Andrew Danso

Though their music may say otherwise, The Birthday Massacre aren’t coy by any stretch of the imagination. While it’s easy to rule out what the band create as balderdash, as a collective they are smart enough to recognise a demand, which justifies their own means when it comes to an output – a very cynical one indeed (you can’t honestly believe that they enjoy making this guff). Imaginary Monsters is the follow up EP to Pins and Needles, flaunting a handful of new tunes as well as a couple of remixes for fans to sink their teeth into.

Like most follow ups, the material on here is reactionary; a collection of demos that would otherwise be kept under wraps, should the previous album perform poorly in the market. Surprisingly, some of the material here merits a great deal more patience than that of Pins and Needles, with the remixes giving a different flavour by way of moodiness and rhythmical power, which was never unearthed in the textures of the heavy synth’d originals.

Yet, it all washes off quite easily. With Pins and Needles being the EPs source of life, this is a band now standing still, squeezing every penny out of a contemptuous following who rule their parent’s moneybags. Imaginary Monsters is a release made for a fan base, endorsed in the colour of cynicism. Worse, it’s played by a bunch of musicians, who appear to only speak one language, through their chosen instrument.

4/10 Powerplay issue #138

With today’s records becoming more and more complex, it’s not surprising to see heads being turned to the more stripped down voyeurisms of instrumental rock – without doubt a trend has been developed. The fad surely soon to die out (as soon as this well fed audience find something else pretentious enough to hang their coats on). But phenomena it might be; musically it’s easy to disregard as tasteless, and stale, but artistically, it’s as rich as ever, with challenging concepts for fans to mull over and newcomers to enjoy the rhythmic simplicity.

Russian Circles aren’t much different to most post-rock instrumentalism; they’re content on building an atmosphere with whatever instruments they have (which on playback doesn’t make for a huge production at all, being a trio), and clamour on riff after riff, with the occasional loop splattered on top of the chaos.

Stylistically, they’re a clever bunch. Often living within the sludge akin to Celtic Frost, they climax to speeds as bold as Tool, and jam out within spacey lulls, littered in ambient guitar effects, with the occasional percussive boom. Better yet, in their meticulous structure, the undercooked production on the album makes the band feel spontaneous, as if they’re making the racket in the room right next to you. It all makes up for a concrete (and first) full-length, if unremarkable.

7/10 Powerplay issue #138

Shield Your Eyes shoot themselves in the foot. So wrapped in their disharmony and discontent, when they decide to put their minds to structure and tune, they tend to produce moments of magic. Mellow numbers Glad and Crowd work excellently, because they have simple explanations, but more importantly they have the inner workings of heart, and tangibility, something that the listener can really touch, and get their hands dirty with. Alternatively, the more hectic, math-orientated material rubs off as something incoherently predictable. It precisely washes into nothing, despite its crashing, whacking and scientific zaniness. A more indie approach to Dillinger Escape Plan, Shield Your Eyes are difficult to understand, but encroach a sense of arrogant appreciation and misplaced pomposity through their mathematic romance.

It’s easy to be churlish in a discourse about the math genre, and there are a few tricks Shield Your Eyes pull throughout playback. Their production is clever, by way of spontaneity – it’s all been taped in a hotel room, which gives the band a vintage gradient to mix into their hyper modern vibe. The tunes themselves recall bluesy and American licks, which contrast radiantly with the menacing nature of the tracks. Another is the precision of the albums pacing, which batters you to begin with, but fleets into dreaminess and idle, before plundering manically down the spiral.

6/10 Powerplay issue #138

It’s very rare that we come to enjoy acts who aren’t academic by their own standards. Often it takes reassessment through each album before one sticks within public domain, and should it be the case with Taste Of Tears, they haven’t got much to learn despite Once Human being their full-length debut.

The album flows in melodic metal, with progressive flights and complex rhythm work sketchfully plotted throughout its length. This is certainly a frayed effort, feeling like ones reckless rush of blood at work, instead of the balance in adrenaline and thought - it is a cry for a producer, a hierarchy, to reign in a lot of the whimsy impulse on show, and make do with whatever edits need to be made.

Potential is what Once Human carries in abundance. Usually debuts never avoid the rough around the core, and getting a feel for an act is just as important as what’s heard sonically on the disc. In this quartets case, there’s something very amiable about their enthusiasm and wealth of ideas, which sets up an album based on a strong set of fundamentals, and powerful spirit.

6/10 Powerplay issue #138

For all of their artistic claims, David R Black tend to stick by a classic formula, building a tune on basic premises (for example, an opening guitar riff chugging on one side of the stereo field, before the other instruments gradually fill the gaps), and letting rip into the chorus. It’s old, tried and tested, but they make it feel effective, especially when the choruses whack, zing, and crunch. It’s not meant to stand the test of time, but it resonates enough for a suitable headbang.

It’s not all basic rock; Secret City does have a trick up its sleeve, bar a power chorus or two. The vocal performances of both David R and Sarit Black are wispy and ethereal, giving the record an air, and a sophistication which contrasts radiantly with the chugging guitars. It’s a highpoint, not just on a production level, but on a technical one too, that will help push the trio’s identity outside of the many accomplished acts which have been swimming around forever.

7/10 Powerplay issue #137

It’s easy to discount retrograde remakes as nothing but laboured nostalgia, but it’s incredibly important for fans to feel that sense of time warp every now and then – not least to remind them how far their chosen genre leaps forward year after year. The genre in question is doom, with Obrero being a Swedish stoner rock band, focused on recreating that 70s sludge which helped define a trendy blueprint, decades on. Mortui Vivos Docent (the dead teach the living) is obviously not meant to be an innovator, but in reliving the past, it conveys that smoke-filled, grimy atmosphere, which characterised 70s rock sensationally. It’s also crammed full of well-crafted arrangements, that are executed with as much edge as one could squeeze from a late 90s tweed amplifier.

