Hear and There's Top 20 albums of 2015

This year has been a bloody fantastic year for music. So much so that picking a top 20 when it came to the year's best albums, it was rather more of a challenge than perhaps it was in recent years for me. Anyway, I have compiled the first official Hear and There top 20 albums of the year list, and it looks a little something like this:

20: Doomtree - All Hands

My first exposure to the Minneapolis hip hop collective. An album with some sterling work by rappers and producers alike, 

19. Calexico - Edge of the Sun

Beautifully miserable Americana from the Californians. Joey Burns's wonderful melancholic mid-range baritone dips and soars at the right moments. A good follow up to "Algiers".

18. Gentleman's Pistols - Hustler's Row

Riffs, riffs and more riffs from the Leeds quartet, now signed to Nuclear Blast. It's like they never went away on this showing.

17. Harm's Way - Rust

Things you expect from hardcore punk: it's succinct, it makes its point with minimal fuss and it hits harder than an uppercut from Anthony Joshua. Mission accomplished on all three points from Harm's Way.

16. Monolord - Vaenir

Swedish doom trio that make enough noise for nine; slow, heavy and bassy as hell, just like it should be. Topped off nicely with a superb set at Desertfest in Antwerpen.

15. Between the Buried and Me - Coma Ecliptic

Showing just how far they have come from having done "The Silent Circus" with one of the most mature efforts they've put out to date. Powerful musicianship and songwriting as always from the North Carolina quintet.

14. Ufomammut - Ecate

First taste of the Italian doom trio with an album that sounds like the musical equivalent of an erupting volcano. Slow, low and heavy, just how it ought to be.

13. Of Monsters and Men - Beneath the Skin

Trademark quirky, catchy guitar pop from the fun loving, eccentric Icelanders. Recognition on a wider scale should definitely be on the cards for them after this one.

12. The Tallest Man on Earth - Dark Bird Is Home

A fuller sound from Kristian Matsson and his cohorts, along with a few gambles that pay off huge dividends. The album that could well catapult him into full blown superstardom.

11. Imperial State Electric - Honk Machine

More classic rock/garage punk excellence from Nicke Andersson and Dolf de Borst. With rumours of a Hellacopters reunion on the cards (including top billing at next year's Sweden Rock), the Electric show no signs of slowing down with this all round superb effort.

10. Graveyard - Innocence and Decadence

I'll be damned if "The Apple and the Tree" wasn't one of the catchiest, if not the catchiest straight up rock and roll tunes I've heard all year. A welcome return to the fold for Truls Mörck did them no harm at all, either.

9. Mutoid Man - Bleeder

Stephen Brodsky. Ben Koller. Lots of wonderfully ugly noise and ear bleedingly brutal riffs. No more really needs to be said than that.

8. Bjork - Vulnicura

The genius turned 50 in style this year with, quite frankly, the best album she's released since "Post" twenty years ago. Not easy listening by any means, but a strong release that offers more on every listen.

7. Alabama Shakes - Sound & Color

Brittany Howard was a name that passed by everyone's lips at some point this year, and "Sound & Color" was a significant reason why. Blistering blues rock that didn't let go for a minute once you started listening.

6. Enslaved - In Times 

Continuing to plough their own furrow and doing as they please has paid off for Enslaved for years, but none more so with one of their most impressive albums of recent years. Long may they continue putting out work as brilliant as this.

5. Clutch - Psychic Warfare

I wouldn't own every single one of Clutch's albums if I didn't feel they weren't doing something right, and this is no exception. Yet another album where Clutch establish themselves as the best rock and roll band in the world going right now.

4. Elder - Lore

Another band I'm relatively new to that seriously impressed me this year. A band not afraid to change things up if they'd done an idea repeatedly, with some serious riffs and musical chops to boot.

3. Beach House - Depression Cherry

A warm, soothing balm to the soul; the musical equivalent of taking a long, relaxing bath and not wanting to move for a good hour. Filled with warm synths, simplistic guitar parts and Victoria Legrand's wonderfully smooth vocals.

2. Riverside - Love, Fear and the Time Machine

The Polish prog metallers set the bench mark for what should make a great prog album with this one; simple ideas that sound complex without coming off as too self indulgent, coupled with Mariusz Duda's heartfelt, outstanding vocals and lyrics. A simply jaw dropping piece of work.

AND THE WINNER IS......

1. Baroness - Purple

After bus crashes and setbacks galore, Baroness returned in style at the tail end of 2015 with this absolute monolith to knock us all for six. With a UK and European tour coming up in early 2016, I can't wait to hear this one's songs live in all their glory.

Baroness - Purple

Artist: Baroness
Album: Purple
Year: 2015
Rating: 96/100

It is said that sometimes, the further you fall, the higher you bounce back, and that adage couldn't be more true for Baroness if it tried. After their tour bus crashed in Bath when over this side of the pond for their tour on the back of double album "Yellow & Green", Baroness main man John Dyer Baizley took some time out to recuperate, regroup and bring Baroness back to the studio with a brand new line up. The end result is this, "Purple". So, the burning question; is it any good?

