Skindred - Kill The Power

Skindred
Kill The Power
DoubleCross Records/Cooking Vinyl Limited

It’s been a long three years since Newport outfit Skindred last graced us with something new. And given how much I enjoyed 2011’s ‘Union Black’, I was really looking forward to seeing what the Welsh act had to offer on their latest effort ‘Kill The Power’.
Skindred (Who comprise of vocalist/keyboardist Benji Webbe, guitarist/backing vocalist Mikey Demus, bassist Daniel Pugsley and drummer Arya Goggin) have never been afraid to mixing things up from release to release. And true to form, the band’s fifth album is another step into new territory, while maintaining the band’s eclectic mish-mash of alternative metal, reggae rock, electronic rock and drum and bass. But while ‘Kill The Power’ is a solid Skindred album, I can’t help but feel that the band may be drifting into sonic territory that could potentially alienate some of their audience.
The opening title track ‘Kill The Power’ gets the album off a promising start, with the punchy track boasting the right amount of heavy riffs, bouncing reggae beats and a strong sing along chorus. In other words, it’s the kind of song that sums up the trademark Skindred sound in a single track in first class form.
But for all the promise the opener offered, the band stumble a little on the follow up track ‘Ruling Force’. The song isn’t terrible, but the band’s attempts to mix heavier passages alongside Prodigy like electronica sounds a little too forced and ill-fitting, which only comes across as confused. There’s a song in there somewhere, but it’s a little lost in the delivery.
The slower paced dubstep ‘Playing With The Devil’ doesn’t help matters much with its leaden vibe and lack of punch on the guitar front (Which is a shame because the lyrics on offer are some of the best on the album), but the album does eventually take a turn towards familiar terrain with the double punch of ‘Worlds On Fire’ and the heavy duty/Jamaican laced ‘Ninja’ (Which features a booming vocal introduction courtesy of Arthur Brown).
One track that really stood out for me is ‘The Kids Are Right Now’. Webbe tones down his accent quite a bit on this track, and when it’s coupled with a rather stripped back rock soundtrack and some dominant drums in the mix, it all comes across as a hit in the making. Perhaps on ‘Union Black’, this track would have worked quite well. But here, it sounds completely lost. It’s a rare case of the right song being placed on the wrong album.
Although solid enough, ‘We Live’ suffers the same fate as the former with its standard rock structures, power ballad-like tempo and repetitive choruses, and again comes across as another serious misstep. But as evident as it has been earlier in the album, the band strike back with a vengeance – this time with the guitar driven ‘Open Eyed’. Boasting a guest vocal appearance from former Un-Cut front woman Jenna G, ‘Open Eyed’ is classic Skindred, albeit with a greater melodic edge on the chorus front.
The reggae influenced ‘Dollars & Dimes’ and the acoustic based ‘More Fire’ are lightweight fillers apart from a bit of heavy guitars on the former, and are ultimately forgettable once their finished their run through. But once again, it’s the rocking ska-driven anthem ‘Saturday’ and the heavy blast of ‘Proceed With Caution’ that saves the tail end of the album from complete disaster.
‘Kill The Power’ isn’t a bad album, but it’s certainly one of Skindred’s weakest. The band’s willingness to push the boundaries is more than welcome, but when that push is towards mainstream pop/reggae/dubstep that’s lacking in inspiration, you just wish the band would stick to what they know and do best.
Skindred’s latest effort is a bit of a mixed bag, and if truth be told, a bit of a disappointment as a follow up to 2011’s rather impressive ‘Union Black’.

For more information on Skindred, check out - https://www.facebook.com/skindredofficial

© Justin Donnelly

Ginger Wildheart - Albion (Pledge Edition)

Ginger Wildheart
Albion (Pledge Edition)
Round Records

The last three years has without a doubt been the busiest Ginger Wildheart has ever been, with the singer/songwriter releasing no less than six studio albums in that time (2012’s triple album ‘555%’, 2013’s ‘Frankenstein Effect’ and ‘Error 500’ under the guise of Mutation and the self-titled debut effort from his Hey! Hello! Project in 2013). Obviously keen to continue striking while the iron’s still hot, Ginger has returned with his seventh album in three years – this time a solo effort entitled ‘Albion’.
Unlike the studio efforts Ginger has produced in recent times, ‘Albion’ is much more of a collaborative effort, with the album being performed by Ginger’s band from the last couple of years The Ginger Wildheart Band (Who otherwise comprise of vocalist/guitarist Ginger, Eureka Machines vocalist/guitarist/harmonium/percussionist Chris Catalyst, ex-Amen/Black Halos vocalist/guitarist Rich Jones, ex-Tragedy/Hey! Hello! vocalist Victoria Liedtke, ex-Cardiacs/The Wildhearts bassist/guitarist/vocalist/keyboardist ‘Random’ Jon Poole, Evil Arrows keyboardist/vocalist/string arranger Bryan Scary and Losers/Young Legionnaire drummer Dean ‘Denzel’ Pearson). And as you would expect, it’s the band that gives Ginger’s latest album a wholly different sound from what we’ve been offered from Ginger in recent years.
Opening with a riff that sounds like it’s been lifted from The Who’s ‘Baba O’Reilly’, ‘Drive’ quickly transforms into a straight ahead sing along rocker that’s as catchy as anything Ginger has ever written on the solo front (In particular the material on ‘555%’), but with enough twists and turns and differing sounds thrown into the mix to give the song a hugely epic feel. Lyrically, the song is about getting away from it all to find yourself, and really, Ginger couldn’t have picked a more perfect way to start the album both lyrically and musically.
The follow-up track ‘Cambria’ is something completely different altogether to the opener, with the pile-driving heaviness of the verses sounding like it could have slotted on the Mutation albums with considerable ease. But it’s during the choruses that things mellow out (In a Hey! Hello! Kind of way courtesy of Liedtke’s gorgeous vocals), and provide the song schizophrenic duality in full. Initially, the song didn’t grab me. But after a while, it’s certainly become a firm favourite.
‘The Road To Apple Cross’ follows a similar path to the former, albeit with a sound that’s more akin to The Wildhearts in the heavier parts, and a chorus that’s impossible not to sing along too, while Ginger’s ode to depression in ‘Order Of The Dog’ is reminiscent of the sweeping epic soundtrack styled songs found on 2008’s ‘Market Harbour’ with a chorus to match. This track is hands down one of my personal favourites on the album.
‘Chill, Motherfucker Chill’ is a chilled out anthem that is easy on the ears with its pop-like delivery, while Catalyst’s co-lead vocals on the progressive tinged rock anthem ‘Burn This City Down’ managed to deliver something completely new to Ginger’s vast musical repertoire.
One track that I’m not entirely in love with is the first single ‘Body Parts’. Perhaps it’s the deliberately cheesy keyboards, the throwaway lyrics or the somewhat obvious bass lines (There’s a definite nod to The Knack’s ‘My Sharona’), but either way I can’t help but feel that the song is one of the weaker efforts on the album. Another tragic misfire to my ears is the offbeat rocker/Silver Ginger 5-like follow-up track ‘The Beat Goes On (Caledonia)’. It’s not that it’s a bad track as such, but it’s a song that doesn’t grab me in the same way that most of the tracks on ‘Albion’ does.
‘After All You Said About Cowboys’ (Which was initially considered for recording during the sessions for ‘555%’) is the album’s sole ballad, and could have easily slotted on 2007’s ‘Yoni’ with its sparse instrumentation and lush backing vocals, while the disco-tinged full on tongue-in-cheek rocker ‘Grow A Pair’ and the semi-acoustic up-tempo ‘70’s blast of ‘I Need You’ are another couple of personal favourites.
The two minute blast of ‘Capital Anxiety’ is a punked up thrasher that could have easily slotted onto the Mutation albums with considerable ease, which is typically followed up with something completely different with The Beatles influenced/strings enhanced/psychedelic ‘Into This’. If anything, the two tracks side by side show the contrasts and breadth within Ginger’s song writing.
‘Creepers’ is a bit of an oddity in the structural sense, with the six minute track boasting complex arrangements and some great vocal play-offs between Ginger and Liedtke, while the closing title track ‘Albion’ is a lengthy ten minute number that brings to mind The Wildhearts at their most epic, albeit with a greater collection of differing and varying influences (Another borrowed riff from The Who, progressive rock passages, Liedtke’s convincing imitation of ‘30’s girl group vocals, Charlie Chaplin spoken word samples from ‘The Dictator’ and some quirky pop). ‘Creepers’ and ‘Albion’ are by far the album’s strangest and adventurous tracks, but also the best examples of just what Ginger is able to achieve in terms of delivering the unexpected.
As mentioned above, this is a review of the Pledge version of ‘Albion’, which is packaged with a bonus D.V.D.
The D.V.D. is split up into two halves, with the first a compilation of the entire studio updates pledges received about the upcoming ‘The Practical Musician’ album (Which eventually became known as ‘Albion’). Running for a touch over fifty minutes, the updates has its share of insightful moments. But the ones worthy of a special mention is the revisiting of ‘After All You Said About Cowboys’, the piecing together of ‘Body Parts’ and producer Kevin Vanbergen’s reflections as the assistant engineer on The Wildheart’s ‘Endless Nameless’ album from 1997.
The second half of the D.V.D. is ‘Albion – The Road Movie’. Of the two offerings, this is the pick. Over the course of its fifty-three minute running time, Ginger takes the viewer on a journey around the British coastline for three weeks (Albion is the oldest known name for the island of Great Britain), with the aim of finding inspiration for some new material (The aim was to write twenty-four tracks in twenty-four days!). There’s plenty of highlights, but those worthy of singling out include a quick first draft run through ‘Drive’, a rough rendition of Steve Earl’s ‘Valentine’s Day’ and Ginger’s brief rundown through his nightly/morning rituals.
Overall, ‘Albion’ is another triumph for Ginger as a song writer, and a credit to the talent that lies within the members of The Ginger Wildheart Band.

