Out of Chicago rolls on Stone Magnum and executes this slab of dark yet melodic doom metal of the finest order. I can hear traces of Trouble, C.O.C., Candlemass, St Vitus and ofcourse, the mighty Dio-era Sabbath, especially in the Iommi-ish riffwork.
This CD is from the mastertape recorded in 1972/1974 which seemed to be lost. This quartet are clearly influenced by hard rock’s illustrious past, cuz there are faint echoes of Led Zeppelin, Cactus, Grand Funk, Leafhound and Bloodrock. Although Stepson are, at least on the surface, an easily familiar commonplace hard rock band, there is something absolutely intriguing and hypnotizing about their stab at bluesy hard rock music.
This wonderful album is my favorite of the past couple of weeks, if the amount of time I've spent listening to it is any indication. Everything that made Orchid’s Capricorn so magical, has returned in spades on Mouths of Madness. Orchid, a US hard rock band with more range than almost anyone out there, have released their second offering, following on the heels of their “Wizard of war” single.
Germany’s quartet LDC’s latest 8-track offering reveals a band whose stoner rock vibes and post rock licks work in conjunction to righteously kick you in the but. A veritable potpourri of great songs and a great overall sound is what The Flood Inside offers. The epic sweep of nearly every track envelopes the listener into swirling maelstroms of emotions. The guitars are solid, the leads expressive. The band employs various technical elements and creative songwriting to make their songs stand out from the morass that passes for post rock these days.
I hear a lot of potential in Jolly’s blend of prog metal, emotional undercurrents, and inventive approach. Strong vocal harmony throughout the recording along with killer arrangements makes for a great musical time. There’s plenty to discover as the band easily transitions between mellow sections and parts with more grit. What’s interesting is that, while the songs echo bands as Threshold, Rush, Pain of Salvation and Yes, they don’t sound too dated. These songs capture a creative energy and manage to sound fresh and invigorating.
Despite being predictable I like this release by Skogen Brinner. The band, a four piece from Sweden plays a brand of 70s groove stoner fuzz obviously inspired by Black Sabbath, Witchcraft, and Graveyard. They pull some great leads out of the tumultuous hat of their sound, and execute very good build-ups. Once the band are in the full swing of "Australien” and “Fasornas berg” they instantly bring to mind November and that’s always a good choice.
Combine Omegamassif plus Entombed plus Pelican plus our own Sardonis plus a Russian name Shakhtyor which means ‘miner’ and you get what?
Everybody Needs An Angel is a concept album, which tells of the suffering of a mother for the loss of their son. Each track on the album, describes the state of mind and the torment of a woman, and his suffering. I have to inform you that it’s totally instrumental, so what the fuck about concept.
An Italian Avant-garde/Progressive Death Metal band with a violin player that's like a blend of Dream Theater, Pagannini, Orf, Theatres des Vampires and Diablo Swing Orchestra. I can actually feel my brain going numb as I force myself to listen to it. I must mention, in all fairness, that the musicians are good at handling their instruments, and a few approved parts are to be found here and there.
Altaar is the project of Andreas Tylden (guitar,vocals), but along the way Andreas has picked up Sven Ove Toft (guitar, organ) Espen T Hangard (guitar, synths), Didrik Telle (bass) and Kenneth Lamond (drums).