Actually, it's pretty damn spectacular! The Savannah quartet have returned with not so much a bang, but more a full blown explosion as the album bursts into life. Opening track "Morningstar" makes the listener feel like they've been bludgeoned with one from the word "go", while tracks such as "Shock Me" and "Chlorine and Wine" show the listener that the Baroness they all know and love is well and truly back after the curveball that was "Yellow & Green", a much more instantaneous beast than first thought by many, but beset with too many inconsistencies. Elsewhere, "Kerosene", "The Iron Bell" and "Desperation Burns" are typically hard hitting with some wonderfully silly spots thrown in, "Fugue" sounds like an early 70s instrumental soul jam before normal service resumes, and John Dyer Baizley seems vocally to be in as fine fettle as ever, his uplifting tuneful bellow resonant and clear as always.

Like the proverbial phoenix rising from the flames, Baroness are back with the bang that they truly hoped for. "Purple" establishes them as one of the finest sludge metal acts in the here and now, and should rightly get them the positive attention that they surely deserve. Outstanding stuff.

Track Listing:

1. Morningstar
2. Shock Me
3. Try to Disappear
4. Kerosene
5. Fugue
6. Chlorine & Wine
7. The Iron Bell
8. Desperation Burns
9. If I Have To Wake Up (Would You Stop the Rain?)
10. Crossroads of Infinity

Wounded Cross - Bonecrusher

Artist: Wounded Cross
Album: Bonecrusher
Year: 2015
Rating: 76/100

Newcomers Wounded Cross hail from Rugby, Warwickshire, coming together through a mutual love of rock and roll, dirty guitar riffs and traditional doom metal in the vein of the likes of Black Sabbath and the equally legendary Saint Vitus. Vocalist Graham Bliss leads the quartet with more of a Wino-inspired mid-range howl as opposed to a higher register wail, but still leads the quartet by example.

The three tracks on offer on "Bonecrusher" are three monoliths of doom, with small pockets of outside influence to be found here and there. Guitarist Tommy Love's classical training comes into play more than once with some excellent lead riffs and solos. Drummer Paul Revell's roots lie primarily in metal, and that can be heard for all on opening number "Biocentrism", with some subtle double-kick drum work and powerful fills. Graham Bliss's vocals and lyrics form the backbone of the songs, and while his delivery isn't highly polished, it works well enough to sustain the listener's interest. "Biocentrism" and "Bonecrusher" offer the more traditional side of doom metal, but where Wounded Cross mix things up a bit comes in the form of closing track "Ashes", offering a slower, more reflective take on their aural assault before building to their traditional sound again.

On the whole, "Bonecrusher" is a short but sweet offering from these newcomers. It feels a little disappointing that it finishes so quickly, but there's enough to sustain the listener's interest. I'd like to hear what they could do with a full length offering in the not too distant future.

Track listing:

1. Biocentrism
2. Bonecrusher
3. Ashes

GIG REVIEW: Graveyard, O2 Academy 2, Birmingham

Headliner: Graveyard
Date: 3rd November
Venue: O2 Academy 2, Birmingham
Support: Imperial State Electric
Rating: 10/10

Imperial State Electric's Nicke Andersson is conspicuous by his absence tonight. The former Entombed and Hellacopters main man is not well, owing to an illness that caused him to lose part of his hearing. However, Nicke is clearly a firm believer in the old rock and roll adage of "The show must go on", and for that reason Imperial State Electric are here as a power trio tonight, led more than ably by former Datsuns bass player Dolf de Borst. The three-quarter strength Imperial State Electric, as a result, rip enthusiastically through a set of new and old material that they had to rework as a power trio, including such gems as "I'll Let You Down", "Reptile Brain", and an absolutely barnstorming cover of the Dead Boys' "Sonic Reducer". If they're this good as a power trio, I can only imagine how good they might be with Nicke back in the fold.

Graveyard, on the other hand, are at full strength, and they're on the attack right from the word go with forceful renditions of "Magnetic Shunk" and "Hisingen Blues" setting the tone early on in their set. The big hitting songs just keep on coming, though; newly rejoined bass player Truls Mörck takes the lead vocal mantle for a rousing version of "As the Years Pass By, the Hours Bend", their first foray into blue eyed soul, "Too Much is Not Enough" is warmly received by the crowd, and "Lost In Confusion" makes a welcome return to the set. To close the regular set off, Graveyard give us the always brilliant "Blue Soul" and "Uncomfortably Numb", before giving us a brilliant four song encore. First, singer and guitarist Joakim Nilsson emerges for the solo number "Stay For A Song", before the rest of the band rejoin him and wind things up nicely with "Apple and the Tree", "Ain't Fit to Live Here", and a simply outstanding performance of "The Siren". All in all, a fantastic little gig.

Riverside - Love, Fear and the Time Machine

Artist: Riverside
Album: Love, Fear and the Time Machine
Year: 2015
Rating: 95/100

You could be forgiven for wondering just how exactly Riverside would top their previous effort, "Shrine of New Generation Slaves". Having said that, Riverside are exactly the kind of band who thrive on going one step further on each album, and having successfully released album after album that has eclipsed the one that has gone before it, it's now the turn of "Love, Fear and the Time Machine" to do exactly the same. So, the big question is, how does it weigh up?

Well, let's be honest. It's pretty damn incredible. The album opens with the esoterically-titled "Lost (Why Should I Be Frightened By a Hat?)" and its swirling keyboards, Mariusz Duda's impassioned vocals, and Piotr Grudzinski's outstanding guitar work, building up slowly, climaxing perfectly, then dying away. The time signatures and song patterns may be somewhat more straightforward than on "Shrine of New Generation Slaves" at first, but this is Riverside, and they can't resist the opportunity to change things up if they know their ideas aren't going anywhere. "#Addicted" is a fantastic indication of how they have matured as a band, while "Saturate Me" is a beautiful slow burner that hits you just as it hits its peak.