7/10 Powerplay issue #137

With a Muse perspective on progressive rock, this Italian quartet are certainly worth their salt throughout Forecasts. Often laced in rhythmic guitar jigs, along with a fleeting vocal performance, tracks Forecast #1: Why Bother and Forecast #2: Send Me A Souvenir chime with degrees of sophistication, while Yesteryear is much more buoyant on rocking out with twanged indie chugs, and an energetic vocal. The key with progressive music has always been making repetition become enchanting, yet Planet Brain feel unnecessarily long-winded and tepid, when they decide to hit on a few proggy extensions – however, this is a pithy remark, as the four-piece are often indulged in artsy rock, rather than all out prog. An example of this is the comparatively short track length, averaging at around four minutes. Ultimately Forecasts is a display of excellent talent and promise – one can only think of bigger and better things, come the full length.

7/10 Powerplay issue #137

Of the hardcore trash type, Sort By Title are content in throwing many styles at the wall, and hopeful that one or two of its nuances stick. It all whims by fairly quickly, with each number flying in an adrenaline packed three and a half minutes – at the very least an assault on the ear. The most captivating element throughout the EP is the vocal performance, dynamic enough to give the tracks that archetypal aggression, so often lost within the muddies of melodic guitars and thud of punkish drumming. This is a scrappy humane effort – and it’s all the better for it.

7/10 Powerplay issue #137

Alternative rock is probably one of the most vague, misconstrued attempts at putting together a genre. Greenthief tag themselves ‘alt’, so how on earth does that relate to their sound? Rock but a little bit different? Isn’t that what every new rock distro breaks their back over claiming?

Greenthief are alternative by way of being adventurous. Through fancy, sophisticated progressions and a layered production, the Aussie four-piece meander across their coloured plain of rock more artistically than the moody taboo which alt-rock often carries. Track “Vultures” is put together like a progressive tune, yet it only runs beyond the four minute mark. It contains jump up and rock choruses, with calm and space in between, coloured by Steve James' (Sex Pistols, The Jam) production, aligning fizz and whirls enchanting the mix.

7/10 Powerplay issue #136

Emerging from the grunge laden Seattle, SYFT do the kind of hard-rock which packs a punch live, but struggles to find its way in the form of a full length album. The commercially ready New Beginning certainly won’t fail to find an audience, because they’re definitely not breaking any ground – sounding akin to Slipknot, Creed and Pod may be no bad thing, but straight imitation is another, and SYFT’s latest, pushes to the bone on being another copycat. The album feels dirty and hard edged, but the repetitive (notably in-same-key vocal) labours through the entire release, thwarting each tune into becoming something predictable. New Beginning would make for a strong EP, but as a full length, it’s as predictable as a wasp on speed.

6/10 Powerplay issue #136

Is it ever too late for potential? Is there a time when potential finally expires after its sell-by date, and becomes nothing, or frankly, failure? Perhaps, and it best coins The Square Hippies, who have lots and lots of promise, but are slow burners when it comes to realising their wealth of dreamy, quirky rock. Past their sell-by date because of the age of the personnel in the project – it’s difficult not to feel the poignancy of their self image and refuse to put that together with their sound; depressingly it begs the question “if you can’t make it now, how long do you really have left?” According to the band webpage “leaving music behind for our grandchildren” sounds a great deal bleaker.

6/10 Powerplay issue #136

A Sloth is the slowest moving animal on earth - it travels at a speed of thirteen feet per hour. Which means that if Atriarch were an animal, they’d more or less move at the same speed as a Sloth – maybe point-five of a foot quicker, being general. Indeed, Forever the End is slow, very slow.

This project is a doom and black metal affair, with wails of noise and discontent throughout, dragging the listener through an uncomfortable audio portrayal of hell. If provoking emotions of discomfort is Atriarch’s main focus in the business, then with confidence, there’s not much to fault – but if musically, you look at their lazy song structures, and their noisy incomprehensible riff patterns, then there’s a whole lot wrong with the entire release.

5/10 Powerplay #136

It’s one thing to be an angry razor-sharp doom band, expressing your outward vitriol against whatever aspect of life may be troubling you (in Children of Doom’s case it means flicking 'v's at the camera, and dressing up as if the 70s never left us) and another to actually make the listener angry, because of the poor quality of the doom played back.

The French trio’s message, lyric and image are really a smokescreen to what they actually sound like on playback, which is a tepid stoner band, with a handful of tepid punk ideas put about. Emphasis on tepid, as Children of Doom struggle to find much, if any groove in their stoner predicament - and are candidly tame during the punkish progressions too. CoD’s vocalist who goes by the name of ‘B.B.F’ does his best to tear apart the entire experience with ghastly wails over the progressions, giving them little substance and a frustrating character. Aptly tagged ‘stoner-doom-punk’ because you have to be inebriated in clouds of illegal chemicals, to actually appreciate the material. Get a grip.

3/10 Powerplay issue #136

In Times Of Solitude by doom veterans Solitude Aeturnus, is not long released. It features a collection of rare tracks, showing off early demo material, and unreleased studio recordings, that more importantly, bridge mysterious gaps in their discography. One question which penetrates the hype surrounding the album, why now? The Justice For All cassette has been bandied about for a decade (well, twelve years in fact) that includes most of the material on this new compilation, yet, bang in the middle of 2011, we’ve finally been granted permission to open our ears to such rare treasure, in all its re-mastered glory.