For more information on Ginger Wildheart, check out - https://www.facebook.com/officialginger.

© Justin Donnelly.

Crosson - Spreading The Rock ‘N’ Roll Disease

Crosson
Spreading The Rock ‘N’ Roll Disease
Galaxy Records

For an outfit that’s been doing the rounds for the better part of the last eight years, and have two previous releases to their name (2008’s ‘We Are The Future’ and 2011’s ‘Dreamer’), I’m surprised that I haven’t heard Sydney (Australia) based outfit Crosson before now. But as they say, it’s better late than never and here I am with Crosson’s latest E.P. effort ‘Spreading The Rock ‘N’ Roll Disease’.
Crosson (Who comprise of band members vocalist/guitarist Jason Crosson, guitarist Joel McDonald, bassist/backing vocalist John Katirtsides, drummer Jordan McDonald and backing vocalist Amanda Easton) have described themselves as theatrical rock, and if you were to judge a book by its cover, then they wouldn’t be far off the mark. But if you delve a little deeper and listen to what the band have to offer, then you’ll find it’s something completely different altogether.
The opening title track ‘Spreading The Rock ‘N’ Roll Disease’ gives a clear indication of what kind of music Crosson has to offer listeners, and it’s hard rock with a distinctly ‘80’s edge. But while it sounds appealing, Crosson don’t quite pull it off completely. Sure, the guitar solo is noteworthy, and the reverse cymbal effects during the breakdown is a cool blast from the past (I’m thinking of a track from Poison, and delivered courtesy of legendary mixer Duane Baron), but overall the song sounds flat and generic (Particularly on the lyrical front). Crosson’s vocals don’t help matters much with his Doc Neeson (The Angels) like snarl, which is at best, something that takes some getting used to.
The follow-up track ‘All About The Music’ (Which is the first promotional video clip filmed from the E.P.) fares a little better than the opener with its Kiss-like influences and female backing vocals, but is dragged down with Crosson’s lower register vocals (Which brings to mind a poor man’s Andrew Eldritch), while ‘Lies’, although still adhering to standard ‘80’s hard rock clichés, is without a doubt the strongest cut on the E.P. with its catchy anthem-like choruses and solid riffs.
Despite the band’s best attempts to keep the consistency of the former track flowing through to ‘Take Another Shot’, the song drifts without anything remarkable being added to make it stand out, while the attempt at adding a punk touch to ‘Taxman’ on the vocals is a complete disaster.
Finishing up the E.P. is ‘I’m Not Afraid’, which is again a good example of the lead guitar work on the E.P. that’s executed with class, but also the lack of song writing finesse to back it up.
While the band don’t take themselves too serious, it has to be said that the song writing is cliché and unremarkable, and Crosson’s vocals are sometimes hard to take.
In the end, I can’t say that ‘Spreading The Rock N Roll Disease’ is entirely terrible. It has its moments, even if they only appear briefly. But at the end of the day, this is hardly the kind of release that I’m likely to play after writing up this review, and that says more about the E.P. than anything else I could possible add here.

For more information on Crosson, check out - http://www.crosson.com.au/.

© Justin Donnelly.

Wicked City - Worsted Yarn

Wicked City
Worsted Yarn
Independent Release

Long running Brunswick (Melbourne, Victoria, Australia) based heavy/stoner/punk/grunge rock outfit Wicked City have been long absent from the studio since the release of their second full-length album ‘With Wings’ (Which was released through Impedance Records) way back in 2009. But after a self imposed hiatus (Although the trio did release a bits and pieces/curio collection last year entitled ‘Jams, Ideas, Gags’ for fans), the band is back with their long awaited third full-length effort ‘Worsted Yarn’. And it’s another impressive slab of the band’s unpredictable brand of rock ‘n’ roll.
Wicked City (Who comprise of guitarist/vocalist Nick Grammenos, bassist/vocalist Patto Warner and drummer/lead vocalist Paddy Millman) launch their latest album with ‘Applegate’, which begins with a series of angular riffs, a thumping bass line and plenty of melody on the vocal front to keep the track somewhat on track for the listener. The band makes good use of incorporating highs and lows in both instrumentation and vibe, which helps to emphasise the band’s powerful array of dynamics. Quite simply, ‘Applegate’ is an explosive opener that showcases the band’s musicianship.
The follow on track ‘Slipstream’ is a fast paced effort that fuses elements of stoner groove and punk, and is perhaps one of the album’s more immediate tracks, while ‘Dog’s Life’ is a bludgeoning, raucous and somewhat odd stoner grooved tune that has the band turning things up a notch on the volume side of the musical equation, but keeping things melodic enough (Particularly in regards to the short but sweet guitar solos) to retain the listeners attention throughout.
‘Dead Friends’ is a slow burning turn towards doom territory, and is one of the rare tracks on the album that doesn’t quite hit the mark for me. Perhaps it’s the repetitiveness of the riff, the slow moving pace or the echoed effects on the vocals, but either way, the song doesn’t quite have ideas or changes in tempo to really go anywhere in general.
Things pick up with the shorter, fast paced and sci-fi themed ‘Planet X’, while the lengthy ‘Badlands’ is a perfect example of where the band allows themselves to stretch out and incorporate a wide variety of ideas into the one song to create a mini-epic of sorts. Shades of psychedelic rock, grunge and stoner grooves (Early Kyuss comes to mind in places) can be heard through the track’s seven minutes, and while it all sounds a little confused and messy, Wicked City manage to make it sound natural and free flowing throughout.
Like ‘Dog’s Life’, the punk influenced grunge-like ‘Grindstone’ is another immediate track for listeners with its fairly straightforward song writing framework and musical/vocal accompaniment, while the closer ‘Violent Mind’ is stylistically not to dissimilar to the opener with the song featuring plenty of ebb and flow on the dynamics front, but with a twisted aggression on the vocal front to add an air of menace to send the album off in a unhinged fashion.
Wicked City has never been the kind of band to cater to the masses. Their music isn’t always easy to dissect, and takes time to fully appreciate. But once you get your head around the music, it’s not hard to see why the band is hailed as one of the best outfits within the Melbourne underground scene.
It’s taken Wicked City a long time to return with their third album, but there’s no doubt that it’s a big step up from what was offered on ‘With Wings’, and an album worth seeking out.

For more information on Wicked City, check out - https://www.facebook.com/wickedcitymelbs

© Justin Donnelly

Brainstorm - Firesoul (Limited Edition)

Brainstorm
Firesoul (Limited Edition)
AFM Records

If there’s one word that sums up Brainstorm’s output over the last seventeen years, it would be consistent. Although the German power metal outfit has occasionally experimented outside of its comfort zone, it has to be said that the band have yet to release an album that would be considered a complete disaster. Following on from 2011’s ‘On The Spur Of The Moment’, the five piece outfit (Comprising of ex-Ivanhoe/Symphorce vocalist Andy B. Franck, guitarists/backing vocalists Torsten Ihlenfeld and Milan Loncaric, bassist Antonio Ieva and drummer Dieter Bernert) are back with tenth full-length effort ‘Firesoul’.
According to the band, 2014 marks the band’s twenty-fifth anniversary, even though the band didn’t officially release their first album until 1997 (‘Hungry’). While some may debate the merits of the band’s anniversary, there’s no denying that ‘Firesoul’ is a worthy release to mark the occasion – especially in light of the direction the band took their sound over the last few releases.
The band gets the album underway in a particularly heavy fashion with the opening track ‘Erased By The Dark’, which is everything you would expect from Brainstorm, and then some! Franck is in exceptional form in terms of projecting power and offering soaring melodies, while the band pounds out some meaty riffs and driving rhythms to compliment the vocal efforts. The subtle keyboard orchestration (Delivered by long-time keyboard contributor Michael ‘Miro’ Rodenberg) adds an epic touch to proceedings, which only adds to the song’s overall powerful sound.
The title track ‘Firesoul’ is an instant favourite with its riff driven framing and Franck’s incredible melodies (The dual vocals Franck provides on this track are really impressive), while follow-up efforts ‘Descendants Of The Fire’, ‘Shadowseeker’, ‘Feed Me Lies’ and the darker toned ‘What Grows Inside’ represent some faster paced songs that boast the classic Brainstorm sound that fans have come to expect from the band over the years.
On the moodier and slower side of things, Brainstorm are no less potent, with the traditional metal anthem ‘Entering Solitude’, the outstanding ‘The Chosen’ (Which again sees the use of keyboard orchestration to give the song an epic feel) and the soaring melodic power of the album closer ‘...And I Wonder’ all showcasing a real return to form for Brainstorm on their tenth album.
In fact the only track that didn’t sit all that well with me was ‘Recall The Real’, which is a good song, but hindered with some rather awkward choral vocal efforts from Franck.
As mentioned above, this is a review for the limited edition version of ‘Firesoul’, which comes with an additional two tracks on the first disc. The first is ‘Disappeared’, which is an O.K. sounding faster paced track, but falls short on hitting the mark on the chorus front. The second effort is ‘Strangled’, which is a great track with its heavy riffing, dark vibe and powerful melodies. Although the feel of the song wouldn’t have fit perfectly with the album as a whole, as a bonus, it’s certainly a worthy track to seek out.
The limited edition version of ‘Firesoul’ also comes with a bonus live disc entitled ‘…12 Moments To Remember - Live At The BYH!?’, which as the title suggests, is an official live bootleg recording of the band’s 2011 performance from the renown German festival Bang Your Head!.
Anyone who’s been fortunate enough to catch the band playing live (Or has otherwise seen their live D.V.D. ‘Honey From The B’s (Beasting Around The Bush)’ from 2007), will know that Brainstorm can deliver on stage what they do on album, and this recording is no exception. Although the whole disc is of great quality, highlights include ‘Hollow Hideaway’, ‘Shiva’s Tears’, ‘All Those Words’ and ‘How Do You Feel’.
Brainstorm have always been a consistent and solid act, even if the band’s last few releases have seen the band stray a little from the sound that fans have hailed as the band’s true sound. But with ‘Firesoul’, the band have returned to form in a major way, and given fans an album that’s sure to be hailed as one of their finest since 2005’s ‘Liquid Monster’.