"Love, Fear and the Time Machine" is one of those truly rare albums that has absolutely no weak spots at all. The music is flawless, the vocals are superb, and the songwriting is at a level that the band haven't quite managed to achieve, until now. Stop whatever you're doing right now and obtain this album any which way you can.

Track list:

1. Lost (Why Should I Be Frightened By a Hat?)
2. Under The Pillow
3. #Addicted
4. Caterpillar and the Barbed Wire
5. Saturate Me
6. Afloat
7. Discard Your Fear
8. Towards the Blue Horizon 
9. Time Travellers
10. Found (The Unexpected Flaw of Searching)

Graveyard - Innocence and Decadence

Artist: Graveyard
Album: Innocence and Decadence
Year: 2015
Rating: 83/100

The last few years have seen a steady upward curve happen for Graveyard. The Gothenburg quartet have built a reputation for being consistently good on record and outstanding live, and when the evidence points to the likes of "Hisingen Blues", "Lights Out" and their eponymous self titled effort, it's hard not to disagree. "Innocence and Decadence" is their fourth effort, and is another slab of 70s throwback rock, built on towering riffs and vocalist and guitarist Joakim Nilsson's wail.

The album opens in tremendous rapid fire fashion with the opening four tracks whistling by in just under 15 minutes. "Magnetic Shunk" roars into life almost unexpectedly, in much the same way as "Ain't Fit To Live Here" on Hisingen Blues, while "Apple and the Tree" sounds almost as if it was influenced by "Bad Reputation" era Thin Lizzy. "Exit 97" is the only one of the opening four tracks where they slow things down a little, but it still feels like it's over far too quickly. "Never Theirs To Sell", on the other hand, is the shortest track, but is short enough to get its point across. Elsewhere, returning bass player Truls Morck, who played guitar in the original line up and actually sang the original recordings of debut album songs "Blue Soul" and "As the Years Pass By, The Hours Bend", takes up the vocal reins on "From A Hole In The Wall", "Can't Walk Out" features a belter of an outro and the bluesy as hell "Far Too Close" is taken up by Jonatan Ramm on lead vocals.

"Innocence and Decadence" may not be an album that's going to set the world alight, but it shows us that Graveyard are a band that are very good at what they do. It won't win them a massive amount of new fans, but it will definitely please the ones they already have.

Track list:

1. Magnetic Shunk
2. Apple and the Tree
3. Exit 97
4. Never Theirs To Sell
5. Can't Walk Out
6. Too Much Is Not Enough
7. From A Hole In The Wall
8. Cause and Defect
9. Hard-Headed
10. Far Too Close
11. Stay For A Song

Beach House - Depression Cherry

Artist: Beach House
Album: Depression Cherry
Year: 2015
Rating: 94/100

Baltimore's Beach House have a name that evokes the peak of summer, but their music is in fact dark, hypnotic, spellbinding and alluring all in one. "Depression Cherry", the duo's fifth studio album, follows the pattern of their previous four; the delicate instrumentation and charming musical craftsmanship of Alex Scally, coupled with the dreamy, languid vocals of Victoria Legrand, whose voice evokes that of Nico and Hope Sandoval all at once.

Opening track "Levitation" kicks things off nicely, with its minimal drums, its soothing, warm synths and guitars, and of course the wonderful vocals of Victoria Legrand (the niece of French composer Michel) washing over the listener. It is obvious from the very start of "Depression Cherry" that a streamlined approach for Beach House works very well for them, an approach that serves them well on the beautiful "Space Song", the effortlessly soothing "PPP", and the low key but simply lush textures of "Wildflower" and "Bluebird". As a result, Beach House clearly work at their best when they don't try and make everything too complicated.

"Depression Cherry" is, to be completely honest, an utterly beautiful piece of work. It's easy on the ears and on the soul, and Beach House don't sacrifice the quality of the songwriting for how the album sounds as a whole. If you want to listen to an album that truly does have healing powers, then take a dive into "Depression Cherry". I can guarantee you won't regret it.

Track List

1. Levitation
2. Sparks
3. Space Song
4. Beyond Love
5. 10:37
6. PPP
7. Wildflower
8. Bluebird
9. Days of Candy

EXCLUSIVE LIVE REVIEW: Desertfest Belgium, the Trix Muziekcentrum, Antwerpen

Before I get to the bulk of the review, I would like to start off by saying that this is a special case and that the event won't get its own individual rating. However, what I will say is this: the organisation and the set up of the festival were first rate - the sound was good, the setting was excellent and the way in which the whole thing was run was just so brilliantly efficient that I couldn't help but just be hugely impressed. Needless to say, it has got itself permanently etched into my calendar and I will be giving strong consideration to attending again next year.

Now onto the festival itself. I arrived back in Antwerpen for the first time since 2003 for this. Here's who I saw and my thoughts on them. For the purposes of this review, as I have stated earlier, I'll be rating the bands on an individual basis as opposed to the festival as a whole. Here we go...

FRIDAY

Having successfully beaten Antwerpen's Friday afternoon rush hour traffic to get to the Trix on time (which I am sure I went to when it was simply known as the Hof Ter Lo back in 2003 to see Children of Bodom, Soilwork and Shadows Fall with a mate of mine), I got my wristband sorted and purchased a supply of food and drink tokens before getting ready to watch the bands. 

