ALBUM REVIEW: Visigoth vapourise all as they pledge the Conqueror's Oath

PO-FACED, overly analytical metal fans look away now. Those with a sense of humour, who enjoy heavy metal for heavy metal's sake keep reading, because Visigoth have returned to claim their rightful place in the panoply of 21st Century great metal acts.

As with the 2015 release, 'The Revenant King' the Salt Lake City five-piece have stayed true to their vision of straight-forward, heads down metal on 'Conqueror's Oath'...with only one minor deviation.

From the off you know what you get as 'Steel and Silver' riffs kick straight out of the blocks, sprinting around your head against fantastical lyrical themes.

And, those lyrical themes cause those who take their metal a little to serious be put off. They can either fuck off or like the rest of us get our air guitar out and run around the room like a toddler pumped full of E numbers.

'Outlive Them All' is, for example, a supercharged, full throttle, adrenaline four-and-a-half minutes of sheer delight. Rampaging, roaring music that will give you neck ache.

The sense of 'epic' that pervades most of 'Conqueror's Oath' gives it all a sense of purpose. Hell, it is almost as if Visigoth have listened to all of the Friday Rock Show recording between 1980 and 1985. Oozing through their pores is a sense of the delight of NWOBHM with liberal dashes of Manowar and lyrics akin to Blue Oyster Cult.

And, there is nothing wrong with that.

The title track and 'Warrior Queen' are glorious. Sweeping in scope, taut in intent they are the sort of songs that will be as sublime live as they are on the album.

However, there is a deviation... 'Salt City'. As if they have sucked the last remaining souls of Kiss, took all of Ace Frehley's licks and re-located them to Utah. Just a great deviation from the fantasy.

Visigoth are a band that have been 'bubbling under' for many in the UK and Europe, but if you love your straight-forward heavy metal Conqueror's Oath needs to be added to your collection.

It's an album that will have you in parts grinning like a maniac at one moment and tight-jawed hair flailing the next.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Conqueror's Oath is out on Metal Blade on 9th February

ALBUM REVIEW: Sorcerer present a grandiose vision on The Crowning Of The Fire King

ON first listen to Swede metal crew Sorcerer's The Crowning of the Fire King you think that they have been listening to Rainbow too often - in particular Stargazer. But after that initial cognitive dissonance there is a real sense of something epic this way coming.

Since their 2015 release 'In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross' and the follow-up EP 'Black' there was a sense that they could stretch themselves a little further.

On 'The Crowning of the Fire King' they have taken that template and built upon it to shake off any comparisons, and produce an album chock full of grandiose songs. Apart from the atmospheric acoustic 'Nattvaka' there are no short songs on display here.

Opener 'Sirens' is a relatively brief five minutes compared to some tracks that nudge well beyond nine minutes. And, not a one has a second wasted.

Anders Engberg holds the attention with his compelling phraseology of each lyric, and Kristian Niemann and Peter Hallgreen manage to put together parts that enthrall - not an easy feat given the length of some songs.

For example, the title track meanders magnificently with no missteps, onomatopoeic playing and compelling throughout.

It is a similar story on 'Ship of Doom'. Any track that is almost a full 10 minutes needs the breath to develop and entrance. It succeeds.

Similarly closer 'Unbearable Sorrow' has the legs to keep the pace throughout it's nine minutes 55 seconds. And, what is more it has the balance and arrangement that makes it seem like a much shorter song.

True, Sorcerer reference a lot of what has went before them, but The Crowning of the Fire King' is a truly wonderful immersive experience.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

The Crowning of the Fire King is out on Metal Blade on Ocotober 20th

ALBUM REVIEW: Intergalactic scumdogs GWAR back with The Blood of Gods

AS soon as you read, let alone say the word Gwar the cynicism meter is cranked to maximum. Yeah, they have some credibility somewhere, someplace, within the performance art of Slave Pit Inc. Or are they just an elaborate parody of Scientology that has gotten out of hand?

But when it comes down to the bottom line we're interested in the music: We'll deal with the hyperbole and the 'story' of Gwar later...

'The Blood of Gods' is their first recorded output since Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie) died in 2014. Has that loss diluted Gwar in any way? Not at all.

It is as over-the-top and lyrically stupid as ever. And, if you have a problem with that don't forget we grew up on Manowar and still listen to a lot of metal with battle lyrics.

Indeed the opener 'War On Gwar' is a hybrid of Manowar and Power Metal tomfoolery in musical terms, stretching through it's seven minutes plus path. However, it is when they kick into the fast-paced 'Viking Death Machine'. Heads down, full pelt metal that allows you to pick all the songwriting influences. (But, we have to say will the Viking Death Machine, alien-manned, be able to cope with heavy metal pirates once Alestorm track them down...)

Throughout you can see Gwar riff on the metal tropes as always. Some have wonderful nods to their listening habits - 'I'll Be Your Monster' tips the disease-ridden cap to Wednesday 13 et al.

Of course the album is peppered with silly samples, such as on the wonderful 'Death to Dickie Duncan' *

It wouldn't be Gwar without the likes of 'Fuck This Place' but there is a track here that stands head and shoulders above some of the previous work. 'Phantom Limb' may also reference many metal songs but it is executed to near perfection - six minutes and 10 seconds that reads as if Michael Moorcock and Terry Pratchett were doing acid with Blue Oyster Cult.

The inclusion of a pretty good cover of AC/DC's 'If You Want Blood (You Got It)' may seem a tad incongruous, but then again DC weren't adverse to a bit of cod horror such as on 'Night Prowler and Angus impaled by his guitar on the cover of the If You Want Blood live album.

At this point readers may ask has sanity totally went out the window - it's fucking Gwar!

Put aside the alien suits, the story about Gwar spawning the human race by shagging apes after being exiled.

Put aside the blurb that accompanied this: "The Blood of Gods, is nothing less than a sacred text chronicling the rise of humanity against their makers, and the massive battle between GWAR and the forces of all that is uptight and wrong with the world. Along the way, the band challenges the sins of their great mistake, from politics, pollution, and organized religion, to fast food, and factory farming. Humans are shown as what they are; a parasitical disease that must be eradicated before they suck the planet dry."

