Impaled - The Last Gasp Review

Originally posted on Blistering.com circa 2008.

Imagine putting Symphonies of Sickness, Necroticism and Heartwork by Carcass into a car crusher together and that sound is Impaled. Having a lot to live up to since the excellent Death After Life (2005), the Californians have managed to use these influences with a sprinkle of Slaughter of the Soul to create something dangerous and alive. This recipe has spawned a groove-ridden goretastic riff-fest that uses its Carcass influences well to create something altogether original.

Okay, step one. Banned artwork featuring blindfolded victim with entire collection internal organs piled up having being removed via the mouth. Check. Stage two? Military/medical aesthetics. Check. Stage three. Song titles including gory puns on everyday phrases? See “Sickness is Health” “Torture of Duty” and “All Gut, No Glory” (the latter of which has an unbelievably awesome down tempo gore-groove). Stage four? Sickness, epidemic, gory results and military medical experiments. Check!

The duration of this album has lots of gruesome leads, heavy chugging and appropriate blasting make a salacious concoction. Some of the grind has been replaced with thrashier riffs and some bluesy licks a la Amott’s work on Heartwork. It is a true show of stamina resolve and ingenuity that Impaled have made four heavily Carcass influenced albums and keeping each one independent and robust.

The Last Gasp strikes gold with every track, equalling the achievements of last album, 2005’s Death After Life. Each and every song bores its way into your head and they will refuse to leave. Impaled have just reiterated why their discography is so highly revered, and if you want my advice, try to catch them on tour with Origin in the U.K. for an unmissable show. (Tom – only applies now if you have a time machine!)

Cult of Luna - Eternal Kingdom Review From 2008

I am lucky to have such a back catalogue to post on here when I'm busy writing new reviews. Here's a review from 2008, originally posted on Blistering.com.

Cult of Luna’s The Beyond along with Isis’s Oceanic and Pelican’s Australasia, all broke ground in the sludge ridden world of drone influenced post-metal and remain beacons of creativity in the field. The success of each entity has varied over the past half-decade; some have prospered and all have released albums that have been hit hard under the all-seeing eye of the critic.

The omnipresent label gurus maintain that Cult of Luna have evolved into a different being, somewhat more art rock than post hardcore, but the lumbering beast that was Cult of Luna is still here and heavy as ever. Also the band are reputed to have linked all the songs on this album in an underlying concept to create a more coherent output than before. If they weren't doing this previously then it must have been blind luck - the band must have stumbled on high calibre collections of songs which flow and merge together perfectly completely by accident.

Argument aside, the concept for this album makes for most interesting reading. Supposedly based on the diary of a mental patient named Holger Nilsson who murdered his wife and in his head had created a completely surreal world in which the murder was carried out by a horrible monster. Musically this translates to surrounding melancholy and emotional release but also has some truly beautiful moments where the clouds are parted and through the gloom the warm light is allowed to reveal its glory, like during the masterpiece “Ghost Trail”.

The introduction to the tale, “Owlwood” holds a celestial element, giving the music almost zero self-awareness; like a newborn exploring its environment, cautiously testing and probing and asking questions of the sky. Each other song as it unfolds has something special, but at times the attempted accumulation of atmosphere is a little hard to swallow.

Reading like their own diary of reaction to the story of Nilsson and his trauma, Eternal Kingdom is a well thought out and rewarding album. Suitably bleak and equally monstrous this collection sways back and forth like the temperament of a mentally tortured soul with flair.

Pelican - Deny The Absolute Review

This new EP is available on 7” vinyl and via iTunes which has the video for 'Lathe Biosas' from the Ataraxia/Taraxis EP as well as 'The Creeper', 'Strung Up From The Sky' and 'Ephemeral' from What we all Come To Need. The announcement of the retirement of Laurent Schroeder-Lebec from the band although amicable was shocking news indeed, but it has not halted the progress in terms of both output and integrity of this mind-blowing band.

Lets get to the new stuff first. If the new album Forever Becoming due on October 15^th on Southern Lord is anywhere as solid as the teaser track 'Deny The Absolute' then we are all in for another flooring as the riff merchants that are Pelican are going to do the business again. Sounding nothing like any of their albums before there is a steady trajectory towards the stars and promise of discovering newly inspired songs but still brandishing that same Pelican punch.

It is decidedly bombastic, and yet delicate too in its melodic wanderings. The song is mid paced throughout and has different melancholic parts leading up to plenty of uplifting groove. Everything about this song is seamless right down to the sultry production and they really do make it look easy.

The video for 'Lathe Bioas' which originally appeared on last year's Ataraxia/Taraxis (which was a little more subdued and further from the traditional Pelican path) is mostly nonsensical arty images, but the band footage gives you an idea of the raw energy on tap here.

If you are a fan of the band, quit reading this and go listen! 

'Free' Album Download From Rosetta

The latest album The Anaesthete from American band Rosetta is available for a free download at their bandcamp page.