First up are Athens' Planet of Zeus (8/10). The quartet launch into their set with ragged and raw enthusiasm, with their foot tapping Southern Metal owing a slight nod to Alabama Thunderpussy. 

Over on the Canyon Stage, Psychonaut (7/10) take a slightly more angular, but equally as taut approach with their stop-start sludge rock. However, they are blown away by Swedish doomers Monolord (9/10), whose bass is so out and out heavy that it causes my own nostril hair to vibrate. Rotterdam's The Machine (7/10) provide the first of many psychedelic elements to the proceedings, with their own take on psych going over nicely with the crowd. Lengthy but enjoyable. Moon Duo (7/10), despite the obvious lack of bass player, add their own eccentricity and still make a pretty big sound in the process. Dresden quartet Wucan (8/10), despite being one of the more newly formed bands on the bill, put in a strong showing thanks to frontwoman Francis's electrifying presence on both rhythm guitar and flute, pitching the band's sound somewhere in between Blood Ceremony and Witchcraft. Stoned Jesus (9/10), hailing from Kiev, are one of the bands who have travelled that little bit further to be here in Antwerpen, but they still produce a set full of wonderfully spaced out progressive psychedelic blues. Rounding off proceedings for the evening, Sweden's Dozer  (9/10) have a long established reputation as a reliable band, both live and on record, but tonight they go that extra step further and deliver a simply excellent set for the Desertfest crowd.

SATURDAY

Opening proceedings on the Desert stage, just as the unmistakable smell of something somewhat stronger than Benson & Hedges fills the air, Poland's BelzebonG (9/10) (yes, the last letter of their name is also capitalised for some reason) make no secret of the fact that they love the sweet leaf, turning their instruments over to reveal the message "SMOKE WEED NOW!" on a stage that is bathed solely in green light. Their bassy, weed addled instrumental riffs set the tone perfectly for the second day of bands. Deville (7/10) veer a little too close to the original stoner rock masters Kyuss for comfort, but what this Swedish quartet may lack in originality, they more than make up for in enthusiasm. Banda de la Muerte (8/10) give us some out and out sludge metal with a raging hardcore punk swagger and attitude, and come off as a faster paced, Spanish language version of Eyehategod in the process. Let's be honest, that's never a bad thing. Hailing from Lyon in France, Sunder (7/10) add a slightly different dimension to the strongly prevalent psychedelic vibe of this year's Antwerpen edition of Desertfest by being the only act of their kind with a mellotron in their sound, topped off with some excellent harmonies to give them a roundly authentic sound. Swedish supergroup Greenleaf (8/10), on the other hand, prefer to take the heavy blues route, mixing things up with a slew of killer riffs. Yes, you guessed it, Mars Red Sky (9/10)  are another band with their feet firmly rooted in all things psyhedelic, only the Bordeaux trio take it in the spaced out stoner pop route, a la Torche. They come across as the musical equivalent of an erupting volcano, and by some coincidence, the background visual screen provides exactly that as they play. Orange Goblin (10/10) are always outstanding live, and tonight is no exception. They arrive on stage to AC/DC's "It's A Long Way To the Top If You Want To Rock and Roll", their gargantuan frontman Ben Ward salutes a mojito drinker in the front row, and they mix things up brilliantly with a superb blend of material from the last couple of albums alongside old favourites such as "Saruman's Wish" and set opener "Scorpionica". Causa Sui (8/10) pitch in their own unique blend of late 60s psychedelia with early 70s krautrock and meld both together in a way that never gets boring, no matter how drawn out it seems to be. Closing things out are drone masters Earth (7/10) with a good, but not outstanding set. Dylan Carlson's drone masters are solid, rather than spectacular, and end up being slightly underwhelming after Orange Goblin's masterclass. Nonetheless, the second day of Desertfest is just as amazing as the first.


SUNDAY

The final day of Desertfest is the most keenly anticipated one of the lot, and it all gets started over on the Desert Stage with Glowsun (8/10). Like their fellow countrymen in Mars Red Sky on the Saturday, Glowsun offer more of the same with more impressive backdrops projected onto the screens behind them. Fever Dog (6/10) are up next, offering much the same as Glowsun and Stoned Jesus before them, which again, is solid without doing enough to truly stand out. Local band Tangled Horns (7/10) change things up, however, with a sound that is pitched somewhere between that of early Clutch, the Melvins and Unsane, with elements of blues, hardcore, noise and even some grunge. Enjoyable, then, but not quite as enjoyable as Valient Thorr (8/10), who I last saw supporting Fu Manchu way back in 2007. The quintet are still off the wall, still bruisingly heavy, and still a lot of fun, with songs about aliens, conspiracy theories, getting rid of toxic people from your life and countless other subjects. Danish trio Papir (7/10) are up next with (yes, you've guessed it) more psychedelic krautrock that isn't afraid to change things up whenever they feel that an idea is getting stale. This leaves me completely unprepared, however, for the sheer genius that is Ufomammut (10/10) and their exquisitely blended combination of space and bass that is heavier than a tungsten brontosaurus. Siena Root (9/10) keep that roll going with a bad ass blend of 70s throwback hard rock with some great pyro, and despite the occasional technical problem, some fantastic guitar and Hammond organ trade offs, giving them a feel of Spiritual Beggars/Blood of the Sun/latter day Clutch. Bongzilla (9/10) are also in fine fettle, as the Desert Stage yet again becomes engulfed in swathes of green light, setting the tone perfectly for the Wisconsin quartet's weed addled sludge. As a result, this made up for having been unable to see their set at Temples. Fatso Jetson (7/10) give another solid, if unspectacular, showing, with some suitably meaty driving bass lines and dirty guitar riffs, but the trio do more than enough to set the stage perfectly for Goatsnake (10/10), another band that I was unable to see at Temples due to other commitments, to blow everyone off the stage with a simply fantastic set that drew nicely from their entire back catalogue and new album "Black Age Blues". Mission accomplished, and Desertfest Antwerpen is a wrap for another year.