Once you get over that it stripped back it is simply an album that plays metal. Is it great? No. Is it good? Yes.  And, that ladies, gentlemen and scumbags of the universe as of any evening on this benighted planet is all that matters.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

The Blood of Gods is released on Metal Blade on October 20th.

*Dickie Duncan has many references, but it is also urban US slang for withdrawing from anal and finding some matter clinging to your 'Dickie'.

ALBUM REVIEW: Ensiferum go all the way on Two Paths - a madly beautiful album

WITH 'One Man Army' Ensiferum set the bar high for folk metal, with an almost live feel. The subsequent extensive touring showcased a band at the proverbial top of their game.

But unlike many bands the Helsinki act were already planning their next release well ahead of time, with these tracks on new release 'Two Paths' demoed seven years ago - yes seven years. Talk about foresight...

Having these tracks in formative structure at the turn of the decade could have made them stale, but in the seven years hence they have been beaten into glorious shape. In short 'Two Paths' is as close to the ultimate 'folk metal' album as you'll get.

All the elements from Ensiferum are there, with the added bonus of touring accordionist Netta Skog, formerly of Turisas, now a full-time member of the band, adding another vocal texture.

From the opening orchestral and choral intro 'Two Paths' gives you the expected grunt on 'For Those About To Fight For Metal', with flurries of guitar and growls plus huge choir like melodies.

While this is about as 'typical' as you would expect in the genre it veers close to cliché in places - but is saved by the arrangement.

However, the rest of the album is anything but clichéd. The reason for this could be attributed to the length of the writing of the tracks, or the organic, analog recording and producer Anssi Kippo's insistence on getting the right instrument's tones from the off.

Anssi has a really great recording method, in that he wants to find the best possible sound and tone for drums, bass, guitars, vocals etcetera at the start, so that as you finish the individual tracks it's close to what you want the final sound of the album to be. That way, you don't have to ponder over what you can do in the mixing." -  Hinnka

The result are tracks that sound massive - whether it is full-on such as 'Way Of The Warrior' or 'King of Storms' or the quieter tracks, such as Netta's vocals on 'Unettomann Aikaan', all sound as if they were created as if to address a gathering deep in a primeval forest.

Title track 'Two Paths' opens with an almost rock-like riff from the 80s before upping the ante in a song delivered with clean vocals with a wistful edge and no shite tools to mask the feeling.

That Markus, Petri, Sami and Netta all contribute different singing textures makes every element of the album as varied and challenging as possible.

'Feast of the Valkyries' sees Netta opening the vocals and delivering a masterclass on digital accordion before the chorus as if delivered by Finnish warriors storming the land of the Russ.

Lyrically throughout, as always, there is more than what may appear on the heroic sounding surface.

"For me, it's really important that all lyrics have deeper, more serious and sometimes very personal meaning, while also fitting Ensiferum's heroic theme. It's a nice challenge to write lyrics this way, but it's also really rewarding to hear fans' interpretations of our music. There is no right or wrong in this matter." - Hiinnka

On 'Don't You Say' and 'God is Dead' the band challenge the listener even further by offering two versions, with Hinnka offering Ensiferum fans the chance to pick their favourite version.

'Don't You Say' opens with a drum line that nods to Priest before becoming a piece of groove infected folk, while 'I Will Never Kneel' is defiantly superb.

It would be easy to rant further about how good 'Two Paths' sounds. It is gritty, catchy and orchestral in equal parts.

Amidst the might and grandeur Ensiferum display a lightness of touch - in even the heavier elements - that demonstrates that this is no longer another folk metal act. Not only will they stake their claim to be among one of the originators, they are a force of nature to bow in admiration before. Madly beautiful...

Review by Jonathan Traynor

 Two Paths is released on Metal Blade Records on 15th September

ALBUM REVIEW: Portrait set the metal afire on fourth album Burn The World

FOR their fourth full-length album Portrait have pulled out all the stops on a set of tracks that reflect just how heavy metal can be delivered when done right.

'Burn The World' pummels you with only brief respite in a lesson for many who doubt that metal has a tendency to disappear up its own arse at times.

This is a release that showcases how to keep everything in balance. From the sharp blasts of 'The Sower's Cross' and 'To Die For' it also explores lengthier structures.

'Martyrs' opens with a riff reminiscent of Maiden or Helloween, but rapidly develops into a song that has the Portrait stamp. Like closer 'Pure of Heart' it has enough space to allow development of the song; its musical and lyrical themes given space to develop.

Christian and Robin trade licks and at times it is almost like they have tapped into the soul of Lizzy, UFO and early Maiden in an evolutionary step forward. Twin melody lines traded off against each other, solos that meld seamlessly...

True there are times when some of Per's vocals stray into King Diamond territory, but for fuck sake don't many modern vocalists. What is perhaps more relevant is the variety in his singing.

The use of a more contemporary structure for the title track is impressive, which is something that is perhaps revealing about 'Burn The World'.

The band have always promised much and been deservedly recognised for their progress since the series of releases that eventually saw them signed to Metal Blade in 2011, but this seems like the realisation of everything they have been working towards.

The lyrical lashing of the forces threatening the world, the tight structuring of each song (with the exception of the unnecessary instrumental 'Further She Rode') means 'Burn The World' is an album that shows Portrait are ready for the next step.

Oh, and having Set Teitan (Watain) and Hell's Kevin Bower making guest appearances is an added bonus!

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Burn The World is available now on Metal Blade

ALBUM REVIEW: Goatwhore gore the aural tracts on album number 7 - Vengeful Ascension

GOATWHORE some five or six years ago seemed to be stuck in a rut, they're blackened metal somewhat re-treading their own sound a little too much. However, on 2014's 'Constricting The Rage of the Merciless' there was more than a hint they were shaking themselves up.

Now, with 'Vengeful Ascension' the NOLA men have matured their sound, taken a risk and produced a finely balanced album full of musical and lyrical layers.

Whether it was the decision to record reel-to-reel, use a different producer, or just a band sensing it was time to shake things up a bit matters not because Goatwhore have unleashed their finest to date.

More nuanced, matching their instinct to riff in a BM style, but with subtle notes - like a fine well rounded red wine, Vengeful Ascension is a triumph.

Even the tribal tom tom runs that open the album on 'Forsaken' are the drumbeat announcing the arrival of a band wanting and needing to demonstrate that they are an extreme metal force to be reckoned with.