Of course this is a Name Your Price scenario so in theory this album could bankrupt you! Well expect a review here soon...

Revocation New Album Review - I Revoke My Opinion On This 'Awesome' Band

This is a band it is hard to avoid the buzz about. On a major alternative metal label, appearing at huge intentional festivals, and having a few highly recommended albums under their belts. You do get the sense that they don't feel penned in by expectation or genre boundaries and just get the fuck on with making music that makes them happy.

The new self-titled album from American hybrid metal outfit Revocation.

This may be so, but there is one blatant overreaction to this record already. Let me stipulate: the review is spot on and fairly convincing, but 5/5 is too much. With a perfect album you can't wait until your next listen, it makes you want to break the speed limit when you are driving – and sadly Revocation does neither. This is one of my favourite genres too, so I should be the one over-exaggerating. Its easy to get excited about a band or a niche genre too easily when there's not much else to get excited about.

The opening riff on 'Scattering the Flock' is an absolute beauty, a monstrous, twisting destructive force, but then the mid paced-tedium sets in for a bit, and the song doesn't really go anywhere until the uplifting chorus comes in during the second half of this song, 100% worth the wait though! Dave's smooth and sultry solo at the third track 'Archfiend' almost makes up for any irritations and inadequacies this far in and even has a hint of Akerfeldt or Amott magic about it even if it is too short. The earlier part of the song seems more satisfying when knowing it is building up to that moment. The insane twiddles and sporadic blasting are merely appetisers for the climax.

There are so many influences and inspirations but everything here seems fresh. There is song apart from opener 'The Hive' that is purely verse chorus verse chorus solo chorus, and this works very well for Revocation as it has in the past. I only mention this because you feel the foot could stay on the pedal easily with this particular style of modern progressive Death and Thrash metal, and just rely on speed and heaviness rather than creativity and innovation.

The banjo intro to 'Invidious' is hilarious, but does stick out a little. The song it makes way for is an interesting mix of ideas, much as we've come to expect. It starts as a fairly kicking thrash number and then has a bit of hardcore style gang vocals followed by a very fresh progressive section and ending with a tacked-on metalcore style break down. A fun listen but very muddled indeed. Talking of fun the instrumental 'Spastic' is reminiscent of the sound of one of the jollier tunes from Rust In Peace. Like the previous song it has occasional dirty down-tuned riffs and a break down, which gives more mixed signals.

Revocation might seem a bit linear at first, but delve just a little bit deeper and there are plenty of little cute and addictive riffs. There is also a massive sense of urgency on this album. No loitering that's for sure. To deny this band their praise would be wrong, the solos and progressive elements are stratospheric in terms of scale and creativity. The big 'but' is maybe trying to juggle too much at once and dropping some balls here and there. Anyway have a listen, tell people, and for metal's sake – form your own opinions!

How good is this new Carcass song?!

Morning folks, unless it's another time of day in your part of the globe. The new Carcass album Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast, September release)  is shaping up to be a beauty. The artwork is clinical and alluring. Reminiscent of the Tools of the Trade EP. It is a tempting calm before the storm image, just look at all that surgical equipment waiting to get gory. 

The song that has been posted as a teaser 'Captive Bolt Pistol' is pure Heartwork era melodies and progressions and will instantly put aside any fears of a dud album after such a long hiatus. Unless you are a pure die hard crusty gore fan and think Symphonies of Sickness was their sellout album!!

Legion of The Damned Sons of the Jackal Review from 2007

Legion! Of the Damned! Legion! Of the Damned! This was the anthemic call on the opener of the Dutch brutes debut Malevolent Rapture, an album glorious in its simplicity and dedication to creating modern aggressive thrash with no frills. So now a year on we have Sons Of The Jackal, which in its ideology, structure and work ethic is pretty much the same album over again. Praise be to the gods of metal that the powerful march-thrash-march-blast that was so alluring last time around remains. Words may be had between many metalheads as to where LotD stand on the bridge between thrash metal and death metal, but this is a trifling issue. Whether or not the songs are better on the new offering is also debatable; however the vitality is still there and even a bit of extra vim present on certain tracks.

Contrary to how stirring LotD’s sound may be, all of the songs are pretty much the same, and eager listeners may feel a little cheated. Zoom in from the holistic view and you will discover that these songs are gems, pure unpolluted thrash aggression which is a precious commodity in today’s befuddled and over-crowded metal scene (see “Sepulchral Ghoul” or “Atomicide”). Zoom back out again and the only problem with this album becomes apparent - you can’t help but think you have already heard the track before. LotD fans will love this record; but don’t expect there to be any new ground broken, just a tighter more bombastic production. The band have successfully used the same formula to create some ripping metal, but an itching for some more diversity settles in after a while.