In summary; fantastic organisation, awesome clientele, food, drink and stands. It's going to be another year before I will definitely be able to stomach another pint of Maes Pils, but I can't wait to go back home from home and do it all again.

SPECIAL FEATURE: Desertfest Belgium - the build up

Tomorrow I will be heading to Belgium for a few days in Antwerpen, my old city of residence for some five months back in the first half of 2003. My primary reason for returning is that I have a ticket to a stoner metal festival that has become something of a "movable feast" over the course of the last few years, having originally set up in London, then following suit in Berlin and Antwerpen. I am of course talking about Desertfest. 

I'll level with you: Doom, Stoner, Sludge and Southern Metal is by far my favourite form of the heavier side of music by miles. It started for me as a student when I had become acquainted with the music of Monster Magnet and Kyuss for the first time. From there, it gradually evolved into all corners of the genre: Fu Manchu, Clutch, Orange Goblin, Electric Wizard, Goatsnake, Crowbar, Eyehategod and many, many others along those lines made their way into my music collection, never to leave. I had also started to take cursory glances at line ups for music festivals that catered exclusively for bands like this; here in the UK, there is Desertfest and Temples, in Italy, there's Duna Jam (which apparently takes place on a secluded beach. Sounds fantastic), Germany also has Desertfest and Freak Valley, Belgium has Desertfest and Yellowstock, while Holland has the crown jewel of stoner doom music festivals at the 013 in Tilburg every year in the form of Roadburn. Were it not for the fact that tickets for this festival fly out of the blocks every single time from the minute they go on sale, I would have got myself to it a long time ago - the line up is always outstanding, from the pre-show right to the afterparty.

I was initially attracted to the Belgian Desertfest after having seen a poster for it in Antwerpen last year. The line up appealed to me instantly: Blues Pills, Jex Thoth, Bevis Frond, Pallbearer, Fu Manchu, Electric Wizard, Yob, Truckfighters and Brant Bjork, to name but a few. This year the first band on stage at the venue it takes place at (a place called the Trix in Borgerhout, a suburb of eastern Antwerpen) is the band Planet of Zeus. All in all, a pretty epic way to start proceedings.They don't get any smaller, either; Monolord, Stoned Jesus and Dozer complete Friday's picks, while Saturday hosts Belzebong, Greenleaf, Mars Red Sky, Causa Sui, Orange Goblin and Earth among others, and Sunday rounds things off with the likes of Glowsun, Valient Thorr, Ufomammut, Siena Root, Bongzilla, Fatso Jetson and Goatsnake. (Believe me, if you spend as long trawling Spotify as I do for bands like this, you'll know those last five are a big deal, and not just them.) Not only that, Antwerpen has one of the finest independent record shops I've ever been to (Fat Kat Records on Lange Koepoortstraat, hidden away on one of the backstreets). Its Stoner and Doom section speaks for itself - my most recent finds from there have been Siena Root, Electric Citizen, Mountain Witch, Blood of the Sun, Black Rainbows and Mos Generator, all of which I've thoroughly enjoyed.

When I return, a review of Desertfest will be incoming. It'll be able to convey my excitement much better than I would be able to tell people about it. But that's because I have one of those voices, and even when I am being hugely enthusiastic about something, everyone still thinks that I'm taking the piss.

See you on the other side!

TD (Hear & There)

The Tallest Man on Earth - Dark Bird Is Home

Artist: The Tallest Man On Earth
Album: Dark Bird Is Home
Year: 2015
Rating: 81/100

Kristian Matsson, the main man behind The Tallest Man on Earth, has always been an enigmatic fellow with bags of talent to match his ambition. Having only recently incorporated electric guitar into his melancholic but melodious indie folk sound coupled with his undoubtedly passionate lyrics, he heads for his most ambitious work to date in the form of his fourth full-length effort, "Dark Bird Is Home".

Unlike his previous albums, Matsson has pushed the musical boat out further this time around, opting for some fuller sounds in place of the sparse "one man and his guitar" sound that has served him well. That he pulls it off for the most part owes a lot to his own raw talent. The only track that is solely performed and orchestrated by Matsson himself is the piano-led "Little Nowhere Towns", which is as sparse as it is beautiful. Elsewhere, alongside Matsson's guitar work sit instruments such as violin, saxophone, and various brass on songs like "Darkness of the Dream", "Slow Dance" and one of the album's main standout tracks, "Sagres". The latter in particular is a more upbeat offering than usual, as is the track that follows directly after it, "Timothy".

