Reviews
Paganfest 2010 PDF Print E-mail
Live Gig / Festival Reviews
Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:00

 

By all accounts this is an awesome tour, headlined by one of the best bands in metal in Finntroll and with a Herculean supporting cast, how could this night not be totally amazing?

 Arkona are a great start to the night, playing a thrashy folk metal, heavy on the sea shanty esque break downs designed to get you hoping along. Masha, sporting a large, dead animal round her shoulders, bounces around the stage with seemingly limitless energy, sometimes picking up a tambourine and looking like a derranged extra from the Wicker Man. All good fun though, and a good way to start off the evening.

  Looking like the Roman Legion just stormed through Turisas’s dressing room, Varg bring up the moodier, mid-paced Viking metal end of this bill. A good contrast from all the sea shantying of Arkona, they are well received by the crowd with more than a few heads whipping around.

 I was really looking forward to Dornenreich, even though I haven’t particularly liked any of their albums since ‘Nicht um zu Sterben’. Unfortunately it all sounds a bit thin and weedy. The lack of bass is a real problem live, and the songs don’t really set the world on fire. A piss poor lighting show and luke warm reaction from the crowd leave a disappointing taste in the mouth. Or maybe that was because I spent £4 on a beer…

 

  And now for Eluveitie. Where do I start with this band? The venue is rammed and sweaty as Chrigel Glanzmann leads his host of musicians to the stage. All hell breaks loose as the first bars roar from the speakers and I get so battered that I can’t even remember what song it was! My brain is restored by the time they destroy the crowd with the frantic melofolkdeath of ‘Bloodstained Ground’, and with circle pits raging, the band have the crowd right were they want us. The set is a triumphant mix of old and new material, but leaning slightly heavier on 2008’s Slania. In a set so full of win it would normally be hard to pick one peak, but this set seemed almost tailored to me, and the beautiful, heart-warming ‘Slania’s Song’ has me bellowing out the lyrics like a man possessed. Anna Murphy’s powerful voice soared to new highs for that song, a moment to be treasured.

 It’s quite amusing watching them all vie for space up on that tiny stage. And during songs like ‘Inas Mona’ and ‘Quoth the Raven’ it looks pretty tight up there. It’s now an accepted fact of mine that, sound permitting, this band are always tight and put on an effortlessly good show.

 

 How do you follow a set like that then? If you’re Finntroll, you do it with ease. The first song is lost in murky sound, not that the crowd seems to care, but follow up with a volley of ‘Skogens Hämnd’ and ‘Slaget Vid Blodsälv’ (!!!) all is swiftly forgiven. I really can’t believe my luck tonight, ‘Slania’s Song’ and ‘Slaget Vid Blodsälv’, one of the most balls out cheesey songs I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing this side of Destroy Destroy Destroy, in one night! And it only gets better, obvious classics like ‘Nattefodd’ and ‘Fiskarens Fiende’ are balanced out perfectly with new material like ‘Den Frusna Munnen’. And when the good ol’ ‘Trollhammaren’ is bashed out the crowd erupts into a venue wide Humpa party. If you’ve never been in a Humpa pit before, you’re missing out! I bizarre mix of skanking and a pub brawl, there’s nothing quite like it! And Finntroll know how to whip a crowd into a dancing frenzy. Something almost as amusing as the pit, is the fact that not many people seem to know the words to the songs, instead bellowing out the motifs and riffs. Closing with the majestic ‘Jaktens Tid’ and ‘Solsagan’ from the new album, Finntroll have proven their worth in the live arena as one of the most entertaining bands around today. Was it ever really in question?

 

By Carl Sucharyna Thomas

Last Updated on Thursday, 18 March 2010 12:07
 
Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster PDF Print E-mail
Live Gig / Festival Reviews

Bristol Academy - Taste Of Chaos 28th November 2009

Maylene And The Sons Of Disaster are a welcome change to this bill due to the combination of their homegrown 'roots' of the Alabama sound fused with feel good rock 'n' roll.  It's a hard crowd tonight, possibly due to the fact that it's a more typical 'Metal' audience here, but with songs such as 'Dry The River' and 'Step Up' they soon have the crowd tapping their feet along to the groove.

This band is undeniably tight and with the overall sound coming across heavier than they do on cd, they're definitely meant to be consumed in the live environment; packing a punch straight to your face! Despite short set list, they whip the crowd into a frenzy, at times they sound like a cross between Avenge Sevenfold and Black Label Society but with their very own originality. I hope to see these guys on the festival circuit next summer, it will go down a treat!

 

Laura Kelly

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:25
 
Blood Cult - We Are The Cult Of The Plains PDF Print E-mail
Album Reviews
Monday, 22 February 2010 14:56

 

 

 Self professed Redneck Black Metalers Blood Cult hammer out only their second album in their 15-year career, ‘We are the Cult of the Plains’. After being mainly a demo band until 2005’s limited release debut ‘We who walk through the Rows’, you can imagine the kind of sound these guys will be flogging. Sounding like an uber fuzzy Motorhead mashed up with a bit of Venom, a lot of alcohol and a book called ‘My first Solo’, all recorded in your basement with a tape recorder and you pretty much get the picture.