The atonality of the playing is counter-balanced with further incorporation of more classic metal progressions and melodies is further enhanced throughout as exemplified on 'Under the Flesh and Into The Soul' opening riffs and pacey passages.

Pace is an issue in terms of album's arrangement many bands struggle with, but Goatwhore pull it off magnificently halfway through with the slow menace of 'Where The Sun Is Silent' - true atmospheric metal...

Sammy Duet's workouts are impressive throughout, often displaying more deft touches, while L.Ben Falgoust's vocals have refreshing variety.

It is also an album that touches on many themes, from the Luciferean metaphor on the title track for the struggles to achieve success through to the imminent human self-destruction on 'Mankind Will Have No Mercy'.

'Chaos Arcane' rage and pace is sheer delight, apparently based on an HP Lovecraft story, reeks of all humanity's deep fears and Duet pummels along with Simmons and Harvey propelling the track along at breakneck speed, punctuating a slowed down section with finely balanced fills an runs.

This standout track showcases the evolution of Goatwhore - their ability to blend black metal, thrash, elements of death and tradition metal is now more clearly to be seen. Don't, however, think of this as some sort of crossover.

Instead regard this as a band recording an album not afraid to show off their influences without any slavish doffs of the cap, but producing their own vision.

And, it is a darkly wondrous vision.

Review by Jonathan Traynor

Vengeful Ascension is out now on Metal Blade

ALBUM REVIEW: Monte Pittman powers through with prowess on Inverted Grap of Balance

HE is Madonna's touring guitarist. He played in Prong. He teaches guitar. But above all Monte Pittman is one helluva metalhead, azeman extraordinaire.

If you tentatively sampled his first release 'Power of Three' on Metal Blade and gave it a nod then strap yer metal braces in tight because 'Inverted Grasp of Balance' raises the bar that even the best Fosbury Flopping Olympian couldn't match this step up.

Here we find the alchemist's elixir. Well arranged tunes, riffs that rock more than an earthquake's max Richter scale, solos that seer your hearing and just more metal sensibilities than you can cope with.

Whether it is the opening pacey duo of 'Panic Attack' and 'Arisen in Broad Daylight' or the hyper catchy 'Skeleton Key' this is as close to the complete metal assortment as you can come.

Indeed there are at times when you think this is the type of record Dio could be recording now had his life not been cut short.

It is varied, it has tonality differences, the singing is clean but perfectly suited to the songs, and all have a balance in their structure and place on the album.

Whether it is the power of 'California' or the alt-version of a power ballad closer 'New Blood Keeps Us Alive' these are songs that engage and empower.

While the playing is exemplary - as well Pitttman Billy Sheehan and Richard Christie make up the rest of the threesome - it also has a nicely ambiguous lyrical slant.

"I like to write in a way where the listener can decide what the song is about", said Monte. "Like when looking at abstract art and each person sees something else.

"So a song like 'Guilty Pleasure' could be viewed from the point of view of either an antagonist or a victim.

"There are also some "ghostly, supernatural"connotations, such as 'Be Very Afrai'", which is about living in a haunted house, but can also be perceived as a take on the housing market crashing."

What is most impressive about this release is that whether you are someone steeped in the NWOBHM, a thrasher, or a hard rock fan or just a casual metalhead all the songs will engage you.

And, if you are a fan of the best of guitar playing then this should be in your collection.

As he said himself: "I incorporated some different, odd scales and chords into a lot of it. If I found myself repeating ideas, I knew to go somewhere else with it.

"As someone who teaches guitar, I also wanted to be able to use the leads as examples for teaching guitar lessons. In 'Obliterated', there are several little elements that could be guitar lessons on their own."

This is an album that sweats a love of the guitar, a love of rock and bursts with so many metal sensibilities that the so-called extreme metal acts need to listen to this and re-assess their sensibilities and aspiring guitar gods needs to listen to and weep a little...

Review by Jonny

INTERVIEW: Allegaeon's new frontman Riley McShane speaks to Belfastmetalheads about stepping up to the plate on Proponets of Sentience

Riley McShane has taken over the vocal duties with Allegaeon, for their latest opus and like many here Steve Martin is a fan of these technical metal bruisers, so who better to send off to interrogate the new front man.

Owing to his status as a total fan we’re not going to edit Steve's interview…well because there is so much fascinating detail from Riley…

S – It’s fair to say that you hit the ground running with Allegaeon. What’s it been like stepping straight in to go on tour and be a part of the new album?

R – It’s been great, man! It’s been a lot of fun. They’re all such cool dudes. A couple of them I’d known just from being a part of the metal community before joining Allegaeon and so being able to partner up with them, make music, go on tour and all that stuff has been great. It’s been a really fun past year. Writing the new album has been challenging in the best way possible for me. Embarking on a concept album, the band’s first concept album with them also working on this kind of new style of song-writing to cater to that concept has been, like I said, challenging in the best way. It was lots of fun writing, lots of back and forthing over emails about ideas and lyrics and musical sections and all that kind of stuff has been great. I’m looking forward to what the future holds with these guys.

S – One thing that I noticed when I was taking time with the album to do the review is that there are a lot of different vocal elements that weren’t really present before. Some of the clean singing on the Subdivisions (Rush) cover or on Cognitive Computations, or some of the higher pitched screaming are things that weren’t so commonplace with the band before. How’s it been putting your own stamp on what’s already such an established sound?

R – It’s been cool! It’s been daunting to say the least. It’s always a little bit nerve-wracking stepping in and taking over a position especially as frontman of a band that, like you said, is already established and has their own sound and style. I was very much urged by the other members of the band to spread my wings a little bit with it and try to incorporate as many different styles that I could whilst still staying close to the sound that Allegaeon had already established. With that said, when writing through the album I just put what I thought fit best for the part, not so much worrying about it sounding exactly like old Allegaeon but still sounding similar enough that I could add a little bit more dynamic range while still keeping the fans happy.

S – We’ve already touched a bit on this but as you said, it’s a very highly conceptualised album with some themes that recur throughout. How did some of these come about and what was the thought process behind those?