"Dark Bird Is Home" is, on the whole, a solid record without being truly spectacular. It highlights that Kristian Matsson is a reliable and hugely talented musician and shows that his expansion of his sound on the whole with a full band has worked well. I'll be interested to see where he goes from here, whether he reverts back to his basic roots or whether he continues his full band sound, as either would work a treat. Definitely a solid starting place for those new to The Tallest Man on Earth.

Track list

1. Fields of Our Home
2. Darkness of the Dream
3. Singers
4. Slow Dance
5. Little Nowhere Towns
6. Sagres
7. Timothy
8. Beginners
9. Seventeen
10. Dark Bird Is Home

Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

Artist: Goatsnake
Album: Black Age Blues
Year: 2015
Rating: 84/100

Goatsnake are, by all accounts, rightly regarded as doom metal royalty. Having put their name to such monumental efforts as "Dog Days" and "Flower of Disease", and with appearances at festivals such as Temples under their belt, Greg Anderson and Pete Stahl team up yet again here for their first activity in the studio since 2004's EP "Trampled Under Hoof". "Black Age Blues" is their first return to the studio since then.

What follows on "Black Age Blues" is Goatsnake doing what they do best: slow, low and heavy as hell, with an even dirtier blues groove than they had previously exhibited. Greg Anderson's riffs are as fuzzed out as they ever were, and Pete Stahl is in fine voice as always, providing additional harmonica solos on the tracks "Elevated Man" and their tribute to Jimi Hendrix, "Jimi's Gone". Elsewhere, "Coffee & Whiskey" is slow, low and much more bluesy than before from Goatsnake, closing track "A Killing Blues" has a neat point where the musicians fade out leaving Pete Stahl on his own before the rest of the band comes back in for a wonderfully heavy outro, and the title track and "House of the Moon" provide some of the more soulful numbers, as does "Jimi's Gone".

"Black Age Blues" might not be quite on the same level as their magnum opus, "Flower of Disease", but it doesn't half run it close. All the songs are very well put together as always, but you just think that if Goatsnake can write songs as good as this in their sleep, you have to wonder how good they can really be if they put their mind to it. Not a truly excellent album, but a very good one.

Track list

1. Another River to Cross
2. Elevated Man
3. Coffee & Whiskey
4. Black Age Blues
5. House of the Moon
6. Jimi's Gone
7. Graves
8. Grandpa Jones
9. A Killing Blues

Danko Jones - Fire Music

Artist: Danko Jones
Album: Fire Music
Year: 2015
Rating: 75/100

Toronto rocker and Canadian HuffPost columnist Danko Jones has a reputation that precedes him; his good time party hard rock has been hitting ears for the best part of 15 years or so, putting Canada on the musical map for the right reasons, for a change. "Fire Music" is studio album number seven for him and the other members of the trio, bassist JC and new drummer Rich Knox.

"Wild Woman" opens the album, and it is very much business as usual for Danko Jones: three minute rock and roll songs packed full of power chords, thundering bass riffs, huge choruses, dirty guitar solos and drums that pound along steadily and reliably as ever. There's nothing new and different about the songs from a lyrical perspective either, but in Danko Jones' case, that's not a bad thing. "Gonna Be A Fight Tonight" boasts punk rock style gang vocals along with one of the bigger choruses on the album. "Body Bags" continues the fight theme, while the other standouts include "Getting Into Drugs", "Do You Wanna Rock" (which boasts some fantastic cowbell action) and "Watch You Slide". It feels a little bit like Danko was running out of ideas towards the end, however, as "Piranha" and "She Ain't Coming Home" feel a little bit like he was writing on autopilot.

Danko Jones works on the same premise as the likes of AC/DC, Motorhead and Agnostic Front in that the familiar territory is where the band produces their best material. This album is the musical equivalent of necking multiple shots of Jagermeister and running round in circles until you feel dizzy and about ready to pass out. It's not new, original or groundbreaking, but it's a LOT of fun.

Track list

1. Wild Woman
2. The Twisting Knife
3. Gonna Be A Fight Tonight
4. Body Bags
5. Live Forever
6. Do You Wanna Rock
7. Getting Into Drugs
8. Watch You Slide
9. I Will Break Your Heart
10. Piranha
11. She Ain't Coming Home

Enslaved - In Times

Artist: Enslaved
Album: In Times
Year: 2015
Rating: 92/100

Enslaved's musical trajectory has always been a tremendously interesting one to follow. It's staggering to believe that "In Times" is their thirteenth (yes, that's right) studio release, and that they only started recording in English on "Monumension", their sixth effort, back in 2001, and the most drastic change to their sound came on "Isa" in 2004, but one thing has always remained the same where their musical output has been concerned: it has always been of the highest quality, and "In Times" is no exception.

"Thurisaz Dreaming" kicks things off nicely with a typically black metal assault; blastbeats, screamed vocals and ferocious guitars, seamlessly blended with cleaner singing and a more prog approach. If there's one thing Enslaved have done superbly in their work since "Isa", they have mastered the art of allowing their songs some breathing space and development time, and as they unfold and the ideas need a change, the band times the moment perfectly to change things up as they see fit. Elsewhere, both "Building With Fire" and "One Thousand Years of Rain" favour a more straightforward approach from a musical perspective, but it's a flawless decision as both songs work beautifully and are delivered with passion and fire in equal measure. Similarly, "Nauthir Bleeding" boasts the best guitar solo on the album and some excellent viking chants, and the epic title track is the only track that clocks in at 10 minutes in length, but the band keep things interesting in the only way they know how; their own outstanding musicianship.