Speaking with Solitude Aeturnus guitarist and main songwriter, John Perez, he echoes our impatience, “I’ve actually wanted to release this collection of older material for quite some time now, in fact several years. I just felt that we needed to pay respect to the early days of the band, and I know a ton of die-hard SA fans that would like to have a glimpse into the beginnings of the band. I emphasise, this is not for the casual fan.”

Our question still remained somewhat unanswered, why now? Perez gave us no giveaways, suggested no marketing upside, no particular timing to coincide with a different release. He remained valiant that the album was to be released simply because, right now, it feels right.

Their most recent and consequent sixth album “Alone” garnered much success. It sent ripples throughout the doom community, gathering critical acclaim, heralded as ‘the strongest release since their debut’. So, just where on earth have Solitude Aeturnus been? “Playing live shows mostly. We’ve done some overseas festivals and a few over here as well [USA]. In the meantime I’ve slowly been writing songs for another release. It just takes forever these days, simply because we don’t have as much time to devote to the band as we’d like to. We all live far apart, and we all work our day jobs, as well as having our own lives to lead”.

Looking back throughout the early eras of rock and metal, Solitude Aeturnus’ writing process back in the day must have been as complex as today’s technical metal bands, who do their best to come up with something innovative through every string they pluck. Like all of their previous work, In Times Of Solitude swims in much more diverse waters than simply being an all-out doom or sludge affair. It demonstrates, that in the late 80s, putting together a doom release was incredibly forward thinking, and by no fluke was it necessary to incorporate progressive elements into the genre. Solitude Aeturnus’ progress would eventually serve as a template, for any hopeful band to write from.

John, when you first started writing for SA, was the kind of complexity which is in your song writing, something that you were consciously aware of? "The answer is both yes and no. I was very aware of writing more complex song structures, and I felt that we needed to explore this to some degree, although at the same time I didn’t want and still don’t want to get carried away with the ‘progressive’ aspect of metal. It has to be melodic and catchy enough for anyone to get into, but it also has to be forward thinking and more involved, keeping it interesting for the musicians. Hah, progressive to my mind, really means to challenge the norm and do things different than what would normally be done. We stay outside of trends to keep it genuine - and yeah, we’re not afraid to do things differently."

Incredibly, Solitude Aeturnus have been juggling in the same style throughout such a sustained period of time. Understanding that they’d alienate a huge amount of their following, by going on another direction – yet at the same time acknowledging that Solitude Aeturnus are well known to make music for themselves – I asked how they had been able to stay so focused on doom for such a long time. “By only releasing 6 albums in our entire existence! Haha! Actually it’s somewhat true. If we would have released twelve albums already, I think the quality would suffer. Our sound is diverse but at the same time familiar. We try to always keep the listener in mind and since we’re listeners as well, then we try to keep it interesting for ourselves as much as possible. Our style is actually very diverse and although doom is a foundation, it’s not the complete picture. We pay attention to song writing detail and we don’t let anything we feel is mediocre, slip by us. I’d rather do fewer albums with greater quality in each, rather than twice as many lacking in quality.”

We’ve heard nothing about a new release, and history tells us that Solitude Aeturnus take as long as it takes to put a release together, not least because of Perez’s own view on quality control. Added to that, the follow up to “Alone” carries a huge weight.

Any future plans? “Of course, and I do apologise to our fans for not working faster, but again, we’d rather release quality than quantity - I’m not a fan of releasing a mediocre product, with my name on it. We are working on new material now, and I have about 5 songs nearly done. They range from heavy metal that is kind of Iron Maiden or Fates inspired, to extreme gloomy doom. My goal is to get us into a studio by the start of next year, so I’m working hard now to get us together and finish the writing and rehearsal process. Importantly, no live gigs will be planned until we can record a new album.”

ANDREW DANSO

My review of In Times Of Solitude

Full interview available in Powerplay issue #135

It smacks at a surprise, just how far doom has progressed over the past two decades. The style of the genre inside of the eighties and nineties wasn’t much slower in tempo than its post-Sabbath rowdies, it was simply much more progressive throughout the era - doom back then wasn’t lauded for its lack of energy, but how everything put together was done with a greater intelligence, than something fronted with speedy guitar heroes and daft haircuts.

How does the critic judge what was back then genius, to now be old, shrivelled and stale? Is it churlish to assume that Solitude Aeternus have never bothered to release the rare Justice For All cassette of '88, until now, because it wasn’t that great? Since their strong reputation follows in 2011, does it nervously have a leg to stand on? DVD extras can be charming, but there’s good reason why they never made the final cut, and after all, this is a remastered demo – like a movie director showing us the final version of his or her film stuck in the pre-production stage.

Accentuating the past for oldies is In Times Of Solitude’s only triumph, as offering newcomers nothing fresh or radical other than different arrangements of a brand of metal that’s been laid to rest - for good reason – is an obvious disappointment. This late eighties demo has very little gold tucked away; much more of a history lesson than something of hidden treasure.

6/10 Powerplay issue #135

Looking for unorthodox rhythms, as well as complex song structures? Deep lyrical undertones, saturated in a near scientific production? Why not have it all? Fully realised “Apple For Teacher” should be all of these things, but in reality it’s neither. A folk-indie-rock experiment, it toes the line on something as soft and airy as Wye Oak, to the rigor of National Sunday Law – certainly, it’s an album spanning every genre you can say in thirty seconds. This then tells you it’s the kind of album that’s very easy to chortle at and discard pretentious, without giving a thought to its great intentions. Menendez are trying to make something zealously expressive and honest inside of an experimental production. Certainly no easy feat, but one which isn’t done very well.