R – When Greg (Burgess, guitar) approached me with the concept which the wheels had been turning on a little bit before I had joined the band, it was basically just the standard science fiction mythology of Terminator, Blade Runner and that idea of artificial intelligence gaining consciousness and wiping out the human race or at least starting a conflict between machines and man. That was just the broad strokes. That point is punctuated by the 3 “Proponent For Sentience” songs that create the sonata at the beginning and end of the album. So creating the connective tissue became my role lyrically and so I just ran with it and incorporated all the elements that I find interesting about it. The philosophical details that are kind of addressed in songs like “Of Mind And Matrix” and “Cognitive Computations” as well as the scientific elements of it that are addressed more in “Gray Matter Mechanics”, addressing things like neuroscience and just the functionality of the human brain and littering it a bit with social commentary like on “Demons Of An Intricate Design” but still contributing to the greater whole of the concept that if a new intelligence or a new consciousness were to come into play with what we’ve given them as a species and civilisation, especially at this juncture, just to find it natural to be like “Ah yeah, get rid of that!”

S – Following on from that a bit, what was it like writing lyrics within these concepts? Was that a different kind of challenge?

R – It was. Like I said, it was challenging in the best way possible because I feel like my strong interest and excitement for the concept material helped me to still be excited by the challenge and have a lot of fun with the challenge of writing to a concept as opposed to just writing whatever came to mind. It was definitely not something I’ve ever done before. I’ve performed on concept albums in the past but I’ve never actually written one myself. Being able to embark on that kind of challenge was not only new and exciting for me but also interesting for me, given the subject matter. I definitely had a lot of fun with it.

S – One of the things I definitely picked up on was that musically this is easily the band’s most adventurous album so far. Whenever the guys were putting together the actual music, what was that part of the writing process like? Was it very collaborative or was there one person taking the reins? How did that go?

R – Most of the songs are about a 50/50 split between Michael Stancel and Greg Burgess, the guitar players. They’ll come up with the song structure and everyone else adds their parts to it and we’ll change and accommodate based of “Oh! I really like that bass line, let’s dumb down the guitar section to make that a little more prominent” or “Oh that one drum fill is really cool. Let’s change the bass line to accentuate that” but most of the major sections of the song structure are written by Mike and Greg.

S – Talking a bit about touring, I saw there recently that you’re going to be heading out on the Max & Igor (Sepultura) tour! That’s already being called a landmark moment in metal history and a lot of people thought that was never going to happen. How did that come about and are you excited about that tour?

R – Yeah we’re super stoked man! It’s gonna be really cool to see those guys onstage together playing such an iconic album as Roots for X amount of weeks. We’re all really excited to meet and share the stage with them and travel around the country getting to know those guys, especially with them being such influential members of the metal community. It’s gonna be really cool.

S – I wish that was coming to Belfast, it’d really make my day! Can we expect to see you guys in the UK or Ireland on the next run of tours?

R – We’re hoping so! There’s nothing booked overseas just yet. It’s definitely on our chopping block and itinerary of things to do. It’s just all about time and place with touring and booking. We’re hoping that the album does well within its first week of sales because that’ll set in motion the wheels that’ll get us overseas.

S – And finally, have you anything to say to the readers over at Belfast Metalheads Reunited?

R –Yeah, never stop supporting metal! Never stop doing what you love. If you’re steadfast and work hard at it, always keep your nose to the ground you’ll get to exactly where you want to be. That’s what metal is all about. It’s about staying true to yourself, true to your music and always being passionate about it.

Read Steve's review of Allegaeon's latest release here.

ALBUM REVIEW: Six Feet Under dig into the vaults for Graveyard Classics IV - The Number Of The Priest

A COVERS album. What's the fucking point, you've heard the songs before. Except when its a covers album by Six Feet Under.

Truth be told we never really 'got' the whole Graveyard Classic thing before. It was all well and good and a little entertaining. However, on number four they have nailed it impressively, Barnes practically losing it in an effort to extract each ounce of fun in his death metal delivery of 11 classics.

With the title 'Number of the Priest' it encompasses five Priest and six Maiden tracks, apparently picked by Metal Blade CEO, Brian Slagel.

Whether or not that's the case we couldn't give a flying shit, because this is just excellent. To test whether it was really as good as we thought, we played the version of 'Murders In The Rue Morgue' to one of the editorial team who is an avowed Maiden devotee. Their laughter when Barnes' vocal kicked in was immediately replaced by a bout of headbanging. A ringing endorsement!

Of course, this all comes under the title of novelty, but that doesn't detract from the sheer enjoyment of the extraordinary renditions on display here.

Musically they're pretty faithful to the originals, with subtle twists here and there for purists to listen and smile Ray Suhy's work on guitar and bass has a lightness of touch given how heavy the delivery is, while Josh Hall's drums must have been a challenge given how many different drummers' styles he had to master.

There is no doubt that the aforementioned track 'Murders In The Rue Morgue' is the stand-out track, closely followed by 'Prowler' and 'Night Crawler'.

While some of the tracks on Graveyard Classics sometimes seemed flat, on IV one senses that these were formative tracks in Barnes' metal journey, tracks that were etched into his mind as he began the journey that led to Cannibal Corpse and Six Feet Under.

Sounding rather ebullient Barnes had to say (excuse the obvious hyperbole):

"Get ready to have your ears violated and your mind blown! 'Graveyard Classics IV: The Number of the Priest' just crawled out of the Heavy Metal Cemetery! Having a good time playing music is what it's always been about since day one, and that's what the 'Graveyard Classics' albums are to me... a good fucking time! I hope you all enjoy our twist on these legendary songs!"

Graveyard Classics IV: The Number of the Priest was produced by Chris Barnes and Phil Hall. Drums were tracked by Josh Hall at A.O.P. studios, and all other instruments were tracked by Ray Suhy at Cessation Engine Studios. Vocals were recorded by Carson Lehman at The Loft in Seattle, WA. The album was mixed by Jesse Kirkbride at Kirkbride Recordings in Cape Coral, FL and mastered by Alan Douches at West Westside Music.

Review by  Jonny

ALBUM REVIEW: Exumer tread the thash path again...and resurrect enthusiasm

LET'S face it, we're getting a glut of thrash from bands new and old at the minute, with many pretenders throwing their hats into the ring. But some bands manage to keep that enthusiasm alive and kicking without compromising quality.

There may be nothing really new in using the thrash template, but Exumer have taken that tried and tested formula and re-ignited and resurrected enthusiasm in this old jaded hack with their latest album, 'The Raging Tides'.