When you have got over the repetition and interchangeable nature of the two albums, there is lots of fun to be had here. Stick this in the stereo and everyone, bar maybe your Grandma, will be headbanging. Sons Of The Jackal is an uncompromising heavy groovy thrash death metal attack, and when you’re looking for a quick fix of neck exercise this fits the bill perfectly.

Alphabetical 26 Genre Metal Song...

Admittedly some of the 'genres' are a bit dubious, but this still made me smile...

Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods Review

Let's get the ball rolling. I fucking love Amon Amarth. Their particular brand of Viking inspired death metal is catchy, yet flowing with both sides of the emotional spectrum, foreboding, loss and sorrow are conveyed with ease and anger, victory and glory seems to run in their veins.

This is another heavily produced and polished Amon Amarth album, continuing the second era of the band which began in 2006 with the release of the mega successful and mega-awesome With Oden On Our Side. Every beat, strum and growl is clinical and visceral. However what lies underneath in terms of longevity? Will this be an album we come back to again and again? Sadly in my humble opinion the answer is no.

When I read about the song 'Hel' (featuring Messiah Marcolin) dividing opinions online, I was excited to hear the controversial song. However a sense of dread was hanging over my investigation. What if it was the worst thing Amon Amarth had done? I mean its pretty obvious which albums and songs are the better amongst the Swedes back catalogue, but none of them are devastating. None of them make you want to skewer out your inner ear and put it in a blender. To my disappointment, there's nothing embarrassing here, nothing controversial, just a deviation from the norm for the Vikings. The song if anything is a bit boring.

Let's have a look at the highlights shall we? Not all doom and gloom, I am glad to report. The sprightly second track 'As Loke Falls' is a cheeky number. Satisfying melodic chord changes in the verse and a suitably epic twiddly lead motif that recurs a couple of times give a sense of purpose to this track. The chorus of 'Coming of the Tide' has that sexy Swedish sheen to the lead, much like a vintage In Flames outing. The whole song is a bit more cohesive and finished structurally than most of the album. 'Shape Shifter' is fun in parts and suitably beefy but seems to be a bit confused both thematically and musically.

There is nothing inherently wrong with this album, and even after several listens there's no urge to hit the emergency eject button and no urge to facepalm. Its quality metal, but nothing new, nothing too exciting. There are a few darn catchy songs amongst some really dull ones, if you want the headline and not the analysis. Whatever you do don't let this album deter you from falling in love with a great band, who have, lets face it have been around forever, and dominate their particular corner of the metal world. As long as they keep their live performances as solid as ever this will be a minor blip, long forgotten on the path to Valhalla.

Gig Review - The Wildhearts, Bristol, 23rd June 2013

The Wildhearts have made so much music over the years is so difficult to keep track of all the albums, EP, b-sides, re-releases and alternative versions, but at their peak you have got to admit they are magic. Whatever mood the day may bring, there's a Wildhearts song to cheer you up, psyche you up, chill you out, and generally make you feel better about all the bullshit that goes on in our lives and around the world. When physical violence is not a viable option, try 'Shut Your Fucking Mouth, and Use Your Fucking Brain' or 'Rooting For the Bad Guy' – take as needed for the seething rage. Having spouse related problems? 'Bi-Polar Baby', 'My Baby is a Headfuck' and 'Just in Lust' will clear that itch right up.

So to the Bristol O2 on a typically cloudy Summer evening in our country. The venue floor was looking a bit bare for water-testers Baby Godzilla, who's crazy heavy rock fused with screamed vocals sounded like a demented Refused got a few feet shuffling and heads nodding by the time they had beaten out their last song. The more radio friendly Eureka Machines were much more widely received and there was a buzz about the band after the gig, with many punters in agreement about this reception.

The opening riff of 'Greetings from Shitsville' rolled out just as if you were listening to the record and was greeted by huge wave of approval. All the way through the rest of the songs the crowed were continually psyched and the band kept standards high. The second half of the gig was no less entertaining, each song being picked by the audience. Two tattooed dudes one stage right one stage left held up signs with a song choice on them, and the premise was simple – scream for the song you wanted to hear when the sign went up. A great idea and a perfect way to top off an already special gig.

The one thing I miss during a good old fashioned rock and roll gig is people holding aloft lighters during a ballad or a slower song. This tired cliche has adapted to the modern age in the form of everyone setting off flashes on their phones and digital cameras at the same time. Before it happened that night, I was skeptical about this phenomenon (Me skeptical?  Nah!) but until you witness it first hand you don't understand how breath-taking it can be so thanks to Ginger and the guys for that one.

Strange times we live in, when I first started going to gigs there was one proper photographer/camera person, and getting hold of a copy of the DVD would be nigh-on impossible. Now everyone but your mum was filming the gig from the crowd and its got 10,000 You Tube views before you've had time to get over your bang-over! So if you didn't make it and you're a Wildhearts nut, just check the net, there will be a video of some of this tour somewhere no doubt. Crazy yes, but if this makes amazing music more accessible to the waiting world, here's to the future.