For more information on Brainstorm, check out - https://www.facebook.com/officialbrainstorm.

© Justin Donnelly.

Armageddon Rev. 16:16 - Sundown On Humanity

Armageddon Rev. 16:16
Sundown On Humanity
Pitch Black Records

Armageddon Rev. 16:16 (Or simply Armageddon as they were originally called back in their formative years) is a band that has earned a reputation as one of the true founding acts within the underground Cyprus metal scene. Founded way back in 1984 (Initially starting out as a covers band called Heavy Duty), the band soon gained a cult following with the release of a couple of demo efforts (The first in 1987, and the follow-up in 1988), before making their mark with the release of their debut E.P. effort ‘Rev. 16:16’ in 1991. But despite the critical acclaim following the release of their debut effort, it would be another eight years before Armageddon Rev. 16:16 would release their follow-up E.P. ‘Spoils Of Conflict’. But with a change of tastes within the metal scene, and the relative unknown label the E.P. was released on (Bologna Rock City Records), both the band and the E.P. soon faded into obscurity. However, rather than completely disappear, the band’s status grew and after an absence of fifteen years, Armageddon Rev. 16:16 (Who now comprise of original vocalist Jimmy Mavrommatis, founder/lead guitarist Kikis A. Apostolou, and new rhythm guitarist Elias A. Andreou, bassist Nikolas Papaeftychiou and drummer Kerry Elgar) have returned to the scene, and released their first full-length effort in ‘Sundown On Humanity’.
The album begins with a suitably dramatic and orchestrated instrumental piece entitled ‘E.K. 40 (Intro)’, which eventually makes way for the first official track ‘Human Sundown’. It’s with this track that Armageddon Rev. 16:16 really showcase their take on the progressive/power metal sound. And it’s quite good. The guitar riffs are weighty enough to give the band a heavy and gritty sound, while the keyboards (Provided by Firewind’s Bob Katsionis, who also mastered and mixed the album) add a sense of drama to proceedings. Mavrommatis’ can take a little getting used to, but in general, manages to suit the music provided rather than go against the grain.
‘Shades Of Tomorrow’ is definitely an early stand-out on the first half of the album with its catchy chorus, varied tempos and impressive solo brackets, while the fast paced ‘Strange Dreams’ and the rather heavy ‘Fallen Angels And Lost Souls’ (Which features guest vocals from Blynd’s Andreas Paraschos) are solid follow-up efforts that show the diversity of the band’s overall sound.
Unfortunately, as strong as the album begins, the band can’t seem to retain the same level of consistency throughout the album. Although solid on the musical front, the up-tempo ‘Hypocrites Of Destruction’ sounds like its been torn in two completely different directions style wise, while ‘New Day Will Come’, ‘Why’ (Which starts out with a somewhat familiar Scorpions sounding whistle), and the cliché metallic inspired anthems of ‘United’ (Which features guest vocals from R.U.S.T.’s Tasos Karonias and Arrayan Path’s Nicholas Leptos) and ‘Heavy Metal’ just don’t hit the mark on the song writing front.
‘13-Seventh Eleven’ is a little stronger, with the band exploring the progressive side of their sound a little more, while the closer ‘Icy Blackness (Kursk)’ (Which features a guest guitar solo from Katsionis and Solitary Sabred’s Petros Leptos providing the song’s narration) is an impressive mix of the progressive and the thrashing, and therefore is easily another stand out.
Overall, ‘Sundown On Humanity’ is a solid album, but marred by a running length that is a little on the long side of things, and some fillers that bog down the middle of the album.
But despite the obvious issues, I can’t see ‘Sundown On Humanity’ doing any harm to Armageddon Rev. 16:16’s reputation as one of Cyprus’ truly enduring metal founders.

For more information on Armageddon Rev. 16:16, check out - https://www.facebook.com/Armageddonmetalcy

© Justin Donnelly

IQ - The Road Of Bones (Special Edition)

IQ
The Road Of Bones (Special Edition)
Giant Electric Pea

I’ve been a fan of U.K. (Southampton) based outfit IQ for some years now, and given how much I loved their last release - 2009’s ‘Frequency’ – and the rather lengthy gap between studio releases (The band has kept fans on their toes with a couple of live albums, a live D.V.D. and a couple of anniversary reissues in the meantime), I was really looking forward to the return of the long running neo-progressive rock outfit.
Returning with their eleventh studio effort ‘The Road Of Bones’, IQ have once again produced another solid release, but one that strangely manages to disappoint as much as it does satisfy. A change within the ranks of IQ isn’t necessarily a new thing for the band, and once again, they have had a change of guard since their last visit to the studio. Vocalist Peter Nicholls and guitarist Mike Holmes are the only surviving members from the ‘Frequency’ line-up, with former members in founder/bassist Tim Esau and drummer Paul Cook returning to the fold. The only new member making their IQ debut this time around is keyboardist Neil Durant, who otherwise came from the instrumental progressive/fusion outfit Sphere3. And while the change in line-up is one of the biggest shake up’s we’ve seen between IQ releases, it has to be said that it hasn’t altered the sound of the band in any way that will have long time fans up in arms.
The first disc of this double C.D. special edition version of ‘The Road Of Bones’ is actually a conceptually based affair. The concept is centred on the point of view from a serial killer on a murder spree. It’s a dark theme, and not surprisingly, that translates atmospherically through to the music accompanying the opening track ‘From The Outside In’. Starting out with atmospheric keyboards and a sample from Bela Lugosi, the song soon falls into a thick guitar/bass driven groove alongside Nicholls’ distinctive melodic vocals. Overall, the song is a darker and heavier take on the familiar IQ sound, which works quite well for the band. However, it has to be said that the stripped back song writing approach does mean that the song does lack a little variation, which does have a tendency to make the song drag a little longer than it should.
Next up is the title track ‘The Road Of Bones’, which not unlike the opener, begins with a fairly gentle No-Man like intro with Nicholls backed with some haunting keyboards. It takes a while for the song’s brooding vibe to build up, but when it does (Around the six minute mark); it does in a huge way. But as good as the song is it’s the same issues that plagued the opener that can be found at fault here. The song is a little on the long side, and the changes in tempo are minimal, which gives the impression that the band has stripped things back a little too much at times.
Clocking in at just a touch over the nineteen minute mark, there’s no denying that ‘Without Walls’ is the big centrepiece of the album. Unlike the two former tracks, IQ do mix things up here, with shades of latter era Genesis heard in the beginning, before delving into heavier terrain in the middle section. Holmes really stands out with his guitar work throughout the song (Bringing to the fore his Steve Hackett influences), while Durant’s diverse array of keyboard sounds gives the song plenty of diverse sounds. Although far from a perfect track (The song doesn’t seem to flow all the time, and it’s still a touch too long for its own good), it’s certainly one of the album’s stronger moments.
‘Ocean’ provides a bit of a breather towards the tail end of the album, and brings to mind ‘Closer’ from their last album, albeit with the full band backing Nicholls’ emotive voice, and perhaps not as memorable on the melody front.
Finishing up the album is ‘Until The End’, which is hands down the real shining moment on the album. It’s on this track that IQ throw everything they can into their song writing, and manage to produce a song that manages to avoid the issues that hamper the bulk of the album. It’s also quite a diverse offering on the sound front as well, with some middle-eastern themes thrown in amongst some early era Genesis influences, while the intro and the tail end is a perfect example of Durant’s contribution to the band’s sound, and how well he fits alongside both Nicholls and Holmes.
As I mentioned earlier, ‘The Road Of Bones’ is an album that both satisfies and disappoints in equal measure. But not in the way you might think, because while I liked ‘The Road Of Bones’, I couldn’t help but feel a little letdown by the album after the brilliance of ‘Frequency’. But here’s the strange part of the equation – I actually feel that the bonus disc is a far stronger collection of songs than the album itself!
The opening track on the bonus disc is ‘Knucklehead’, and it’s possibly one of my favourite songs from either disc. It’s uncharacteristically heavy for IQ, and it works a treat. Nicholls’ biting lyrics and vocal delivery matches the harshly delivered music perfectly, and gives the overall song an intensity that’s rarely ever heard from IQ.
The instrumental piece ‘1312 Overture’ (Which bears its name from its time signature and Tchaikovsky’s ‘1812 Overture’) is a great showcase of the band’s progressive leanings, and should have perhaps served as the opening track for ‘The Road Of Bones’ in my opinion.
Despite its misleading electronic driven rhythmic opening, ‘Constellations’ turns out to be a seriously strong track that could have slotted onto the official album if it wasn’t so upbeat, while the mellow ‘Fall And Rise’ is another classy effort from the band with its fretless bass, oriental influences and dominant acoustic sounds. But what makes the latter so interesting is that it shows a completely different sound. Needless to say, it’s exclusion from the album is not all that surprising.
Although interesting, ‘Ten Million Demons’ is again an experiment into uncharted sound territory for IQ – but a venture that doesn’t quite work. Somewhere within the Pink Floyd/Underworld influenced track there’s a great song, but it sounds like it needed a little more work to coax it out.
Finishing up the bonus disc is ‘Hardcore’, which is another dark and heavy sounding effort that begins with an almost Porcupine Tree sounding introduction, before finishing up with a lengthy instrumental section that relies more on acoustic atmospherics and a natural flow of different instruments rather than heavy guitar riffs and densely layered keyboards.
Overall, it has to be said that the bonus disc is an interesting addition to ‘The Road Of Bones’, and well worth getting.
In the end, ‘The Road Of Bones’ is a good album, but a little flat sounding. The band’s performance can be faulted, and the production (Handled by Holmes) gives the band their best sound to date. But where the band fails is their unwillingness to broaden their song writing to add a bit of spice to their songs. Instead, ideas are thinned out and stretched, which makes the album sound like its dragging in places, and overly long at times. The opposite can be said for the bonus disc, where most of the tracks showcase a far more diverse array of ideas and sounds – even if sometimes they don’t quite work.
For diehard fans, ‘The Road Of Bones’ will no doubt be a must. But for me personally, ‘The Road Of Bones’ is a little underwhelming after the brilliance of ‘Frequency’.