To coin a phrase, with almost consummate ease they have released this pure thrash attack as a follow-up to 2012's 'Fire and Damnation' following their reformation in 2008.

Their 'veteran' status is justly deserved, but the Teutonic rockers, also know not to dabble with a successful formula; just aim to take it up another notch.

Mark B and Ray Mensh riff and change time signatures as if they have metronomes on amphetamines, while Mem V attacks his bass and keeps the vocal lines solid.

'Welcome to Hellfire' and 'Sinister Souls', with the title track are three outstanding tracks amid and an album chock full of good thrash honesty.

However, it is also an album that sees the band tackle tough subjects.

Vocalist Mem V. Stein said he based the bulk of the record around human suffering. Specifically, he added it is suffering "caused by torture or other means for political, religious, or personal gain for the individuals/organizations who inflict the pain.

"The album is called "The Raging Tides", and the title represents the ebb and flow of human misery and despair around the globe.

These topics are obviously not born from a vacuum, rather they are essentially a constant in daily lives in 2015, both by way of the modern 24 hour news cycle, and document leaks and controversy via wikileaks or figures like Edward Snowden.

Stein continues: "The lyrics I wrote were inspired by a wide range of books and articles I read, ranging from the investigation of tactics employed by the CIA, to Amnesty International reports on conditions in prisons (Song; Brand of Evil), and in Nigeria (extreme forms of human abuse - Song; Welcome to Hellfire). Specifics details aren't necessarily called out in the lyrics, rather the topics are clear for listeners who can read between the lines, so to speak. Another example is the track "Shadow Walker," that touches on those who leave promising lives to pursue radical ideologies and even death, only to be deceived by those they follow for larger political and personal goals."

To a certain extent these topics are the staple fare of thrash at its best, but there is no denying the passion in the delivery, nor the quality of the performances - Matthias Kasner's drums in particular are worthy of note.

Overall this is an album that will have thrash purists grinning from ear to ear - it may not manage to get other metal fans enthused, but if they catch Exumer live this summer they may find themselves caught in the Exumer mosh.

Review by Jonny

NEWS: Gehennah gearing up for album release with second single

TO be honest we're not sure what the term 'street metal' is meant to be other than another sub-genre, but Swedish band Gehennah have claimed it as their own, and in preparation for the release of their new album have released 'Life Metal Must Die'. When it comes right down to it, after listening to so much prog metal and pretentious material there is a time when you need to celebrate metal's long term relationship with beer and its flirtations with stupidity... When your fourth album goes by the title 'Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die' you know that a serious contemplation of societal issues are not to the foere. Having said that, if art holds a mirror to society, maybe Gehennah are just reflecting that part of society that is wasted and nihilistic in the extreme... There is no doubt that whatever the intention the main agenda is just having fun, and giving the longevity of the band (formed in 1992), perhaps there is something of the street survivor about the act. You can check out the new release here, and watch the video for the album title track here. Below is the official blurb... "The album contains 13 tracks of dirty and raw street-metal, destined to please the hardcore filth hounds of the scene, and annoy the ponytailed internet-snobs who prefer their metal clean and polished. The album was recorded in Studio Cobra in Stockholm and produced by Martin Eherencrona and GEHENNAH in the summer of 2015. "In early 2015 GEHENNAH released the extended EP 'Metal Police' exclusively on vinyl through Metal Blade Records, a comeback that gained praise from old and new supporters. 'Metal Police' is now available on CD as a bonus on the limited first edition of "Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die"! Track listing "Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die": 01. Still the Elite 02. Life Metal Must Die 03. Too Loud to Live, Too Drunk to Die 04. Scumbag 05. Gehennah Will Destroy Your Life 06. Let's Fall off the Wagon 07. 'Cause We're a Street Metal Band 08. Tonight We Fight 09. When All Else Fails - Destroy! 10. Low on Cash, High on Speed 11. We Stole Your Song 12. Unholy & Unpleasant 13. All of the Decadence, None of the Success "GEHENNAH was formed in 1992, and first made their presence known in the scene in the mid 90's with the three albums 'Hardrocker', 'King of the Sidewalk' and 'Decibel Rebel'. Going for thrash black 'n' roll with Venom, Bathory and Motörhead as main influences in a time when melo-death and atmospheric troll-black metal was all the hype, the band got a loyal following among the scenes coolest cats. "Lyrics about drinking, criminal activity and random decadence and music played with more street-attitude than technical mastery has always been the trademarks of GEHENNAH, and "Too Loud To Live, Too Drunk To Die" is no exception from that rule. Expect a full on attack to the liver!" Line-up: Mr. Violence - Vox Rob Stringburner - Guitar Hellcop - Drums Charley Knuckleduster - Bass https://www.facebook.com/gehennah.metal

NEWS: Slayer vinyl re-issues from the Metal Blade vault

Metal Blade is set to re-issue its SLAYER catalogue on vinyl as part of the 'Metal Blade Originals' series being officially launched for release on January 15th, 2016 including classical editions with original artwork and extras!

Metal Blade  will re-issue the four classical SLAYER titles on vinyl. "Show No Mercy", "Live Undead", "Haunting The Chapel" and probably the most evil album of all time, "Hell Awaits"!

All albums will be released as part of the new "Metal Blade Originals" series in which classical Metal Blade albums will be re-issued on vinyl with the original layout and extras if available. All albums in the "Metal Blade Originals" edition will feature a branded sticker to make clear it's the ultimate and best edition of the title.

All four SLAYER vinyls will be featuring 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves, inside out prints and a large, 60x60cm artwork poster. On top of it "Hell Awaits", "Show No Mercy" and "Live Undead" will be released with a 250g insert.

Colours and limitations:
"Show No Mercy": 180g Black, Orange (ltd. 500), Flame Splatter (ltd. 500), 180g White (ltd. 500, Nuclear Blast exclusive)

"Hell Awaits": 180g Black, ochor-color Marbled (ltd. 500), Olive Marbled (ltd. 500), 180g White (ltd. 500, NB exclusive)

"Live Undead": 180g Black, Violet (ltd. 500), Splatter (ltd. 200 white/red splattered, ebay exclusive), 180g White (ltd. 500, NB exclusive)

"Haunting The Chapel": 180g Black, Red (ltd. 500), Red/Black Marbled (ltd. 200, Ebay exclusive), 180g White (ltd. 500, NB exclusive)

ALBUM REVIEW: Battlecross defy genre conventions to deliver contemporary metal excellence as they 'Rise to Power'

GENRES  - they're designed to pigeonhole bands, shuffle them into easily defined cubbyholes, where fans can sit down in some sort of comfortable haze, with no real need to think about what the act's intent was when sitting down to write and record music.