"In Times" picks up superbly where Enslaved's previous effort, "RIITIIR", left off. However, it is more than simply "RIITIIR" mark II; it's a brilliant album that stands on its own two feet with some killer moments. While Enslaved were great as a black metal band, they have evolved so far from their original musical path that they are now arguably one of extreme metal's best bands active today. Undoubtedly a high quality album with much to recommend it; this IS Enslaved we're talking about, after all. Definitely worth a look.

Track list

1. Thurisaz Dreaming
2. Building With Fire
3. One Thousand Years of Rain
4. Nauthir Bleeding
5. In Times
6. Daylight

Elder - Lore

Artist: Elder
Album: Lore
Year: 2015
Rating: 94/100

Every now and then, the heavier side of music throws up something unique that simply defies description in terms of actual style, but leaving the listener no doubt in terms of quality. Fairhaven, Massachusetts trio Elder are one such band. "Lore" is their fourth full length effort, and boasts everything the discerning heavy music fan loves: killer musicianship, plenty of outstanding guitar riffs and drumming, all topped off with the excellent vocals of Nick DiSalvo.

No track on "Lore" clocks in at shorter than 9 minutes long, with only "Deadweight" at less than ten minutes in length, and that gives Elder the perfect opportunity to showcase precisely what they're made of. Opening track "Compendium" is a monolith that sounds like a heady blend of early Mastodon, Colour Haze and Motorpsycho. The structures of the songs might sound straightforward and formulaic (melodic verses, fantastic solos, extended bridge, built up tension, more riffs and solos before being brought back full circle to the vocal melodies), but in reality, it's anything but. The title track is 16 minutes of expansive magnificence that makes it impossible to properly describe just how truly outstanding Elder are. And just when you think you've heard them do everything they possibly can, closing number "Spirit At Aphelion" throws the listener a complete curveball by adding acoustic guitars and keyboards to the mix before the vocals kick in and normal service is resumed.

"Lore" is, to be completely blunt, a masterpiece. Every time the band gets the feeling that their ideas are either slightly boring or just don't seem to be going anywhere, they change things up to keep the listener constantly guessing at what it is they might possibly do next, and it works a treat every time. It's hard to pick a true stand out track because everything is just so cohesive and flows beautifully, and each song keeps on giving new ideas until the creative well has run dry. Do yourselves a favour and get hold of this album by any means you possibly can.

Track list

1. Compendium
2. Legend
3. Lore 
4. Deadweight
5. Spirit At Aphelion

Riverside - Shrine of New Generation Slaves

Artist: Riverside
Album: Shrine of New Generation Slaves
Year: 2013
Rating: 88/100

When it comes to the harder edge of music, Poland's primary export has been death metal, with the likes of Behemoth, Decapitated and Vader all imposing their wares on the music buying public, meeting with widespread acclaim. Warsaw quartet Riverside, are a prog metal band more in the vein of Dream Theater and Tool who have largely remained under the radar in spite of releasing high quality material, such as "Second Life Syndrome" and "Anno Domini High Definition". Effort number five, "Shrine of New Generation Slaves", looks to follow in exactly the same vein.

Opening track "New Generation Slave" roars into life with a sumptuous blend of abstract time signatures, fantastically atmospheric keyboards, distorted guitars and the impassioned vocals of Mariusz Duda (who also happens to be the main man behind the equally brilliant Lunatic Soul). However, it is obvious from second track "The Depth of Self-Delusion" that Riverside are certainly not afraid to mix things up if they need to, pulling back from the harder edge of the opening track and keeping the coherence with one key element that appears to be lacking in most prog; the ability to write a damn good song. Lyrically, Riverside's primary focus on "Shrine of New Generation Slaves" turns its attention to non-conformism and a cynicism towards contemporary life: consumerism and fleeting relationships, particularly on songs like "Celebrity Touch" and "Escalator Shrine" are fantastic examples.

When you have a first proper listen to Riverside, you'll wonder why they ever escaped your attention in the first place. "Shrine of New Generation Slaves" is merely a continuation of what made them so good in the first place; the heartfelt, impassioned songs and the outstanding musicianship. A true gem of an album.

Track list

1. New Generation Slave
2. The Depth of Self-Delusion
3. Celebrity Touch
4. We Got Used To Us
5. Feel Like Falling
6. Deprived (Irretrievably Lost Imagination)
7. Escalator Shrine
8. Coda

The Sword - High Country

Artist: The Sword
Album: High Country
Year: 2015
Rating: 56/100

After blitzing us listeners with monolithic slabs such as "The Age of Winters", "Gods of the Earth" and "Warp Riders", among others, The Sword are back with a new album. "High Country" is effort number five for the Texan quartet, but how does it hold up in relation to their previous offerings?

Erm, not that well, if I'm going to be completely honest. Don't get me wrong, the music is as tight as ever, and the band have changed their sound ever so slightly, which is fair enough. There is, however, one crucial problem here. The Sword appear to have forgotten how to write songs. Unfortunately, this is prevalent from the off, as "Empty Temples" and "High Country" feel self-indulgent, directionless and largely lacking in anything resembling structure. The sheer volume of filler tracks on the album does little to help, as "Agartha", "Seriously Mysterious" and "Suffer No Fools" feel a lot like outtakes that were included simply for the hell of it, while "The Dreamthieves" is a perfectly good song ruined by the unnecessary addition of a fade out that feels completely out of place. It's not all bad news for the Sword on "High Country", though; while "Buzzards" and "Mist & Shadow" aren't on the same sort of level as "How Heavy This Axe" or "Iron Swan" from previous efforts, they work perfectly well as stand alone numbers.

