members of Metallica to start the band in the early 80’s.

The energy and sound of Sweet Savage proved to be what they were looking for in a band of their own. With Metallica being named as the most inspirational Heavy Metal band in this years Kerrang! Awards, perhaps Sweet Savage could claim the inspiration to the Inspired Award...

Sweet Savage formed in 1978 with band members including Vivian Campbell on guitar, Trev Fleming on guitar, David Bates on drums and Ray Haller on bass and vocals.

In 1980 Sweet Savage released their first single " Take No Prisoners " Which included the NWOBHM classic track " Killing Time " reaching No. 1 in the NWOBHM charts.

During this period they toured Britain with bands such as Budgie, Motorhead, Wild Horses, Wishbone Ash, Ozzy Osbourne. They also toured with Thin Lizzy and was the opening act at the first Slane Castle Concert which included U2 and Thin Lizzy. In fact Sweet Savage was the first act ever to play at Slane!

After recording two further singles ( never released ) Vivian Campbell left the band to pursue other music projects including DIO and Whitesnake, finally settling in as a lead guitarist for Def Leppard after the tragic death of Steve Clark.

It has been widely noted that it was the influence of the music of Sweet Savage that inspired the young members of Metallica to start the band in the early 80’s, the energy and sound of Sweet Savage proved to be what they were looking for in a band of their own.

In the late 90's Metallica covered Sweet Savage track "Killing Time" for their Garage Inc. record, after its mainstream release and performance live in concert, there was large interest in music of Sweet Savage and as a result the band released 2 new studio records. The first full length studio release was 1996’s Killing Time, the second release was 1998’s Rune, both of which were brought out on UK label, Neat Metal Records. Despite this initial success, the band later split up.

Sweet Savage has now reformed, as a favour to a promoter and since then things have unexpectedly began to bloom for the boys, the current lineup included two of the founder member and is in full: Ian Wilson on guitar, Trev Fleming on guitar, Jules Watson on drums and Ray Haller on bass and vocals.

As well as being invited over to London as special guests of Saxon as part of their St George’s day celebrations, Sweet Savage have been playing some of Europe’s Premier music festivals.

If you are don't remember them from first time arouund (I'm old enough to remember a raucous Queen's set and some excellent Belfast Hall support slots) and are into no nonsense Heavy Metal then Sweet Savage is the band to see!
www.myspace.com/sweetsavageni