It’ll test your patience, be demanding and pretend a little far too much, “Apple For Teacher” may prove unrewarding for many, but it’s difficult not to feel enchanted by its artistic nuances, even when the whole thing has been put together in a clumsy, sheepish way.

6/10 Powerplay issue #135

Echoes of the Fallen lifts and cuts around those huge releases, which have elevated Arch Enemy, Children of Bodom and Dying Fetus to dizzying heights in the metal world. They then have used various parts of their heroes graft, to put together an album resembling something of a slick and accomplished package. You’d think it’s simply difficult to not hate an act, which looks at their pioneers work, and snobbishly concludes ‘put this beside one another, we can do all of you much better’. No inspiration to colour the sound with, no punchy album concept - yet, it’s an incredibly polished piece of work, one that cynically resides little heart, but tons of knowledge and effort.

Echoes of the Fallen isn’t a ground breaking exercise in melodic metal, but it certainly raises more than a few eyebrows with its water-tight technical performances, and solid structure.

7/10 Powerplay issue #135

This was just a bit of note taking I did before I planned to review the said albums. Since then, I've never got my finger out and put together a working piece.

This is entirely meant to be subjective - from my own point of view – and since that’s no different from pulling a search off a fanzine, at the very least, I can say that you have been warned.










So, how best to define DTP without the press release? What does it mean to me?

Essentially what the Devin Townsend Project is, is a cathartic release in the form of music to the aftermath of drug addiction and an emotional reaction to a long-term band break up.

In many ways the concept is its limitation, yet Townsend claims a fervent freedom in the yin and yang of the projects idea; the limitations I’m thinking off, are when something heard is more like the old, instead of the new (the entirety of Addicted! as an example).

• Its size, passion, intention, ideas, complexion. Most of all, because of its honesty it’s an extremely brave record.
  

• Its powerful beginning and ending (tracks: Praise The Lowered & Poltergeist).

• I feel that Deconstruction wants to display a thwarted stream of consciousness (e.g. an awareness of being a little angry and thinking about it) through the form of metal, but unfortunately I think it’s closer to proving how limited the genre can be, in its failure to do so.

• For sake of genre bashing, I think the album has more in common with power metal, than it does progressive, death metal, etc. It wants to be heavy in its zillion progressions, but with so much going on, it's flimsy than weighty.
  

• Its misdirection. If every action has an opposite reaction, then it’s OK to laugh at the silliness dotted throughout the album. Despite the records best attempts at taking itself seriously, the humour (or intended mania) doesn’t stick. Deconstruction proves the opposite; many of his fans are finding the album hilarious, when it's meant to be plugging a sense of derangement.

Ghost is a cathartic lullaby to tune out the four album concept. I find the ideas here much more rich and complex than that of Deconstruction, and better yet, I think Ghost & Ki prove that Townsend is better in doing something neurotic than all out metal. He’s much better writing with his age in mind, than something he would build upon twenty years ago. He’s great to listen too when there’s a straight-jacket applied.

I feel that Ki & Ghost (specifically in that order) are his greatest achievements.

On a label crammed full of metalcore, death metal and post-hardcore rowdies, it’s a bizarre site to read through a press release drawing on language such as ‘ambience’, ‘atmosphere’, and ‘fragile grace’. Despite the statements subtlety, it leapt out with much greater force, than something leathered in the usual ‘demolition’ ‘chaos’ and ‘rage’ – but more important than simply standing out, it was honest. At The Soundawn’s second release, Shifting, lived by its written definitions; it was l’atmosphère, a red herring, and ultimately a breath of fresh air.

Lifeforce looked to be taking a gamble with ATS. After all, the label had brought through the likes of Heaven Shall Burn, Caliban, and Trivium - not the kind of acts associated with grace and delicacy. Yet, it was the simple process of dovetailing several contacts, and then mailing out a record or two which got them onto Lifeforce Records radar. Guitarist Andrea, begins.

“The story is pretty simple. Right after we recorded our first album, we sent a CD to Drew Juergens, who was in charge at Lifeforce USA at that time. He digged it and sent it to Stefan Luedicke, who was and still is running Lifeforce EU. Stefan loved our tunes, and they offered us a deal”

All looked well. At The Soundawn release Shifting to widespread critical acclaim and then embark on a live show roundabout climaxing in a European tour. Only, the bands blog suggested otherwise. It implied that the reality of being an underground act specifically based in Italy was something of an uphill battle.

“Playing underground heavy music in Italy means a struggle. A struggle against your everyday life, a struggle against your job, against promoters and venues; sometimes against other bands and even we could turn on each other.”

The lack of transformation began to take its toll, when they took into consideration the work which they put into promoting the act, not just in their home town, but across Europe. Staying connected with their following, At The Soundawn kept correspondence with fans through open and sincere blog posts, even letting us into problems in their personal touring routines. This wasn’t about marketing, witty professionalism, or plotted naivety (nor was it a skittish way of trying to flog an extra CD or two). This was a human reflection of how life as an underground act unfolded.


“Before I even thought about running a blog for ATS, I used to spend some time reading other bands blogs. I read about great concerts, great tours, great record deals, great endorsements, great everything, and I was kinda excited. I thought ‘Wow! This or that band is doing such great things!’ This then on reflection, made me pretty mad at myself, and my bandmates. How the hell are we the only ones, who have to fight with our boss to get free days to tour? Why the hell did we travel for 2000 km to play a gig in a filthy club with no P.A. and no crowd, while other bands are playing in great clubs with hundreds of people attending their shows? Why do we have to fight so hard, while everything appears so easy for these other bands?”