For more information on IQ, check out - http://www.iq-hq.co.uk/

© Justin Donnelly

Mekong Delta - In A Mirror Darkly

Mekong Delta
In A Mirror Darkly
Steamhammer/S.P.V.

Mekong Delta is without a doubt one of the most criminally overlooked progressive thrash metal outfits on the scene today. Despite a history that has spanned more than twenty-five years (Admittedly, the band went on hiatus between 1996 and 2007), and universal critical acclaim for each and every one of their album’s released, the German based band still remains relatively unknown to most outside their cult underground following. But that hasn’t stopped them from doing what they do best, and four years after the release of ‘Wanderer On The Edge Of Time’ (Excluding 2012’s ‘Intersections’, which was an album of re-recorded/reworked tracks), Mekong Delta has returned with eleventh full-length effort ‘In A Mirror Darkly’.
Although described as a continuation of the themes that were previously explored on ‘Wanderer On The Edge Of Time’, it has to be said that ‘In A Mirror Darkly’ is in no way a mere carbon copy of its predecessor. If anything, the band (Who comprised of Lalu/Tomorrow’s Eve vocalist Martin ‘LeMar’ Rammel, guitarist Erik ‘Adam H.’ Grösch, bassist/classical guitarist/group founder Ralph ‘Ralf’ Hubert and ex-Annihilator/Axxis/At Vance drummer Alex Landenburg) has really gelled in their six years together, and the album stands alone as unique, while delivering all the core elements you would otherwise expect from a Mekong Delta release.
The album is introduced via the classical guitar piece ‘Introduction’, which is essentially a showcase of Hubert’s lifelong passion for classical music (Which has had an influence on Mekong Delta’s vast body of work in the past). As ‘Introduction’ closes, the band quickly follows up with ‘Ouverture’, which is an instrumental piece of thrash metal that allows the band to demonstrate their skills on their respective instruments, and their ability to write a tune that boasts complexity and is melodic in equal measure.
It isn’t until ‘The Armageddon Machine’ that Rammel enters the fray, and his appearance certainly has an immediate impact. Despite the rather frantic and chaotic nature of the music itself, Rammel manages to inject just the right amount of power and melody into the song to really give it an immediacy that makes it stand out as a favourite. Although being in the band for some time now, Rammel adds a real element of power and melody to the band’s harsh/aggressive thrashing sounds, and now more than ever, sounds completely in synch with the band.
The band slows things down with the dramatic ‘The Sliver In Gods Eye’, but still manages to keep the intensity within the song with a gradual build that gathers momentum as it proceeds on. Rammel’s again stands out on the vocal front, with his performance at times bringing to mind early era Geoff Tate (Ex-Queensrÿche) in places with the heavily layered and effective backing vocals.
On ‘Janus’, Mekong Delta once again return to familiar terrain with the song a progressive thrash epic that allows everyone within the band to showcase their talents. But while the song is a little chaotic and scattered (Almost everything is thrown in over its six and a half minutes in length), there’s a groove and melody that links everything together for the listener, which again proves that while Mekong Delta are nothing short of incredible musicians, they’re also capable song writer’s too.
If there’s one definitive stand out on the album, it has to be ‘Inside The Outside Of The Inside’. Not unlike the former track, ‘Inside The Outside Of The Inside’ is a progressive/thrash metal piece that is constantly twisting and turning. But there’s something about the arrangement of the riffs, the intertwining tandem guitar work, Landenburg’s ever-present fills and the overall energetic tempos and catchiness of the song that really makes it stand out.
Although Rammel manages to impress throughout ‘In A Mirror Darkly’, his best performance can be found on ‘Hindsight Bias’. Again, his ability to get a melodic foothold within Mekong Delta’s thrashing sonic soundscape is nothing short of astounding. And what he’s managed to produce on this track is amazing.
Finishing up the album is ‘Mutant Messiah’, which sounds like a natural continuation of the former track, only with more venom and aggression thrown into the mix to close things out with a blistering finale.
Although not straying too far from what the band delivered on their last couple of releases, it has to be said that ‘In A Mirror Darkly’ does stand out on its own. The production (Handled by Hubert) is notably better than ever before, and the album seems to flow better than previous efforts as well (‘Wanderer On The Edge Of Time’ is one of the more obvious examples that comes to mind).
In fact, the only real obvious flaw I can find with Mekong Delta’s latest effort is the cover artwork.
Overall, ‘In A Mirror Darkly’ is exactly what you would expect from a Mekong Delta album. It’s progressive, thrashing, forward thinking, complex, melodic and an impeccably performed piece of art, and one that deserves more attention than it will most likely attract.

For more information on Mekong Delta, check out - http://www.mekongdelta.eu/

© Justin Donnelly

Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society - Catacombs Of The Black Vatican

Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society
Catacombs Of The Black Vatican
Bullet Proof AU/Universal Music Australia

Over the last fifteen years, Los Angeles (California, U.S.) based southern/groove metal outfit Black Label Society has amassed a diehard following through relentless touring, and a prolific output of studio/live releases that has maintained a fairly consistent standard for the most part. Four years after the release of the band’s return to form effort ‘Order Of The Black’ (Particularly when compared the two lacklustre efforts that preceded the album – Namely 2005’s ‘Mafia’ and 2006’s ‘Shot To Hell’), vocalist/guitarist/song writer/group founder Zakk Wylde has once again assembled his brothers in arms and returned with Black Label Society’s ninth full-length effort ‘Catacombs Of The Black Vatican’. Given how strong their last release was, I had high expectations of ‘Catacombs Of The Black Vatican’. And while it’s not quite up to the same high standard of their former release, Black Label Society’s latest offering is at least one of the group’s stronger efforts.
Black Label Society (Who consist of Wylde, bassist/mixer/associate producer John ‘JD’ DeServio and ex-Breaking Benjamin/Scott Strapp drummer Chad Szeliga) get the album off to a surprisingly slow start, with the opener ‘Fields Of Unforgiveness’ sounding reminiscent of Alice In Chains in both tempo and overall feel. But despite the comparisons, ‘Fields Of Unforgiveness’ is still typically Black Label Society, albeit in a slower, darker and more groove orientated direction.
The single ‘My Dying Time’ continues the same downbeat vibe of the opener with a touch of southern rock thrown into the mix on the vocal front (Which brings to mind 2003’s ‘Stillborn’), while the faith driven ‘Believe’ sees Wylde turn up the amps a little with some heavy duty Black Sabbath inspired riffing shining through.
‘Angel Of Mercy’ is the first acoustic based number on the album, and it’s certainly one of the album’s really shining moments. Sounding like a natural successor to 2013’s predominately acoustic based effort ‘Unblackened’, this track wouldn’t have sounded out of place on 1995’s ‘Book Of Shadows’. The same can be said for ‘Scars’, which is another particular favourite on the album.
Both ‘Heart Of Darkness’, ‘I’ve Gone Away’ and ‘Beyond The Down’ are typical Black Label Society riff led efforts, and in all honesty, are the album’s filler-like moments. Although good, these songs don’t sound particularly inspiring on the song writing front. The same problem can be pointed at ‘Shades Of Gray’, which is a rarity given that Wylde’s acoustic based efforts are generally of a high standard.
‘Damn The Flood’ and the rhythmic/percussion driven ‘Empty Promises’ both stand out as the definitive cuts on the harder edged side of things this time around, and rival anything from ‘Order Of The Black’. Towards the tail end of the album, Wylde channels Black Sabbath in the driving ‘Dark Side Of The Sun’, before closing the album with the slower paced and inspired effort ‘Hell And Fire’.
Black Label Society’s ethos can be summed up as ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it...’. And ‘Catacombs Of The Black Vatican’ lives up to that philosophy. It’s another Black Label Society album, and one that is somewhat similar to those before it. The only real difference is that while it doesn’t quite hit the mark for me like ‘Order Of The Black’ did, it still easily stands as one of the strongest efforts the band has released in years.