And, over the many years of reviewing and interviewing hard rock and metal acts they almost universally don't recognize the category they are allocated by lazy journos and internet trolls.

Sure, they might acknowledge influences, tip a nod to such and such form of metal, but they seem non-plussed when some writer puts them within a genre with nary a thought to what that actually means.

It also leads to the most awful form of metal snobbery, where narrow-minded dweebs leap to label bands 'sell-outs' should they dare deviate from their allocated metal cupboard.

That is why it is so refreshing to come across an act that crosses genres, admits their influences and says to hell with pre-conceptions.

Such is the case with Battlecross as they smash down any labels that may have been appended to their sound following 2013's 'War of Will'.

This month's release of 'Rise to Power' sees them record an album that they wanted to hear, not to a template someone else might expect them to record.

"Going into this record we had more freedom in the sense that we were able to say well, people like what we write, so let's just write what we like," said bassist Don Slater. "We never really want to do the same thing twice.

"We want to play the riffs that we want to hear, and we just want to keep building on our experience and raising the bar," adds guitarist Tony Asta. "No one is handing us anything. We've always been about putting the work in, and we couldn't be prouder of what we've achieved with Rise To Power."

Have they pulled that off? Yes, in  bucketloads. Yes, their thrash roots are clear, there are death metal influences, there is even a brief flirtation in the lead work with jazz/funk. In other words they seem to have said "fuck convention, let's have some fun".

It works on many levels: musically there is a variety of approaches to songs, solos, structure and arrangements; lyrically there is a sense of realism, a sense that the words mean more than just posing and posturing, something

And, that's something Kyle "Gumby" Gunther is clear about - the personal element in writing words to accompany the aggression on display.

"I firmly believe you can overcome any obstacles you want to, but that doesn't mean it's going to be easy," he said. "I wrote the song 'Absence' about my son, because he's four years old and I've been away on tour for literally half of his life, and when he won't talk to me on the phone it's worse than any of the crappy things I've been called in my life, but this is the life I chose.

He also takes on those who pose as victims and attempt to manipulate others on 'Not Your Slave', and on "Despised" he faces his "fuck ups" head on, acknowledging that mistakes have been made but refusing to let them destroy him, and it matters to him that he speaks from a place of truth.

 "You have to be accountable for what you say, and now people are listening to what I say, so I have a social obligation to say something that's worthwhile.

"If I didn't believe 100% in what I put out there or if I felt that maybe I was full of shit then I'd be the first to say that you shouldn't buy our album, you shouldn't buy our shirts or come to our shows."

But, this release shows that Battlecross have harnessed hard won experiences, turned them into positive musical expressions - 'Not Your Slave' and 'Spoiled' are brimful of boulder sized bombast, with no sense of pretentiousness.

Tony Asta and Hiran Deraniyagala turn in some tightly focused lead and rhythm work between them - layering sounds in an all-out assault, such as on the breakneck 'The Climb' which is more 'death' than thrash, all aided by new sticksman Alex Bent.

Producer Jason Suecof (The Black Dahlia Murderer, Job For A Cowboy) seems to have pushed the band to perform at the highest level - he even adds a solo of his own to 'The Path'.

Throughout this release is evidence that Battlecross have stepped up to the next level in their progression - the power and passion on display is compelling and creative.

But what of the genre? Throughout this review it's hard not to ascribe a tune as having death elements, or thrash elements - even the band themselves are happy with the title 'blue collar thrash'.

However, take the release as a whole and there's not one single term to describe it. Suffice to say then we shall leave it to be described as damn fine modern metal.

Rise to Power is out now on Metal Blade Records

Review by Jonny

ALBUM REVIEW: Satan's Wrath get down with Lucifer on Die Evil

THERE'S a part of all of us metalheads that can't resist a bit of Venom, in its purest form. But, when self-avowed fans of the Geordie based three-piece take up arms - as do Satan's Wrath - does the very term 'black metal' become something to be parodied and sniggered about?

With previous releases 'Galloping Blasphemy' and 'Aeons of Satan's Reign' there was a point when the bridge between fanboy and entertainment could have been crossed.

In the end the devotion to the primal black metal template salvages the release for these Greek underground heroes.

Step forward to 2015 and Satan's Wrath have finally delivered their own 'true' identity as a band. 'Die Evil' as the latest offering from Taz Danazoglou and his cohorts sees them step away from their origins to find their own 'voice' in the pantheon of acts who prostrate themselves at the altar of Venom.

While 'Coffinlust' still has the influence firmly on their sleeves, title track 'Die Evil' and 'At The Strike of 12' are much more 21st Century rather than harkening back to some rose-tinted black metal past.

While Satan's Wrath has always been Danazoglou's vision, the guitar work of Stamos and V keeps 'Die Evil' from slipping into the hell that is cliché city.

Closer 'Castle Of Torment' is the real example that defines where Satan's Wrath are in 2015. The pure black metal of their musical roots, a plethora of tight riffing, some solo excellence and an 'old school'  fade-out.

Satan's Wrath has pursued their own journey from fandom to black metal principles: and Die Evil is an almost perfect waypoint on that jouney...

Review by Jonny

Die Evil is released by Metal Blade on 5th May,  but if you can't wait...

 

 

Visigoth album out today

SALT Lake City Utah's Visigoth released their debut album The Revenant King today on Metal Blade Records. In conjunction with the release the band has partnered up with Bloody-Disgusting.com for an exclusive premiere of the video for the title track The Revenant King. Check out the stream of the Dave Brodksy directed clip here.

Visigoth explained shooting the video: "This video was made in true DIY fashion. Almost all of the props and costumes were provided by us and our friends, and the actors in the narrative portion of the video are actually all friends of ours (Jason Stock, who plays the Usurper, works at the Wasatch/Squatter's co-op brewery with our drummer Mikey and can be seen on the bottle label for Hop Rising, the Squatter's signature double IPA; Jason Tarpey, who plays the King, is not only a good friend of ours but is also the singer for Eternal Champion, one of my favourite current US heavy metal bands; and Paul Black, who plays the Advisor, is a good buddy of ours and is the vocalist of local Salt Lake City metal band Turned to Stone).