“90% of those bands were just lying. Not in a bad way, but they were obscuring the worst part of the job, focusing on the positive side of it and adding a little bit of spice to it, like avoiding saying that there were ten people attending the show and instead they just talked about the great lights the show had - social networking is great at doing this! Another 5% delivered a balanced and true report of their activity but gave a really boring picture, no great success nor great defeats, just a pretty plain life in underground music. And the other 5%... well, those are the lucky ones who really made it, so horns up!”

“The point is, I realized that the very fight ATS has been living through, is the fire which keeps us alive. It’s that struggle that pushes us to do more. It’s the pleasure and unpleasure to have a small but enthusiastic crowd at our shows which gives us the strength to follow our path, to write more music, to write better music, to discuss with my bandmates about a riff, to struggle with my boss to get holidays to tour in, to waste all my money on pedals and gear, and finally, to keep on running the show… And if this is the real point of playing in a band, why don’t I tell it? Why would I keep it in the background? Why am I not sharing our whole experience? I think that every single band out there is facing our same problems. Simply they don’t share it with their fans. We do.”


Andrea’s genuine acceptance brought home the stark reality of being lassoed in the underground – especially when on the surface many make it look gullibly rosy.

Realising that the band had been able to lug their problems around with them, I asked if they had eclipsed any difficulties. Had they found resolutions? “Yes, there have been resolutions – but we’re still living in it”. He also admitted “We’re writing new music and somehow it has changed – but it’s too early to understand how our experience has affected it.”

An undisputed positive was their European tour, which garnered a buzz wherever they choose to play. Explaining the nooks and crannies of the tour, as well as Italian misconceptions, Andrea was both upbeat and modest.

“As far as I can recollect, we had such a great response everywhere. The real matter while touring, as I told you before, is: “How many people will be in the crowd tonight?” We’re not a popular band yet, plus we are Italian and usually Italian bands are not really well received by the audience”

“You know, when you think about Italian music you picture the sea, the sunset, a couple kissing on the beach, some classic guitar notes and a sorrowful vocal fading in. The thing is… how can I blame anyone? That is a big part of Italian music!”


“Anyway, sometimes concerts are pretty bad, usually they’re fine and once in a while they are really great - like the opening show of our last tour, when we played at Progresja in Warszaw, in front of three hundred plus and Shifting sold out in half an hour.”

When I asked about a new album, Andrea was privy to detail, not passing on any information other than that there was something already in the pipeline. He also mentioned a possible tour before the new album launched, hinting at a few shows within the UK.

It was difficult not to feel enchanted by Andrea’s transparency. Here he was, letting us into the core of what the band and himself had experienced, refusing to accept that what they had achieved was enough, even throughout the bands relatively short lifespan. As is often the case, bravery follows honesty, and At The Soundawn carry this in abundance.

“Thank you so much. Keep in touch guys - come to read and discuss our blog here: http://www.atthesoundawn.com”


Article found at Metal Mayhem UK

American, rock, blues, it’s easy to gloss over that Norbert Krief is in fact a French musician, set out to make a simple bright rock album, engrossed in personality. Krief is marketed as an old school hard rock distro, but Nono is a much more complex record. This is a light and airy rock album laden in quirky vocal and manic production, along with Krief sounding like an unhinged Christer Ortefors; which suggests that Nono really is that manic quirky record it isn’t meant to be. It’s not like he’s set out to be a Zappa l’artiste, he just is.

It’s a rarity that you’re able to jive, headbang, and ponder all within the same track, but Nono gives you no choice. Eccentric, daft, complex, fun; hello Norbert Krief.

8/10 Powerplay issue #134

Perhaps we’ve been made immune by the quality of Scandinavian progressive metal over the past decade, the formula being the Holy Grail for successive song writing on an epic scale. Surprisingly this lot are based in Chicago Illinois, that to any unassuming would swear this was the product of the Nordic plains. The Living Fields are convincing.

Layered in piano, violin, cello, acoustic guitar and electric guitar give it the kind of depth that such big ideas need for realisation. On the other hand their production, necessary for the entire piece to work as an epic lets them down – for all of their instrumentation the record simply doesn’t sound big enough. In another light it makes the checklist for anything progressive with a Nordic spin – no surprise then, to see Candlelight have fiercely hunted them down.

7/10 Powerplay issue #134

It’s the kind of rock that’s played during a crummy American drama, as the credits begin to roll after a loony remark of wit, humour or general triumph. Rhode Island Red is a super smooth, light production, that’s meant to be listened too while sipping a few margaritas with your date. Made up of three tracks, this single floats within the boundaries of pop rock, relying on front woman Lyla D’Souza to carry the band through uplifting choruses, and massive key changes. With that said it’s difficult to fault Kerosene; laden in great musicianship, catchy tunes, and solid production. Their definition will ultimately be down to D’Souza’s vocal, and the question still remains unanswered - can she carry them through an entire full length? In any case, this is a very promising, accomplished preview.

7/10 Powerplay issue #134

In the spontaneity of it all, speed metal shouldn’t be dissected into hashed out sections of dextrous power chord progressions – it’s just meant to be energetic, angry fun. So, while Dekapitator flimsily whizz on, riff by riff, the entire thing is glued together with the bands tight individual performances and a belching vocal akin to Paul Baloff of Exodus – as gathered, this is an invitation down memory lane, with no attempt to change the speed formula, but play on it. With that said, this will tear apart most headbangers because of its shear speed and brutality. It’s a snappy collection of songs too, each clocking out on average two and a half minutes. Brace yourself.

We Will Destroy… You Will Obey!!! is the reissue originally put together in 1999, and 12 years on, the scooped nineties production has more charm in its age, than something shrivelling in longevity. Indeed, this is only limited to fans in the niche, and they’ll be gloriously satisfied.