For more information on Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, check out - https://www.facebook.com/blacklabelsociety

© Justin Donnelly

Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

Triptykon
Melana Chasmata
Prowling Death Records/Century Media Records

When Thomas Gabriel Fischer emerged with the debut offering from his new outfit Triptykon (2010’s ‘Eparistera Daimones’), it’s fair to say that the album divided fans’ opinions. Now returning after a lengthy four years away, the Zurich (Switzerland) based outfit Triptykon (Comprising of vocalist/guitarist/programmer Fischer, Dark Fortress/Celtic Frost touring guitarist/album co-producer V. Santura, bassist Vanja Šlajh and ex-Fear My Thoughts drummer Norman Lonhard) are back with their highly anticipated sophomore effort ‘Melana Chasmata’.
Not unlike ‘Goetia’ on their previous album, ‘Tree Of Suffocating Souls’ kicks off the album in a brutal fashion, with Fischer and Santura delivering some truly hard hitting riffs in the fast paced track, while the production (Handled by Fischer and Santura) allows the bass and drumming to penetrate the guitar mix with perfection, and allows the heaviness of the band’s sound to deliver a crushing blow. But what really makes ‘Tree Of Suffering Souls’ rise above a track like ‘Goetia’ is the notable lack of unnecessary padding. This track sounds incredibly streamlined and purpose built, with the experimental guitar tones and the dual spoken/growled vocals adding to the song’s overall grim vibe rather than simply sounding tacked on (Which was an obvious flaw to some of the tracks featured on ‘Eparistera Daimones’).
The follow up track ‘Boleskine House’ takes on a completely different path musically to that of the opener, with the bass driven/gothic tinged track slowing down the pace to a near crawl, but still retaining a suffocating and haunting atmosphere with its dense guitar work, clean female vocals (Courtesy of long time Fischer collaborator Simone Vollenweider) and the occasional growled effort.
‘Altar Of Deceit’, while maintaining the lumbering pace of the former, is a perfect example of the sound that Fischer has perfected over the years. The crushing heaviness in the guitars on this dooming/sludge-like black metal tinged effort is as crushing as it is slow, but still manages to have enough deviations on the musical front to keep the listener engage throughout. Not surprising, the catchy chorus and vocals from Fischer bring to mind ‘Monotheist’ (2006) era Celtic Frost.
‘Breathing’ (The first single lifted from the album) retains the Celtic Frost vibe with its thrashing/speed induced sound and vicious demeanour, and will no doubt stand out for most listeners, while on ‘Aurorae’, the band take the template previously heard on ‘Shatter’ (2010) and push it further into post-rock territory. While the description sounds strange, it works exceedingly well when the end result is heard. Fischer’s monotone spoken word vocals coupled with clean guitars evokes an eerie atmospheric vibe throughout, and the searing guitar solo at the tail end is the perfect way to finish thing. Although some may disapprove, I think it’s a real experiment into the unknown for the band, and a definite highlight on the album.
‘Demon Pact’ (Which features contributions from Odem Arcarum/Secrets Of The Moon guitarist Michael Zech) is a bit of an oddity on the album with its overtly industrialised Apollyon Sun feel, and tends to plod along without any real change. If there’s a song that fails to really go anywhere, it’s this track.
While tackling the same terrain as the former track, ‘In The Sleep Of Death’ is a far superior effort with its variations coming from dual vocal contributions (Fischer’s angular spoken word efforts and Santura ravaged guttural growls) and the shift towards heavier and denser sounds around its second half. The same could be said for the epic on the album ‘Black Snow’ too, which despite its twelve minutes, still maintains the listener’s full attention with menacing feel, crushing doom-like riffs, duality of vocals throughout and it’s largely avant-garde like instrumental tail end.
Finishing up the album is the haunting ‘Waiting’, which sees the return of Vollenweider in what could be described as a gentler tune with its fair share of experimental moments compared to what fans would expect from Triptykon.
In a lot of ways, Tryptikon’s new album doesn’t stray too far from where the band last left listeners some four years ago. Their mix of dooming/blackened death metal with straight out experimentation is still very much present throughout ‘Melana Chasmata’. And really, you wouldn’t expect anything less from Fischer. But what does separate their debut from their latest effort is Fischer’s emphasis on maintaining a mood or vibe within each of the album’s nine offerings, and ensuring that each track stands on its own as much as they do as a whole.
Some fans may feel that ‘Melana Chasmata’ is too drawn out and lacking any real move forward musically for the band. But for the rest of us, this album is a worthy follow-up to ‘Eparistera Daimones’, and quite possibly one of 2014’s finest releases.

For more information on Triptykon, check out - http://www.triptykon.net/

© Justin Donnelly

Winger - Better Days Comin’

Winger
Better Days Comin’
Frontiers Records

Given that I was a fan of Winger back in the late ‘80’s, I was curious to see what the band had to offer fans when they decided to reunite after going their separate ways in 1994. But despite being a fan of the various members’ solo output throughout the years, I wasn’t all that impressed with Winger’s 2006 comeback album ‘IV’. It was far from what you would call a complete disaster, but it hardly qualified as one of the band’s more memorable efforts. Despite my disappointment towards ‘IV’, I did check out the band’s follow up studio effort ‘Karma’ (2009), and found that while the band’s past is often ridiculed and overlooked, their present output is a class above most so called hard rock acts.
Over the last five years, vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Kip Winger has been focused on his solo career and score work, while guitarist/backing vocalist Reb Beach has been kept busy with Whitesnake. And then there’s guitarist/backing vocalist John Roth, who has been on the road and in the studio with Starship and drummer Rod Morgenstein, who spends his time teaching as a professor at Berklee College Of Music. But as luck would have it, the various members managed to get their busy schedules to line up, which has resulted in Winger’s new album in ‘Better Days Comin’’. And for the most part, the band’s sixth studio effort is a worthy follow-up to the band’s highly acclaimed last album.
Winger starts the album off in heavy rock fashion with the opening track ‘Midnight Driver Of A Love Machine’. Beginning with some effects that bring to mind Kiss’ ‘Detroit Rock City’ (1976), the song soon shifts into high gear courtesy of Beach’s solid riffing and Kip Winger’s signature crooning vocals. Heavy enough to rock hard, and yet catchy enough to sing along to (Courtesy of Kip’s infectious melodies and backing vocals), ‘Midnight Driver Of A Love Machine’ is everything you could ask for from Winger.
The follow-up track ‘Queen Babylon’ sees the band maintaining the heavier edge of the opening track (Albeit with a slower tempo) without forsaking any of the band’s trademark melody, while the first single ‘Rat Race’ is without a doubt one of the most adrenaline fuelled rockers Winger have ever produced, and a true showcase of the combined talents of Kip on vocals and Beach on guitars.
The title track ‘Better Days Comin’’ is an interesting detour into grunge/funk territory that locks into bass heavy groove with a killer chorus, while on ‘Tin Soldier’, the band’s progressive side to showcased a little more (And stylistically more in line with 1993’s ‘Pull’ direction wise), and proves once again that behind the visual and sonic façade, Winger boasts some truly talented musical individuals.
No Winger album is ever complete without some slower tracks, and ‘Better Days Comin’’ is no exception. ‘Ever Wonder’ is a solid addition to Winger’s long list of ballad-like efforts, but it’s the psychedelic/Beatles tinged ‘Be Who You Are, Now’ that really stands out of the two.
Returning to more orientated terrain is the melodic ‘So Long China’, the heavy/groove/angst driven ‘Storm In Me’ and the guitar driven ‘Another Beautiful Day’, before the band closes things with the soaring ‘Blind Revolution Mad’ (‘Pull’) like ‘Out Of This World’.
‘Karma’ was a step up from ‘IV’ for Winger in terms of song writing. And while ‘Better Days Comin’’ isn’t a huge departure from what you would generally expect from Winger, it’s at the very least on par with the best the band have ever offered up fans  the past – and that’s the heaviness of ‘Pull’ combined with the classiness of ‘Karma’. What more could a Winger fan ask for really?

For more information on Winger, check out - http://www.wingertheband.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Vanishing Point - Distant Is The Sun

Vanishing Point
Distant Is The Sun
Surreal Records/Rockstar Records

Despite being around for close to twenty years (The band formed way back in 1995), Melbourne (Victoria) based outfit Vanishing Point aren’t quite the household name they should be, given the consistency of their output in that time. While there’s no doubting of their highly regarded place within the Australian progressive/power metal scene alongside fellow outfits Black Majesty and Eyefear, it’s the band’s continued line-up changes and the lengthy gaps between releases that has at times been to the band’s detriment in keeping their name in the minds of followers outside their diehard fan base. So it comes as no surprise to see the band return after a seven year absence with ‘Distant Is The Sun’, which is their long awaited follow-up to 2007’s ‘The Fourth Season’ and only their fifth full-length release overall.
As expected, some changes have been made since they last graced listeners with something new, with vocalist Silvio Massaro, guitarist Chris Porcianko and drummer Christian Nativo the only surviving members from all those years ago. Joining the trio this time around is Drop Forged guitarist James ‘Bushy’ Maier and ex-Envenomed bassist Simon Best. And as you would expected, the new line-up assembled has had its effect on Vanishing Point’s sound on the new album.
The album opens up with the short ‘Beyond Redemption (Intro)’, which sees the band incorporate piano and spoken word samples into a dramatic introductory piece that seamlessly moves into the follow-up track ‘King Of Empty Promises’. If there’s one track that sums up everything that Vanishing Point stands for in the musical sense, it’s this one. Fast paced, and fusing elements of progressive and power metal perfectly, ‘King Of Empty Promises’ is hard hitting, epic sounding (Again, Porcianko’s underlining orchestral mix of keyboards and choral effects help emphasise the heavy guitars and drumming efforts) and extremely catchy (Courtesy of Massaro’s impressive vocals and melodies).
The title track ‘Distant Is The Sun’ sees the band slowing things down a little, but still manage to pack a punch on the groove front. Once again, Massaro really impresses on the vocal front with a killer chorus, while Teramaze guitarist Dean Wells provides the song with an inspired guest solo performance.
Despite the orchestration sounding a little too heavy handed in places, ‘When Truth Lies’ is a solid number with some well crafted melodies, while ‘Circle Of Fire’ sees Massaro teaming up with Sonata Arctica vocalist Tony Kakko on what is honestly an O.K. track, but far from a highlight on the album.
The real shining moment on the album can be found in ‘Let The River Run’. Sounding a little out of place on the album with its ‘80’s hard rock/heavy ballad vibe, ‘Let The River Run’ is hands down the album’s catchiest tune (A credit to Massaro once again), and something you wouldn’t normally expect from Vanishing Point. And that’s a good thing.
Another favourite is ‘Denied Deliverance’, which sounds uncannily like Evergrey (Especially on the vocal front), while the powerful ‘Pillars Of Sand’, the mid-paced ‘As December Fades’ and the Evergrey like ‘Walls Of Silence’ are the definitive picks from the latter half of the album.
But despite the strength evident within ‘Distant Is The Sun’, it does have its flaws. Much like Vanishing Point’s last couple of releases, this new album is a little bloated. With the front of the album boasting some really strong tracks, it’s inevitable that some weaker efforts towards the tail end would stand out. At fourteen tracks, the band could have easily dropped a couple of tracks, which would have given the album a little more consistency.
But despite its issues, ‘Distant Is The Sun’ is once again another strong album for Vanishing Point, and one that diehard fans will no doubt find worth the waiting for.