“The outdoor shots were filmed in Oakley, a small rural mountain town in Utah. It was frigid cold out when we shot the narrative portion - Jason T's chainmail was freezing onto his skin by the end of it! The band performance shots were filmed in the Wasatch Brewery warehouse with nothing more than a minimal lighting rig and a fog machine provided by our buddy Brock Grossl (who used to play in Salt Lake City's now-defunct speed metal maniacs Castleaxe).

In Visigoth's realm, there are no frills, no gimmicks; there is only heavy metal. Read why we think so in our review here. However, we have to say on reflection that this is a track that has more than a hint of Grand Magus about it…not that is necessarily a bad thing!

After signing with Metal BladeV isigoth recorded The Revenant King. The collection of heavy metal tracks was engineered, mixed, and produced by Andy Patterson at Boar's Next Studio in Salt Lake City. Alan Douches at West Westside handled mastering.

Visit http://www.metalblade.com/visigoth to pick up a copy of the album. You can also order the CD here and a special bundle package including a t-shirt here.

For More Info Visit:
https://www.facebook.com/visigothofficial
http://www.metalblade.com/visigoth 

ALBUM REVIEW: The Revenant King sees Visigoth rise to classic metal challenge

THE Visigoths were branches of the nomadic tribes of Germanic peoples referred to collectively as the Goths. That is according to Wikipedia. But Visigoth the band are an entirely different proposition to the Gothic tribe that defeated the Romans at the Battle of Adrianople in 378.


Certainly they take their classical history very seriously - classical history of metal on 'The Revenant King', which is released on Metal Blade on 27th January.


Setting aside the lyrics - more on these later - this is a superbly enjoyable release from the Salt Lake City five-piece, notable for the performances of guitarists Jamison Palmer and Leeland Campana.


They turn in a riff-laden assault that harkens back to the glory days of late 70s and early 80s metal. There is certainly no doubt that they take their European and NWOBHM roots very seriously, eschewing the cookie monster lyrics, despite verging on proto-thrash at times.


Opening duo of the title track and 'Dungeon Master' set the template for a romp through metal class - with the up-tempo ride following the obligatory 'quieter bit' on 'Dungeon Master' particularly enjoyable.


Mikey Tee's unfussy drumming keeps the sound tight, with Matt Brotherton's bass keeping the sound from running into parody. Indeed for the first listen we were tempted to say that they were a parody band, especially when the PR blurb accompanying the release has lines like: "Jamison Palmer slung his mighty axe over one shoulder and trudged his way through the ice and snow of this inhospitable realm, lending his soul-rending riffcraft to the legion."


Taking piss? Maybe the waffle is, but the band are clearly not, as can be heard on the mid-tempo 'Mammoth Rider'.


On the seven minute plus epic 'Blood Sacrifice' the 'classic metal' power take comes to the fore, with it's brief picked guitar opening. But it is Jake Rogers vocals that soar here as the speed increases. His range is good and he can pound it with an intensity few of their forebears could muster.


Notable for its execution is 'Vengeance' with has a chug-a-chug riff á la Maiden, and Rogers tearing off an enjoyable set.


Album closer 'From the Arcane Mists of Prophecy' is almost 10 minutes of pure fun - with changing tempos and more than a little reminiscent of early Helloween - and that's no bad thing.


Now - on to the lyrics...Are they deep and meaningful? No. Unless there is an allegorical meaning lurking they are daft, silly and filled with tales of ancient days and fantasy worlds.


Like Manowar to fully appreciate this release you need to suspend your disbelief to enjoy them; we all know that the joy is in the stupidity, but then again they pull this off well.


While doffing their caps to the European and UK scenes they also do not forget their US colleagues, with a cover of Manilla Road's 'Necropolis'. Perhaps this is why the Visigoth are able to produce such a relatively accomplished release on 'The Revenant King'. They have absorbed, sponge-like, their formative listening experiences and put their own stamp on it.


By no means a perfect release, nevertheless, put your brain in neutral and kick back and enjoy Visigoth as they rampage through your aural tracts....

ALBUM REVIEW: Weaving wonders with sci-fi extreme technical death metal from Allegaeon

WOW! If you want your guitars weaving wondrous technical patterns and intricacies within and throughout songs you could do worse than check out a chunk of Allegaeon's 'Elements of the Infinite'.

This, the band's second album, showcases an act determined to throw everything into the melting pot, but with the skill of a masterchef, dicing and slicing all the ingredients into a heady cocktail of virtuosity and extreme songs.

Out now on Metal Blade Elements of the Infinite should propel this Colorado five-piece to the fore, given the airplay garnered and tours undertaken behind their previous releases Fragments of Form and Function and Formshifter.

Since then they have added two new members, and we can honestly say that given the sparse exposure we have had to Allegaeon that this is head and shoulders above anything we have heard from them before, or indeed the pretenders to the twin guitar technical throne.

Micheal Stancel and Greg Burgess's guitar work is simply enthralling - classical training brought down on the unwary.

In Douglas Adams' book series the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' drinking a 'Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster' is described as being hit in the head by a lemon...that is wrapped around a gold brick. And that's as close as you'll get to a description of the elegant fury of Allegaeon.

Ezra Haynes throaty growls tell tales of the future such as Gravimetric Time Dilation, The Dyson Sphere and Biomech II: high concept science fiction with a basis in some current cosmological theorems.

Brandon Park (drums) and Corey Archuleta (bass) race to keep up with the dynamic riffing and furious melodic soloing.

But the extreme metal core is never lost: 1.618 an exemplar for many a band seeking to emulate the best of the genre. However, to put a genre title on Allegaeon's Elements of the infinite is a futile exercise. You end up with something along the lines of 'extreme, science fiction, technical, death, speed, deathcore, mathcore metal'. Or as we prefer after multiple listens: "damn fine extreme metal".

For those who have not come across Allegaeon before, think of Rings of Saturn only heavier and with vocals...

The reinvigoration of Allegaeon is something the band are clear about: "I can honestly say that Allegaeon is revamped," said Haynes. "With the addition on Brandon Park and Michael Stancel we have created the most aggressive album in Allegaeon history.