There is one shift between classic heavy metal and black metal, aptly shown on second track ‘Devil' s Sabbath’, which has more in common with Guns ‘N’ Roses and ZZ Top then it does with Marduk or Mayhem. And then it’s sterile 80’s rock for most of the remainder. I’ll be honest with you, I don’t think it really works that well. Fair play to them for mixing two styles that they obviously like, but I think it makes the music sound disjointed and really destroys any chance of building an atmosphere. Bits of it sound like Billy Idol with blast beats for fuck’s sake (‘Ludi Ceriales’)! And that just brings back awful memories of the Murderdolls that are best kept locked forever. And another thing, I thought long over blown solos that take up most of the song were a thing of the past that were universally recognised as being shite!? They make way too much of an appearances on this album. T

he thing is that there easily could have two separate albums here, one rock and one Black Metal, but it feels like its just been jammed together and doesn’t allow you to get lost in either. I think it is always good to remember that ‘cult band’ doesn’t automatically mean good band. Blood Cult are a prime example of retro Southern Rock that should have died out a long time ago, and definitely shouldn’t have tried to incorporate Black Metal into it’s grave of mundane wank. 

Carl Sucharyna Thomas

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:39
 
Van Canto - Tribe Of Force PDF Print E-mail
Album Reviews
Monday, 22 February 2010 14:44

No no no no no no. I refuse to acknowledge this shite… All right fine. I’ll review this, but I’m not happy about it.  

My first thoughts when downloading this album were, “A Capella ey? Isn’t that the type of music where people sing the parts of the instruments themselves like the douche bags wearing headphones on the train?” Right on the fucking money Mr. Civi, and cross bread with that most awful of metal sub genres, the head spinningly, vomit educingly cheesy Power Metal. All the instruments except the drums and some of the synth is performed with the voice, which, while possibly could be construed as talented in Bizzaro world (Simpsons joke), is so fucking annoying I want to shit my organs out just because I think that will put me out of my misery faster than hitting delete. 

 

I’m not even joking; ‘Sing a song of metal’ sounds like it came off a Disney soundtrack. And I didn’t even listen to the ‘Master of Puppets’ cover because, even though I am by no means a fan of Metalica, even I couldn’t stand to hear a song that is so important to metal in general murdered so horribly. Who the fuck gave them the rights that do that anyway?!?! They need a good slapping about. And while I’m thinking about it, it’s a bit of a wimpy cop out have a real drum kit isn’t it? Surely a true A Cappella band is fully voice or body sounds. I would happily volunteer to be their drummer just so I could make the snare sound by smashing their heads repeatedly against a table. 

I don’t think it would be so offensively bad if the music wasn’t such a painfully well trodden, average as dirt brand of power metal. A Capella Myrkskog, now there’s a more interesting proposition. All in all I think it is a gimmicky piece of crap that contributes nothing and only makes the ‘band’ look stupid. End. 

Carl Sucharyna Thomas

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:40
 
Avsky - Scorn PDF Print E-mail
Album Reviews
Monday, 22 February 2010 12:47
 Now here is the first truly interesting and enjoyable Black Metal record of 2010. Avsky, meaning disgust in Swedish, have spat out their 3rd full length album in the shape of ‘Scorn’, a ripping thrash through old Darkthrone, Gorgoroth and Horna. Coming up just the right side of necro to hear all the intricate beauty of the instruments working in harmony, the production still manages to retain an frosty, otherworldly feel to it. Add to this some truly tortured sounding vocals from TO in the vein of old Darkthrone and a compelling mix of Black Metal styles and tempos, this album, keeps you in it’s icy grip from start to finish. Personal favourites of mine include ‘Dead End’, with its pitch-black atmosphere building into a storm of blasting a shrieking; and black thrash opener ‘As the Mountains Collapse’.

 Avsky sound like a band that is dedicated to their craft and has now fully spread their creative wings and soared to new heights. Scorn is an album you can keep going back to and it will still kick you in the guy with its sheer passion and ferociousness, a true gem of the underground.

 

Carl Sucharyna Thomas

 

Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 March 2010 15:42
 
Fen, Mourning Dawn, The Drowning and Khthon @ the Gaff, 9/1/10 PDF Print E-mail
Live Gig / Festival Reviews
Monday, 22 February 2010 11:48
Another night of varied doom at the Gaff brought to us by Funeral of Mankind Promotions. With the ice and snow outside, the dark evening was a perfect setting for the mighty Fen to make their return to the capital. Opening the night were London’s truest doomsters, Khthon. Rolling out huge, Sabbath drenched riffs, Adam Robinson’s classic voice helps fill what is a sadly under populated venue for the majority of their set. A very enjoyable set that washes over me and is over far too soon. Next up are Welsh lads, The Drowning. I’m not too sure about these guys, most of the set is a slow, drawn out blacked doom, but then suddenly they switch to 80’s thrash style riffing and start playing like In Flames. I didn’t really get it and it didn’t really work for me. That said, they do have an awesome vocalist in James Moore, his scream would go very well in some Xasthur style ritual. The penultimate band of the night was Frances Mourning Dawn. They really didn’t look happy to be there and judging from their down tempo death doom, they don’t seem to be happy people in general. A good set, but by this time my mind of purely on the headliners. The venue is now full and the anticipation is palpable; with lanterns, incense and smoke rising, Fen take to the stage to deliver another master-class in black metal performance. There is a real sense of occasion about this gig, it is the last time we will see Fen as they are, Draugluin has now left the band and will be sorely missed I’m sure. The music is perfect, the atmosphere is intense as the band soar to musical highs and then blast you to shreds with the greatest of ease. Highlights of the set for me were the crushing ‘Exile's Journey’ and the epic closer ‘A Witness to The Passing of Aeons’. Pure art, and a band that I will see at ever possibility I can.  Carl Sucharyna Thomas
 
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