For more information on Vanishing Point, check out - http://www.vanishing-point.com.au/

© Justin Donnelly

KXM - KXM

KXM
KXM
Rat Pak Records

KXM is a new ‘supergroup’ of sorts, comprising of King’s X bassist/vocalist Dug Pinnick, ex-Dokken/Lynch Mob guitarist George Lynch and ex-David Lee Roth/Army Of Anyone/Korn drummer Ray Luzier, who have been generating quite the buzz amongst fans since revealing their plans to record an album midway through 2013. Fast forward almost twelve months later, and KXM (Whose name derives from the member’s full-time outfits - K from Korn, X from King’s X, and M from Lynch Mob) have finally delivered their eponymous debut album.
There’s no denying that all three members of KXM are talented in their own right. But the question has to be asked if those individual talents can be pooled together to create something that gels in the musical sense. It’s a fair question, because on paper you would be hard pressed to find three musicians from more vastly different musical backgrounds. But after giving the album plenty of spins, fans can rest assured that that the hype leading up to the release of KXM’s album is well and truly justified.
The trio get things off to a driving start with the opening track ‘Stars’. With clinical precision, the band perfectly blend percussive tribal-like heavy rhythms, tight knit groove based riffs and underpinning bass lines to create a huge sound that is reminiscent of the members’ individual outfits – and yet sounding fresh enough to be called something new. As expected, Pinnick shines with his soulful and commanding voice and delivery of memorable melodies, but the real stars here are Lynch and Luzier. Producer Chris Collier has made sure that Luzier’s contributions to the band aren’t overshadowed in any way, with the drums, the guide - the band follows, in the sound sense. As for Lynch, his guitar work here is quite understated in parts, but comes out in full force when it needs to be. In short, the production and mix is really quite impressive, and designed to allow all three to shine.
‘Rescue Me’ (Which is the first single from the album, and reprised at the end of the album in edited form as a bonus track) and ‘Love’ are obvious stand out cuts on the album with their King’s X sounding strong sense of groove and uplifting choruses, while the band deliver something quite the opposite in ‘Never Stop’, which is a convincing detour into acoustic southern rock in the ballad vein. It’s a sound that was completely unexpected, but it’s a sound the band delivers to perfection.
Experimentation is something the band aren’t afraid to use to their advantage, with the King’s X sounding ‘Faith Is A Room’ and ‘Human Friction’ proof of the band thinking outside the box in terms of fusing Pinnick’s vocal melodies and Lynch’s guitar riffs and tones, while traces of Poundhound’s funk and Dokken’s keen sense of melodic rock is evident throughout ‘Do It Now’.
On the heavier side of things, ‘Gunfight’ and the percussive heavy ‘Burn’ are particular favourites, while Pinnick’s autobiographical tale of domestic abuse on the slow burning ‘Sleep’ is a trip down darker territory, and one of Pinnick’s strongest moments on the album.
Finishing up the album is the instrumental piece ‘Tranquilize’, which sounds like a studio outtake of the band jamming. But while it sounds like a leftover from the recording sessions, it’s actually a great track, and gives listeners an idea of what the band are capable of when they’re in the same room. In other words, despite their various musical backgrounds, KXM has a sound that works.
There was a lot of hype in the lead up to the release of KXM’s debut effort, and I had my reservations given those involved in the group. But overall, the album exceeded all my expectations, and will most likely end up earning top spot on my list of favourite albums for 2014.

For more information on KXM, check out - http://www.facebook.com/kxmofficial

© Justin Donnelly

Jizzy Pearl - Crucified

Jizzy Pearl
Crucified
Independent Release

Back in the early ‘90’s, Californian outfit Love/Hate were hailed as the next big thing. Their debut release ‘Blackout In The Red Room’ (Released in 1990) was immediately hailed as classic and their follow-up release ‘Wasted In America’ (Released in 1992) only reinforced the band’s status as one of the ‘90’s hard rock scene’s rising stars. But as fate would have it, internal tensions within the band, ongoing label issues and the changing music scene would have an adverse effect on the band, with all subsequent releases failing to hit the heady heights of their first two releases. Not surprisingly, Love/Hate eventually disbanded by the time the millennium arrived.
In the meantime, vocalist Jizzy Pearl has kept himself in the spotlight with stints in L.A. Guns, Ratt, and Adler’s Appetite. And in more recent times, the new front man for Quiet Riot. And then of course dotted throughout his gigs with other bands, Pearl has also managed to release some solo efforts, and author no less than three books. Although Pearl’s career has been quite scattered, he at the very least has kept himself busy.
Which bring us to the present day, seeing Pearl return with a new release in the form of a new E.P. ‘Crucified’.
Originally billed as a new Love/Hate release, Pearl changed it to his own name after former Love/Hate guitarist Jon E. Love threatened with a lawsuit. Obviously keen to avoid legal costs involved with court proceedings (And not to mention confusion amongst fans considering Pearl is the only member of Love/Hate on the recording), Pearl decided to change the credit of the E.P. recording to his own name.
Pearl and his band (Which includes Paul Gilbert bassist Mike Szuter on guitar, ex-Burning Tree bassist Mark ‘Muddy’ Dutton and ex-Bang Tango/Beautiful Creatures/Ace Frehley drummer Matt Starr) launch this six song effort with ‘Hanging You Out To Dry’, which is by far the rawest and fastest tune on the E.P. One part punk, and the other dirty rock ‘n’ roll of the Motörhead vein, ‘Hanging You Out To Dry’ is a little rough sounding and unrefined, and maybe a little too under-produced to really stand out as a true favourite here. Pearl’s vocals are as harsh as ever, and the lyrics are as quirky as ever, but the song manages to achieve its objective of announcing Pearl’s return in a loud and brash manner.
The follow up track ‘Sunny Day’ is a complete change of direction for the band, with shades of ‘90’s grunge and psychedelia coming through the guitars on the slower paced track. Szuter’s lead work is a real stand out here, while Pearl’s performances add a bit of an eastern flavour (Via Led Zeppelin) to the overall song.
While ‘You’re Making Me Nervous’ is one of the E.P.’s catchiest efforts, the raw production and uneven mix of vocals and music inevitably lets the song down. That coupled with Pearl’s rather awkward lyrical efforts gives the song a real incomplete demo-like feel. It’s a shame, because with a little more work, this song could have easily been the E.P. highlight.
The acoustic rocker ‘I Don’t Want To Be Your Baby’ is a great track, and reminds me of his efforts in L.A. guns (1999’s underrated ‘Shrinking Violet’), while on ‘Love Is All’, Pearl further explores the eastern influences hinted at on ‘Sunny Day’ to create a hybrid mash up of Led Zeppelin and The Beatles. Rhythmic, atmospheric and well constructed, this is by far the strongest and more memorable efforts to be found on the E.P.
Finishing up this release is ‘Too Late’, which is a blues-like laid back rocker. It’s one of Pearl’s better lyrical efforts (Pearl is quoted as saying ‘The song is about someone near and dear to me who fucked up’), and musically a great fit for Pearl’s unique raspy vocals. In other words, it’s one of the E.P.’s stronger efforts.
Like most of Pearl’s output, ‘Crucified’ is a mix of the great, and the not so great. But despite its inconsistent mix of tunes, it fares a whole lot better in the long run as a Pearl release rather than a Love/Hate release.