"It's faster, darker and carries more depth than anything we've done before. This is the most excited I've been about releasing an album. I really do think the listeners will be pleased and we are eager to get out there on the road and present it to the world."

If you want to sample some of the fury we suggest heading to iTunes and downloading 1.618 and the 12-minute epic album close Genocide for Praise: Vals for the Virtuvian Man
You'll soon click on that button on iTunes that says 'complete the album'. Better still buy the physical album, and marvel....

 "Elements of the Infinite" is out now on Metal Blade Records
Review by Jonny

Flaconer muscle up their folk metal blast with a battle metal edge

FALCONER -  they've always been a weird beast of a folk metal band, lurking somewhere on the edge of our consciousness, sometimes great, sometimes average: but with their latest release (out today!) Black Moon Rising can they convince us of consistency?


Vocalist Mathias Blad always sounds like he should have been a medieval minstrel who could be performing for earls and knights, but right from the off there is a feeling that his measured tones are being put to good use.


The wonderfully OTT power metal thrust of Locust Swarm just works. It shouldn't, but it does by sheer pig-headed insistence on doing it as Falconer want to do it.


For those not familiar with the Flaconer backstory, the Swedish guys have been knocking around since 1999, and after a brief hiatius in 2002 they have been churning out albums ranging from prog themed, heavy power metal and folk metal with entirely Swedish lyrics.


We've always seen them as a band to dip into rather that stack he shelves with their CDs, or clogging up the hard drive, with the possible exception of Grime vs Gradeur in 2005, an album that alienated many of their fans with its harder take on the Falconer sound.


Black Moon Rising manages to merge the elements that we love and what we hope will have fans gagging for the five-piece to return to the live circuit.


The folk-ish melodies are there in the vocals of Blad and the guitar attack of Weinerhall and Hedlund, while Lundhart (bass) and Larsson (drums) propel the pace to insane power metal/euro metal levels.


The title track 'Black Moon Rising' is the exemplar, with its romp through dark themes, made all the more pertinent by the slowed, harmonic ending of the previous power track 'Halls and Chambers'


However, right after that the folk intro of  'Scoundrel and Squire' gives way to a mid-paced tale, which merges the metal with visions of knights and "false chivalry".


Despite the fury of 'Wasteland' and the stomp of 'In Ruins' the theme of past days are present throughout, with the album closer 'The Priory' and Dawning of a Sombre Age' keeping the balance just about right.


We cam to review this album with a fair amount of skepticism after 2011's Swedish folk Armod. Black Moon Rising is more guitar focused than previous releases and seems to have captured an essence of what the bastard son of folk metal and battle metal would sound like as it screamed from the unholy womb.


Andy LaRocque's production has brought the edge to the sound that suits Falconer, without letting them drift too far from their vision and history.


Could this be a new dawn for Flaconer?  We hope so, because as daft and ludicrous it is to write the words 'folk metal' or 'battle metal', the musical experience is so much more than a genre, or mix of genres; its just simply good music.

Review by Jonny

Black Moon Rising is out today (June 10th) on Metal Blade Records

What have Madonna, Sophie Ellis-Baxter, Mel C and Prong got in common? Monte Pittman!

HE'S the most heard and most seen rock guitarist you've probably never heard of. He's appeared to global audiences, played at Slane, been on a Super Bowl half time show, recorded with a galaxy of Hollywood 'A' listers and now he's released a stunner of an album on Metal Blade Records.

He is Monte Pittman, and following giving guitar lessons to Guy Ritchie he ended up playing with Madonna, on albums and in stadia across the world.

But on The Power of Three it seems that the inner guitar god and full steam rockin' metal head has been let loose again, with Kane Ritchotte (drums) and Max Whipple (bass) complementing the Pittman fierce riffing, solos and strangely engaging melodic vocals.

It is apparent from the off that the time with the mainstream-media proclaimed 'Queen of Pop' and American Idol winner Adam Lambert has not dulled Pittman's metal tendencies.

Album opener on The Power of Three and lead single, A Dark Horse, has every thing fans could want from melodic metal.

Stand-out track Blood, Hunger, Thirst has all the elements of hard rock and metal wrapped in a tasty package that will have new fans begging for more and existing adherents joining in on the closing chant of "Strength in the Power of Three".

The mid-paced On My Mind is the ideal metal radio song, infectious without sacrificing its rock roots.

There is little to fault on this album - although at times there is a same-iness about the sound, despite the legendary Flemming Rasmussen being the knob-twiddler.

Of course, the contra argument is that the consistency lends a coherence to the album. Up until the album closer, All Is Fair In Love And War, the argument could go either way.

But the closer is a 13-minute plus epic that doffs the riff cap to Metallica, lends its solo sensibilities to the likes of a mellow Steve Vai and has a structure not a million-miles away from Prong on acid.

Strip away all the associations with pop, put away the great song writing and metal from the rest of the album and this is a track to wallow in. The structure is intriguing, almost as if Syd Barrett and Roger Waters had been caught listening to Metallica and Tool...

Some of the guitar passages are superb, but this isn't a wank-fest of widdly, widdly showing off. The playing displays a sense that the six-string attack is part of the greater whole that is the song, with Testament's Alex Skolnick adding to the solos and ex-Cannibal Corpse Chris Barnes lending some vocal menace.

If you don't think you have the stamina for a 13-minute epic (and why would you now!) the second single off The Power of Three,  Before The Mourning Son is a goods starting place for Pittman newbies.

Across this album there is exemplary playing on show, and well-structured songwriting that is worthy of much greater exposure.

But wrap it all together and the question is was Brian Slagel right to sign Monte Pittman to Metal Blade, given all the pop trappings of Pittman's past? Is this just a guitarist using his CV to get a deal?

Of course Slagel was right to sign a man who can turn in an album filled with metallic power and great songwriting. And, you can rip up Pittman's CV and concentrate on a guitarist who has written such a stunning five star album.

This is both classic metal and contemporary playing wrapped up in a ball of rock joy!

The Power of Three is out now on Metal Blade records.

PS - if you don't watch Madonna, the Super Bowl or other pop thingys yet wonder where you have seen Pittman before - he was one of those paying bass when Hetfield, Hammet and co jammed at Live Earth.