7/10 Powerplay issue #134

Usually putting a red line through a commercially viable band like Grinspoon is an easy task, but they touch base with so many different artists it’s difficult to highlight a precise definition – one thing this serves to do is push into the fore what Grinspoon should be: a creamy rock ballad act. Six To Midnight tries with the edge, the brashness and anger, but it never comes to fruition – it’s more part of the process of getting to the softer ballad tunes, which is a real shame, as the record only contains two sing-along ballads.

Perhaps it’s insecurity or a lack of faith in their own abilities, but they’ve clearly got the know-how on ballad-craft, with everything else going by the wayside. With that said, there are two tracks that’ll be adored by your sister; but for the men amongst us, you’re left with a fledgling look at Blink 182, Limp Bizkit, and Weezer. Flex those guns, or don't.

5/10 Powerplay issue #134

It’s the kind of southern hard rock that has more akin with contemporary pop than it does with the likes of BLS, and the hardest pill to swallow is that Last Known Addiction want to be edgy, scruffy, beer swaggering Texans (excuse the stereotype). The main problem lies with vocalist Stephen Cairns, who sounds far too clean to be in front of the edge which the guitars do their best to provide. It’s not a necessity of vocal range – after all the man can sing – but his pretentious performance is like your funny uncle grabbing the microphone at a family wedding, who starts to yell over a Bryan Adams sing along for a laugh. Sure, these guys can write southern hard rock, but performing it is another matter.

With that said, there’s no attempt to try anything different in the genre, as Last Known Addiction are happy enough to flex their muscles inside of the bubble. It’s a valid contribution, but one that doesn’t cut its teeth in personality, and is far too safe in imitation.

6/10 Powerplay issue #134

Everything from The Roots of Dreamers structure, pacing and ideas are completely workable inside of its genre, but for what positives it builds upon, it severely lacks in basic production qualities, such as performance, and layering. Added to the damning, this is a progressive record, littered in bridled piano playing and guitar melody, yet it falls flat because each instrument does its own piece in isolation. Why haven’t the sections been cut on top of another?

This being a mash-up of progressive and doom dirge, its intentions are clear with well thought track planning and coherent song structure - if the only beef resides with production and performance, then they’re on the right track.

6/10 Powerplay issue #134

The term ‘cut & paste’ never so readily applied to this lot – as if it were a sub-genre they’d been attempting to create, while inadvertently mimicking all of their heroes, riff by riff. Everything has just been cut side by side with no tie, or trail to interlink with the previous section – it’s just stuff played back with a lot of quasi UFO sounding samples layered within the mix. There’s no attempt to bring you to a certain point in each track; you’re simply thrown in to a lot of half baked ideas, which create the deception of chaotic-cum-planned songwriting - on closer inspection it’s a load of crayons in the wrong hands.

Giants On Jupiter must know what they’re up against. They understand the risks, citing past masters Kyuss, Opeth and Tool as influence which they’ve honestly drawn from. However, envisioning these greats as some sort of new found formula, (lifting all of their favourite parts made by their heroes, and then bundling them alongside one another to make up a track), is completely daft.

It’s much like an overly zealous DJ turning up to a corporate event. He’s only got 30 minutes, and has 30 artists which legally have to be played back. Each minute, the tune entirely changes, skipping from genre to genre. From rock to jazz, euro-rave to classical. Embrace The Unknown veins in something similar. This is therapy for poor chaps suffering from antsy strains of hyperactivity.

3/10 PowerPlay issue #133

DeEvolution wants to be more intellectual and zany, than it does heavy and ballsy - but to little surprise it pulls apart on both substances. On the one hand you have gifted musicianship, with the guitars being used more as weapons by means of free hand arpeggio sweeping at every gasp for air, or to bridge a gap before a chorus kicks in. And on the other you have song structure and a vocal to bed in, that if planned and executed correctly, will make theses tracks feel as if they’ve got substantial depth, and not just the shallow fancy bonnet. There are almost two sides to everything in life, and thus the obvious con which follows technical brilliance is the disregard for heart. Cynthesis bold technical exploits serve to highlight that beyond the shredding, and fancy drum rolls, they don’t have much else to say.

The problem with DeEvolution is that Cynthesis haven’t been honest with themselves. They’ve tried to make this into a progressive package, packed full of thoughtful philosophy, and plotted story telling. But in reality the faux philosophical rambling, is simply a way to break up the instrumental brilliance which the band really want to crack on with. The result is a wooden record, packed full of pompous instrumentation, and no soul to go with its brain.

6/10 PowerPlay issue #133

Looking back on an era that was by all means closer to the cusp of perfection than we’re at now, and then wanting to change that takes nothing but Dutch courage. Barn Burner don’t necessarily roll of the tongue as a stoner infused classic rock act, but that’s exactly what they’re trying; imitating that 70s era in rock, with a far greater emphasis on chugging, and edgy riffing, that either starts fights, or just adds to an endless homage of beer drinking for the night.

Yes, it’s accessible, much beyond what the band themselves would like you to think. There’s nothing challenging, or complex as the press release indicates, and furthermore Bangers II: Scum of The Earth doesn’t flaunt a new trend in genre. This is simply stoner rock with a little bit of 70’s sprinkled on top. It’s very much in the usual vein – which is fine. But for a band to blow so much hot air and then play something which is complete generic, beer swaggering stoner rock, makes their world fall flat. This is a tall order for rock lovers, and a must for the drugged infused zombie bangers amongst us.