For more information on Jizzy Pearl, check out - http://www.jizzypearl.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Comeback Kid - Die Knowing

Comeback Kid
Die Knowing
Victory Records/Rocket Distribution

For a band that initially came together as a side project while Figure Four took an indefinite hiatus, Canadian (Winnipeg, Manitoba) based outfit Comeback Kid has taken on a life of its own that none of its participants could have predicted or anticipated.
Over the course of their fourteen years together, the band have grown in strength and stature within the hardcore/punk scene with a string of consistent releases and lengthy stints on the road in support of their album releases, despite a number of line-up changes (Which included a change of lead vocalists at a critical point of their career).
Four years after the release of ‘Symptoms + Cures’, and after spending time focussing on side projects, Comeback Kid regrouped and are back once again with something new in the form of ‘Die Knowing’.
While the band have always managed to maintain a high standard on their former releases, most fans consider the band’s first two releases (2003’s ‘Turn It Around’ and 2005 ‘Wake The Dead’) with vocalist Scott Wade as their strongest releases to date. But with the release of their fifth full-length effort ‘Die Knowing’, it would appear that Comeback Kid (Who currently comprise of lead vocalist Andrew Neufeld, lead guitarist/backing vocalist Jeremy Hiebert, new rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Stuart Ross (Who was previously a member of Misery Signals and Living With Lions), bassist/backing vocalist Matt Keil and drummer Kyle Profeta) have finally managed to put together an album that rivals the band’s critically acclaimed early work.
The album starts off with the title track ‘Die Knowing’, which is a pensive and crushing slow burning introductory track that has Neufield screaming with plenty of passion, and provides the album with the perfect build up to the carnage that follows on in ‘Lower The Line’. Fast, intense and yet quite inventive on the guitar front, ‘Lower The Line’ is Comeback Kid at their best, without rehashing the past in order to do so.
After the duality of tempos and styles from the opening pair on the album, the band continue to shake up the formula and keep things moving along with the catchy and groovier based ‘Wasted Arrows’, all the while maintaining a vicious and aggressive feel throughout, while tracks such as ‘Losing Sleep’ (Which features guest vocals from Pauly Correia), ‘Beyond’, the chugging brute force delivery of ‘I Depend, I Control’ and ‘Full Swing’ (Which boasts a return of original vocalist Wade singing alongside Neufield) are by far the album’s hardest and fastest hardcore sounding tracks.
But what really gives ‘Die Knowing’ an edge over the band’s last couple of releases is the diversity of sounds on offer throughout the twelve tracks. Both ‘Should Know Better’ and ‘Didn’t Even Mind’ (The first single lifted from the album) are without a doubt the album’s catchiest and punk-edged sounding efforts, while the scathing ‘Somewhere In This Miserable…’, the sparse and anthemed ‘Unconditional’ and the triumphant hard rocking punk tinged closer ‘Sink In’ prove that when push comes to shove, Comeback Kid can think outside the box and deliver songs that stand alongside their earlier efforts – without rewriting the same thing over and over again.
I’ve always liked Comeback Kid, whether it was Wade or Neufield fronting the band. But as consistent as the band’s releases have been, 2010’s ‘Symptoms + Cures’ left me feeling a bit disappointed. I can’t really put my finger on the reason why, but it was missing something. But with the release of ‘Die Knowing’, Comeback Kid have well and truly returned to form, and sounding better than ever!

For more information on Comeback Kid, check out - http://www.comeback-kid.com/

© Justin Donnelly

Def Leppard - Slang (Deluxe Edition)

Def Leppard
Slang (Deluxe Edition)
Bludgeon Riffola Ltd./Mailboat Records Inc.

Following on from the success Mercury Records has had with deluxe reissues of ‘Pyromania’ (1983), ‘Hysteria’ (1987) and ‘Adrenalize’ (1992) in recent years, it’s not all that surprising to see Def Leppard’s sixth full-length album ‘Slang’ (1996) being given the deluxe treatment.
Of all of Def Leppard’s nine studio efforts, ‘Slang’ is without a doubt the band’s most controversial release. Despite the divided opinions the album conjures up amongst fans, and the lack of success the album enjoyed upon its initial release (The album was modestly successful, particularly in Japan, Asia and Europe, but was considered a spectacular failure in the U.S.), Def Leppard has put together their own deluxe edition version of ‘Slang’ some eighteen years after its first release.
But while the band (Who comprise of vocalist Joe Elliott, guitarists/vocalists Phil Collen and Vivian Campbell, bassist/vocalist Rick Savage and drummer Rick Allen) claim that this new rerelease of ‘Slang’ is a deluxe version of the album, I can’t help but feel a little short changed with what’s on offer.
The first disc of this two disc set obviously begins with the album itself. After the multi-platinum success of the above mentioned albums, fans were somewhat taken aback with what the band had to offer on ‘Slang’ when it was first released in 1996. And it’s not all that surprising given the circumstances. Any band who enjoyed phenomenal success in the ‘80’s knew that with the onset of the ‘90’s, times were going to be different. Def Leppard anticipated this, and decided to shake up the tried and true formula of the past, and try something new. And one of the big changes was selecting Pete Woodroffe (Who previously worked with the band as engineer/mixer on 1993’s ‘Retro Active’) to take on production duties instead of opting to utilise long time producer/collaborator Robert John “Mutt” Lange. This allowed the band to find a far more organic sound, and push beyond the boundaries of their past to reinvent themselves in a musical sense. And the band truly achieved what they set out to do.
From the moment ‘Truth?’ starts, it’s clear that ‘Slang’ was far from the typical Def Leppard album. ‘Truth?’ sees the band experimenting with Middle Eastern influences, distortion and heavy guitars and drum rhythms, but with the multi-layered production of old stripped away enough to reveal a far rawer and organic Def Leppard at heart.
Much like the opener, ‘Turn To Dust’ fuses Middle Eastern sounds/loops with clutches of heavy guitar tones, but boasts the band’s trademark harmonies in full force, while the title track ‘Slang’ is the perfect amalgamation of classic Def Leppard song writing and modern production and experimentation.
But ‘Slang’ wasn’t all about pushing the envelope in the song writing sense. The slower ballad-like efforts ‘All I Want Is Everything’, ‘Breathe A Sigh’, ‘Blood Runs Cold’ and ‘Where Does Love Go When It Dies’ showcase a more stripped back, serious and mature sounding Def Leppard (Which isn’t all that surprising given what the band members themselves were going through at the time), which gives the album an honesty and genuinely human emotion (Especially from Elliott) that was sometimes masked during the band’s heyday by Lange’s over the top production multi-tracked vocals.
Elsewhere, Campbell well and truly earned his place in the band after producing an absolute gem in the form of the edgy rocker ‘Work It Out’, while the grittier and darker ‘Deliver Me’, the fast paced and high octane anthem ‘Gift Of Flesh’ and the atmospheric slow burning closer ‘Pearl Of Euphoria’ round out the album in somewhat different fashion usually accustom to Def Leppard’s efforts in the past.
In terms of extras, the first disc is fleshed out with some b-sides from ‘Slang’ singles. There’s the soulful laid back rocker ‘Move With Me Slowly’ (Which was the Japanese only bonus track), an original version of ‘Truth?’ (Which is interestingly different from the version that appeared on the album), the heavy handed rockers ‘Burn Out’ and ‘Worlds Collide’ (The former is a less than serious throwback Def Leppard anthem, while the latter is in line with ‘Slang’. But interestingly enough, both tracks didn’t emerge until 1999, where they were released as b-sides to singles released from ‘Euphoria’) and the simple acoustic based ‘Can’t Keep Away From The Flame’ (Which is another real winner).
While the first disc will no doubt appeal to those who are newcomers to ‘Slang’, long time fans will already be familiar with the bonus tracks. But with the second disc boasting a collection of fourteen tracks that have never been previously released, it’s safe to say that it’s the second disc on this reissue that will appeal to everyone.
The opening track ‘Turn To Dust’ and the closer ‘Gift Of Flesh’ are interesting, if only to hear Collin provide the lead vocals in these early versions of the songs, while ‘Raise Your Love’ provides a fascinating insight to the development of the title track ‘Slang’. It may have the same general structure musically, but the song really is quite different from its final version, which makes it a real standout.
Unfortunately, hidden diamonds in the rough on the second disc are somewhat of a rarity. For the most part, the second disc offers up rough mixes/early drafts of songs that appear on ‘Slang’. While interesting, most only had minor alterations before being laid down in the studio for their final form, which means that after a cursory listen, you’re unlikely to revisit the songs after an initial listen through.
The tracks worthy of inclusion here include the rough mix of ‘Deliver Me’ and ‘Anger’ (Which is an early version of ‘Deliver Me’), ‘Black Train’ (Which is an early take on ‘Gift Of Flesh’), ‘All On Your Touch’ (A Campbell penned track that remained unfinished until Elliott finished the vocals a couple of years ago) and ‘Move On Up’ (A rather rough and ready Campbell penned/sung demo).
Overall, the first disc is great, even if there’s no indication of whether ‘Slang’ has been remastered or not, with some rarities to make it that much more appealing than a simple rerelease. And while the second disc is patchy and forgettable in places, it does boast some unreleased material that appeals to true diehard Def Leppard fans.
But what’s really disappointing is what’s not included in this deluxe package. And that’s some of the other b-sides to some of the ‘Slang’ singles. The two Jeff Beck covers (‘Led Boots’ and ‘Cause We Ended As Lovers’) and the two Elliott tracks from the film ‘When Saturday Comes’ (‘When Saturday Comes’ and ‘Jimmy’s Theme’) are only available on the iTunes version of the deluxe reissue (Which also includes an additional four early versions of songs from ‘Slang’). As far as I’m concerned, a true deluxe edition version of ‘Slang’ would have been expanded to three discs to include these tracks, as well as the five acoustic tracks recorded live in Singapore (‘Acoustic In Singapore’), which were included on the initial limited edition version of ‘Slang’ back in 1996. Why these weren’t included is anyone’s guess. But given that this version of ‘Slang’ is really going to appeal to diehard fans (Let’s face it, this rerelease isn’t likely to attract a whole new audience for the band is it?), it seems a shame to short change fans with a two disc deluxe edition over a far superior and comprehensive three disc version. And as for the packaging – Well I would have liked to have seen some more detail in the liner notes as well. The small piece from Elliott is cool, but the lyrics have since been substituted with a bunch of photographs from the era. Another squandered opportunity as far as I’m concerned.
In the end, this revamped and expanded version of ‘Slang’ is a solid rerelease, and should appeal to those who are chasing down some of the hard to find b-sides, or may have avoided the album purely based on the backlash the band received when the album was released. In all honesty, ‘Slang’ may be one of Def Leppard’s most daring and different sounding albums, but it’s also one of their strongest.
Personally, I would have preferred the band to give ‘Slang’ the justice it so richly deserves and give fans a truly deluxe version of one of their most misunderstood and maligned albums to date.

For more information on Def Leppard, check out - http://www.defleppard.com/.

© Justin Donnelly.

Fake Figures - They Must Be Destroyed

Fake Figures
They Must Be Destroyed
Independent Release

Although boasting some notable members from well known acts such as Atreyu, Scars Of Tomorrow, Hotwire and The Iron Maidens, Orange County/Los Angeles (California, U.S.) based outfit Fake Figures passed under the radar of most when they released their debut E.P. ‘Hail The Sycophants’ (Shillen Records) in late 2011. And it was a shame too, because the E.P. was a pretty interesting release.
A few years have passed since we last heard from Fake Figures, but after a developmental period of more than a year, the five piece act (Comprising of ex-Hotwire vocalist Rus Martin, ex-Atreyu guitarist Travis Miguel, The Afterlife/The Iron Maidens guitarist Heather Baker, Scars Of Tomorrow/SSNOVA bassist Bob Bradley and Nations Afire drummer Steve Ludwig) have finally emerged with their follow-up E.P. ‘They Must Be Destroyed’.
And what a release it is!
Fake Figures open up proceedings in explosive fashion with ‘You Stupid Beast’. Undeniably the heaviest and most aggressive track of the six tunes on offer, ‘You Stupid Beast’ is a speeding blast of hardcore punk, with Martin putting everything into his performance out front. But that’s not to say that the song is a complete barrage of noise. On the contrary, producer/Saosin guitarist Beau Burchell (Whose credits include The Bronx, From First To Last and Underoath) has manage to give the band’s sound plenty of space and dynamics, which brings to the fore the many changes in tempos and differing sounds the band have crammed into the group’s collective song writing. In short, ‘You Stupid Beast’ isn’t the usual run of the mill hardcore/punk that’s usually dished out by most.
On the second track ‘The Light’, the band take a completely different direction with the song sounding reminiscent of The Deftones with its moody atmospherics on the guitar front and Martin’s mix of melodic clean/screamed vocals, while on ‘Normal Life’ and ‘Sit And Burn’, the band focus on delivering a more hardcore/rock based groove where there’s a greater emphasis on the interaction between Miguel and Baker on the guitar front and the melodies from Martin on the chorus front.
‘Ophidian’ is another slower track that isn’t too far removed from terrain the band were exploring on ‘The Light’, although the stoner-like guitar riffs and the cleaner choruses give the song its unique and distinctly different character to separate the two from one another.
Finishing up the E.P. is ‘Here Come The Idiots’, which not unlike the opener is another heavier track, albeit in slower form. Martin again is the star here, with a vocal performance that’s full of venom and pain, while the guitarists provide a suitably menacing soundtrack with their thick and low growling groove.
Although ‘They Must Be Destroyed’ may not be as quite as adventurous as ‘Hail The Sycophants’ in terms of experimenting with different sounds, Fake Figures has still managed to deliver a fairly varied collection of songs that feel more like a band collaboration than in the past.
My only real disappointment is that ‘They Must Be Destroyed’ isn’t a full-length release. I can only hope that will be rectified with the band’s next release – whenever that may be.

For more information on Fake Figures, check out - http://www.facebook.com/fakefigures

© Justin Donnelly

DARKC3LL - Dark Verses

DARKC3LL
Dark Verses
RTD Records/Rocket Distribution

A year after the release of their debut full-length effort ‘Reboot : Repeat’, playing in front of live audiences as support to Genitorturers, Wednesday 13, Otep and a slot on this year’s prestigious Soundwave bill, Gold Coast industrial rock outfit DARKC3LL (Formerly known as Devilution) are back with their latest effort ‘Dark Verses’.
As solid and enjoyable as ‘Reboot : Repeat’ was, it’s clear that the four piece outfit (Comprising of vocalist Jesse Dracman, guitarist/synth programmer Postmortem Matt, bassist Rit Derelict and new drummer Jay Macabre) have grown in the twelve months between visits to the studio, with ‘Dark Verses’ marking a huge step up for DARKC3LL on almost every level.
The album opens up with the title track ‘Dark Verses’ which begins with a minute long dark and foreboding keyboard/guitar wall of noise under a spoken word sample, before the band eventually get proceedings underway with their take on industrialised rock. Although punchy, catchy and rocking for the most part, ‘Dark Verses’ is perhaps one of the album’s weaker tracks, with the shift from slower verses to the speedier chorus sounding too disjointed to really gel as a whole. Having said that, Dracman is in fine form on the vocal front with his Edsel Dope-like voice, and the crystal clear production gives the music a much needed sharpened edge.
It’s with the follow-up track ‘Freakenstein’ where DARKC3LL really hit their stride. Combining the best elements of Wednesday 13, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, DARKC3LL delivers their songs with plenty of hooks, but with enough muscle and edginess to sound match the best the industrial rock scene has to offer up.
Elsewhere, the hard rocking ‘Death Of Rock ‘N’ Roll’, ‘Bang!’ and ‘Six Hundred & Six Six’ sees the band toying around with the standardised industrial formula a little more with great results (Particularly the latter, which bring to mind the perfect blend of Thin Lizzy riffs coupled with Marilyn Manson sounding drums), while the darker sounding ‘Exorcist’, the Eastern tinged ‘Suicide Death Ride’ (Which is hands down the strongest cut on the album) and the lengthy closer ‘The One I Fear’ offer enough variety to the album as a whole to keep things interesting throughout.
While DARKC3LL isn’t offering anything revolutionary on ‘Dark Verses’ in terms of the industrial rock genre, they do what they do exceedingly well.
In plain terms, if you’re a fan of Wednesday 13, Dope, Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, you’ll find plenty on offer here to move even the blackest of black souls.

For more information on DARKC3LL, check out - http://www.darkc3ll.com/

© Justin Donnelly
 

Icecocoon - Deepest Crystal Black

Icecocoon
Deepest Crystal Black
Owenian Records

Despite a history stretching as far back as some eight years, Adelaide (South Australia) based post rock/progressive outfit Icecocoon are a relatively new act on the scene. But all that is set to change with the release of their new album ‘Deepest Crystal Black’.
With so many years between the release of their debut effort ‘The Sindividual(s)’ (2005) and the release of their new album, it comes as no surprise to find that the band has changed a lot in that time. So much so that it’s not hard to think that it’s only the name of the band that links the two albums together.
Meticulously pieced together over a twelve month period, Icecocoon (Who comprise of vocalist, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist and songwriter Owen Gillett, Blood Red Renaissance bassist Matthew R. Davis and Blood Red Renaissance drummer Tom Kilsby) have returned from their self imposed hiatus to deliver a truly captivating release in ‘Deepest Crystal Black’, with the opening track ‘And Where Now?’ (The first single to be released from the album) showcasing the band’s rather unique take on the hybrid post rock/progressive sound. Although the track is a rather short one (Barely running beyond two and a half minutes), and the song itself rather simplistic in the structural sense, Gillett has managed to produce a guitar sound that’s huge and that well and truly gives the song depth beyond most. Not to be outdone, Davis provides some great bottom end to help bolster Gillett’s thick guitar tones, while Kilsby’s presence proves to be every bit as important. But outside of the sound, it’s the general catchiness of Gillett’s voice and riffs that hook the listener in; elevating what appears to be a simple song into something quite complex when really listened to.
The follow-up track ‘Wreckage’ conjures up comparisons to Devin Townsend’s ‘Ocean Machine: Biomech’ (1997) era with its gentle wave after wave of guitars and Gillett’s wide array of vocals on display (Not to mention his rather convincing Townsend croon on the higher end of his range), and that’s certainly not a bad thing. Again, the song is an inspired mix of the band’s performance and Gillett’s own song writing, which works together to produce a first class song.
From here, the band follow up the former track and take things a step further on the rather impressive ‘Fire To Ice’, while ‘It’s All On The Line’ is a definite stand out with its killer heavy riff driven guiding force and the vast array of stunning melodies and vocals from Gillett himself.
‘The Ende Of August’ represents a change of mood and pace for the album with the band relying more on atmospheric keyboards and sparse guitar work to evoke a melancholy mood reflected in the song’s lyrics, while the instrumental piece ‘At A Clearing’ marks a turning point within the album with its acoustic based sound.
The instrumental piece ‘Death Of A Star’ is without a doubt the heaviest song on the album, which is not surprising given the song is dedicated to the late Pete Steele (Ex-Carnivore/Type O Negative). While there is a touch of Steele’s influence in the guitar work and vocals, the song still has more than enough of the band’s own sound to stand on its own.
Finishing up the album is the short introductory instrumental piece ‘One Year Later’, which is followed closely by the monumental closer ‘About Loving Someone’, which is another personal favourite. Much like some of the previously mentioned efforts, ‘About Loving Someone’ reminds me of Townsend’s work on ‘Ocean Machine: Biomech’ with its deliberate slower pacing, thick yet clear huge sound on the instrumental front and Gillett’s remarkable use of vocals and melodies.
Initially, ‘Deepest Crystal Black’ didn’t really grab me. Perhaps it had something to do with where my mind was at, or merely a case of not listening closely enough. But after giving the album some time to really sink in, it’s clear that Icecocoon has delivered a truly impressive album that needs to be given time to truly appreciate.

For more information on Icecocoon, check out - http://www.icecocoon.com.au/

© Justin Donnelly