6/10 PowerPlay issue #133

If the feeling of torment is to be met upfront on Nagual, then certainly, there’s not much it could do wrong. It wreaks havoc on the listener, cycling through space rock, droned guitar, and sludgy metal riffing – not to mention vocal samples throughout, that are not even in sync with the albums sound. The vocal is often used as an instrument, added for atmosphere, instead of simply spearheading the tracks by means of a lyric. Yes, the story is very much in its atmosphere. Nagual does its best to carry you from section to section, but no doubt, the feeling of malnourishment soon kicks in, as there’s nothing to frantically clinch onto.

I The Witch’s vision is in here somewhere, but there is so much editing, so much lunacy in its production, it’s too difficult to decipher the record the band envisioned it to be. However, our ears tell us that this isn’t meant to be enjoyed, but connected with – it no doubt succeeds in the former.

4/10 PowerPlay issue #133

This is the confirmed artwork we're going ahead with on Find. I'm very satisfied with the result, and I feel it resonates really well with all of the material on the project. This was designed by Maarten Kleyne, who has been a massive inspiration to work with, especially this time around. We went on a bit of a creative journey to try and collect all of our ideas, and over the past few months this is the final output.

Ebola is an effort by both entities, As We Fight and The Psyke Project. They’ve put this together feeling a need to get in touch with the more oldschool elements of hardcore, they may have inadvertently distanced themselves with, through previous ventures. These guys are fairly familiar in the extreme post-rock genre, solidifying themselves in more often than not mind bending and complicated expressions, thus it’s nothing more than refreshing to hear their own reductionist approach. That’s not to suggest a laid back affair (Ebola certainly clenches up when The Psyke Project get going), but things are closer to the bone of what hardcore riffing used to be in its babysteps.

Ebola is an album divided into two parts. As We Fight play through the first four tracks, with The Psyke Project finishing the album on five tracks. It’s easy to consider this a jumbled compilation album, with two different bands placed on the disc, heard through two different recording approaches - but thankfully this isn’t the case. They’ve been able to blend both their sound and ideas evenly across the board, giving this release a particular assorted flavour that would otherwise be lost through a single artists vision.

7/10 PowerPlay issue #132

Post-rock, soundscapes, instrumentals, it’s all becoming a rather familiar expression. The Sound of the Mountain sling very much in this vein, attempting to create an ambiance accessible in a rocky context, as well as leaving the door open for the artisans amongst us, who might gaze on this as cinematic claptrap, and vice versa.

All things considered, this is in fact pulled off very well. There’s an edge, an atmosphere, and a vibe about its entirety, which punches beyond the usual hype surrounded by dextrous riffing, or quantum time signatures. It maintains its feeling, and most of all, it feels natural.

Problems reside in its muddy ambiguity and length. Muddy as once you’re taken out of a groove, it’s very difficult to latch onto the next one, rubbing off as poor planning on the bands behalf. It’s also too long, with chunks of tracks repeating themselves for good reason, but little effect. Certainly, there’s nothing here the band can’t fix next time around, and no doubt they’ll be back with another twisted offering – this is a safe investment for anyone earthed in post-rocks artistic mumbo jumbo. Not many debuts pan out so promising.

7/10 PowerPlay issue #132

You’d be mistaken for thinking that Sancta Sanctorum are some sort of psychedelic afterthought through the albums cover art. Themed more like an Ozric Tentacle tribute than something veining in hard rock, the deception is washed away briskly as soon as playback is initiated. The spiritual backdrop behind the name also lends wobbly preconceptions, with Sanctum Sanctorum meaning something along the lines of ‘holy of the holies’. For a 70s themed hard rock band, it’s at best odd, when you hear what’s meant to be related to all of the spiritual psycho babble.

Veining inside that 70s rock thing, there’s a great amount of density about the record. Grainy distorted guitars are constantly chugging away, a growling bass drones in its undercurrent, chorus is mapped onto the distant vocal, and the drums lethargically clatter and bang along. It’s very much the usual set-up, reflecting on what times where a few decades past. Highlights usually come from Steve Sylvester’s vocal, as he does his best to lug the thing on, occasionally belching, and groaning, adding the needed muscle essential to the production. There’s nothing necessarily great heard, but nothing here is on the poor side either – and nostalgic rockers will find accessibility within the graininess of its sound. We’re left stuck in between that horrible mark of apathy.

5/10 PowerPlay issue #132

Dead Letter Circus are certainly on the up from 2010. Their debut album This Is The Warning hit number 1 on the ARIA (Australian charts). In context, that might not mean as much as the band would like to draw toward, but recently supporting the likes of Muse and Linkin Park certainly confirms that the booms ripples are felt elsewhere. They’re an alt-cum-pop-rock bunch, which, forcefully do the kind of commercial pop rock thing, music lovers, love to hate.

This Is The Warning carries all of the melodrama a commercial emo rock production usually weighs in with, along with trying to play it all down, inside an alt rock bubble. Yes, it’s easy to dismiss the hysterics, and its nagging commercial viability, but it takes a kind of brazenness, a kind of schematic to knit together a 17 year old sensibility, with something much more adult. Think Muse, with a much harder shell, and a softer, creamier centre.

7/10 Powerplay issue #132

Armoury of God is a Christian rock album of sorts. Lyrically the themes are religiously explicit, that’ll alienate a following otherwise interested in what usually comes with the genre. Oddly enough they’ve put all of their ramblings on top of a sludgy doom format that does its best to confuse. Musically, similarities can be drawn with the likes of Celtic Frost and Count Raven, with sections as sloppy as Black Sabbaths earliest work. It’s easy to be scared off by the Christian element, but sonically you wouldn’t know otherwise – just try and convince neutral customers to go along with the packaging. In relation to its limited accessibility, this is intended for doom specialists only, with the raw gloomy sludge easy to overlook for headbangers who would otherwise flock to something a little more paced. For fans appreciative of gloomy doom trails, and a view, that might not be best held as their own. Not many? Who’d have thought?

6/10 PowerPlay #132

It’s the sort of progressive metal that makes you leap in joy and thwack your head around in all delight, and the Scandinavians do it no better. Legacy of Emptiness are a Norwegian bunch, playing that brand of metal pioneered by Immortal and Emperor, which they gleefully mix up into byte-size proggy sections, along with jagged black extremities - indeed it’s all very familiar.

But certainly, deceptively difficult to pull off, and to an extent everything heard is accomplished with a fair amount of verve if lacking in originality. It sticks so rigidly by the tried and tested formula, it will eventually kick the bucket in apathy. Simply put, their masters can do what they’ve done much better. Perhaps they’re seeking an apprentice’s recognition, and at the very least, they’ll be given that.

6/10 PowerPlay issue #132

“Communication Lost” is sharply defined. It’s meant to appeal directly to your emotions with a moody, atmospheric subtext, and lyrics, written as mementos drawn from the quartets own personal experience, through the four years it’s taken to put the record together. It’s a refreshing outlook. It has no pretentious overhanging backdrop, no huge ‘based-on’ concept. Wolverine are backing an audience to read between their lines, and think with them into a world of cathartic language. Simply put, if one can relate, one can become enveloped.

With all of the subtlety touted to be in “Communication Lost”, Wolverine are tame throughout its playback, perhaps relying on atmosphere and quirks to do most of the dirty work. All of the tracks – while sounding different - have the inner workings of a classic rock ballad, cantering through restrained verses, and elevated choruses, all of course extended on a progressive template. The ballad structure may tag along with their moody vibe, carrying effect - but a variation in style would add much more flavour; it’s a bizarre oversight by the experienced Swedes, not to recognise such an obvious red herring. Indeed, every track is put together in a microscopically similar way. Sombre and bridled piano playing often starts, then the vocal, then the kick of the overpowering distorted guitars, and then the wind down. Enchanting at first, but tedious over the hour.

This is very much an incidental addition to Wolverines discography, which should be overlooked, not least because of the bands own deadpanned inattention to change.

7/10 PowerPlay issue #131

“The God Album” is based around a criticism toward religion and faith, somewhat in controversial circumstances, from an atheist point of view. It’s certainly always been in rock and metals veins to be the natural channel for social and political angst, but Monsterworks are hell bent on near dissecting various movements of faith in a clumsy intellectual approach, that really ought to be left with the actual intellectuals. More opinion than narrative, the lyrics come direct from the big book of atheist argument, “everything you believe is a lie”, “stigmata is a fraud”, “a false miracle never performed”, “God has abandoned you”, “Is it faith or running free?” you get the idea.

Whilst the concept may come across with a slight juvenile cynicism, thankfully their sound is raw, hungry, and complex. They’re able to combine thrash, progressive, and metal elements with fluidity, balancing time shifts with simplistic power chords, and blast drumming with chordal guitar progressions.

Time will tell if we’ll see Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens or Sam Harris carrying this around in their back pocket, in preparation for a debate. Regardless, this is punchy stuff, with the music carrying a hell of a lot more weight, than the outspoken views held by the band.

7/10 Powerplay issue #131

Torchbearer is a super-group of sorts. They’re handpicked from The Few Against Many, Solution .45, and Unmoored; somewhat an elite group based on technical merit, more so than success, but that’s by the by. “Death Meditations” is really on the cusp of perfecting a brand of Scandinavian prog, part-speed metal, that’s meant to be every bit invigorating as it is accessible. Indeed, it is.

Notably, this is a concept album, based on the thoughts and ideas on what it is to be a samurai. Apprehension should fill the lungs, but it’s the very philosophy Torchbearer are only interested in, not the waving and clashing of swords. In any case, it’s difficult to notice through the belching, and chugging guitars – and it’s always refreshing to listen to artists bang on about something other than themselves, or political agendas.

Intricate, ambitious and impenetrably rocking, this is the sound of a band stretching themselves in every way imaginable. A fearfully beautiful release, chock-full of ideas and styles, making it accessible across the board.

9/10 PowerPlay Magazine issue #131

“Vampire Saga” is the third instalment from Japanese power rockers, D. Its backbone is conceptual, based on the journey of a vampire – that’s as vague as it gets and more so if you’re not fluent in Japanese. While we’re awaiting the English dub, it’s reassuring to know that language never gets in front of their sound, as they’re able to pull off a brand of metal littered in industrial rock, pop, and power references accomplished with a huge amount of polish. It all translates with extreme coherence, which retains enough personality of its own, making it accessible to even the most modest rocker.

“Vampire Saga’s” light-cum-manic sound, and daft concept has to be taken as the sum of its parts. Much like eating the ingredients of a stew separate, picking this apart would make little sense, as “Vampire Saga” simply tastes far better in complete combination, rather than its overly zealous, individual elements.

7/10 PowerPlay issue #131

Despite the striking crime photography spearheading “The Devilty’s” art direction, along with its themes based on free speech, racism, murder, and school shootings (the list goes on), this Danish quintet sound rather light (all things considered). Pitch Black work off a thrash template, and combine occasional death-cum-progressive elements to the party - closest to the bone with Slayers, “God Hates Us All”, albeit in an increasingly modern vibe. Other than that, the group speak out against subjects, which have been addressed time and time again throughout the medium, and their brand of metal isn’t a whiff of fresh air – this is a copied template, with little personality of its own to claim for.

6/10 PowerPlay Magazine #131