"High Country" is, for want of a better description, a complete disappointment. With a few exceptions, it is largely the sound of a band phoning it in. Not one of the Sword's better efforts; stick to "The Age of Winters" or "Gods of the Earth" instead.

Track list

1. Unicorn Farm
2. Empty Temples
3. High Country
4. Tears Like Diamonds
5. Mist & Shadow
6. Agartha
7. Seriously Mysterious
8. Suffer No Fools
9. Early Snow
10. The Dreamthieves
11. Buzzards
12. Silver Petals
13. Ghost Eye
14. Turned To Dust
15. The Bees of Spring

Grey Widow/Sons of Tonatiuh - Split EP

Artist: Grey Widow/Sons of Toniatuh
Album: Split EP
Year: 2015
Rating: 88/100

Fresh from a supporting slot with Japanese doomsters Coffins, Brighton's Grey Widow have now teamed up with Atlanta's Sons of Tonatiuh for six tracks of the rawest, feedback laden doom this side of Fleshpress and Noothgrush, as a taster for their upcoming tour together later on in the year. Simply put, this all out sonic assault on the senses is heavier than a tungsten Triceratops.

Grey Widow are up first, and the opening drums of the monolith that is "X" are so intense that they feel like they're single handedly going to bore a hole straight through the listener's skull. What the listener is totally unprepared for, however, is the sheer WALL of noise that surges forth and batters you about the head like a champion boxer on the attack. Their take on Leechmilk's "Obey" is equally as impressive in its intensity, surpassing even the original in terms of nastiness.

Don't be fooled into thinking that Sons of Tonatiuh will offer any respite, though. The Atlantans offer a more groove-laden attack that still keeps the level of intensity at a high. Covers of Cavity's "Wounded" and Killing Joke's "Sun Goes Down" are ferociously superb, while "Skull File" brilliantly sets the tone for their side of this evil release and "The Oracle" closes the EP in a fingernail-gnawingly terrifying kind of way.

It's obvious that this EP is not going to be for everyone. It actually physically hurts to endure it. But it's executed so well from both sides that once you start listening to it, it's difficult to stop. Definitely worth catching them on their upcoming tour!

Track list

1. Grey Widow - X
2. Grey Widow - Obey
3. Sons of Tonatiuh - Skull File
4. Sons of Tonatiuh - Wounded
5. Sons of Tonatiuh - Sun Goes Down
6. Sons of Tonatiuh - The Oracle

GUEST FEATURE: Martin Grech - Open Heart Zoo, Unholy, March of the Lonely

Every now and again, going forward, I will post a guest feature from an outside contributor. This one has come from Richard Dawes, and he's opted to review three Martin Grech albums in one sitting. It's definitely worth a read, as it's a cracking piece of writing.

Open Heart Zoo (2002) Score: 82

Unholy(2005) Score: 80

March of the Lonely (2007) Score: 81

Martin Grech opens my 'Musical Enigmas' series for a very good reason. This is an artist who has so much potential for future growth and recognition that he quite literally is a testament to modern musical experimentation.

Here's the thing – Grech has never tried to make his music for a particular audience. That much is clear. He is a divisive musician in that his work has no consistency in terms of style. He very much is a 'take me how you hear me NOW' artist. He is not interested in commercial appeal, he has a constantly developing style and that's his way. It is very challenging to pigeon hole Grech's music into a specific genre. So I'm going to invent one just for arguments sake – Experimental Alternative.

Most people will only have heard Grech's work in the Lexus advert which used the title song from his debut album in 2002. Those who actually went on to discover more about this singer/instrumentalist/producer would be richly rewarded. When I first came across 'Open Heart Zoo' it was actually via one of those old CD listening stands in my now sadly defunct local independent music shop. I listened to the entire album end to end without feeling the need to skip to the next track– and I have never ever done that with a new album since.

A variety of reasons were at play here. One was Grech's very distinctive voice – though, unlike some, I do not think Jeff Buckley has anything on Grech despite the constant comparisons some critics make. The opening verse of 'Here it Comes' quite honestly stupified me – a frenetic baseline, a very ethereal augmented lead guitar, with a variety of disparate electronic elements at play in the rhythm section which could be supplied by an 808 state. The intensity of this track was beyond anything I had ever heard a solo artist deliver – and bear in mind that Grech provides most of his instrumentation himself, in this case drums, piano and guitar. This was an artist of music bar none in a modern age where solo artists rely more and more on session musicians. Which brings me to his voice.

Martin Grech's voice is possibly the most flexible instrument in his arsenal. He has an absolutely astounding falsetto – and his range is extensive in the extreme. If you listen to him on 'Penicillin' in particular he makes that chorus soar – soulful and sustained throughout the song. Indeed, 'Open Heart Zoo' demonstrates perfectly the amount of musical influences that Grech ploughs into one song. Opening with a very lonely repetitive piano drone, he leads us through the song with his voice at near constant falsetto. A string section of violins accompanies the sound of steam being released, alongside sounds of city traffic. As the song builds to the bridge, which is quite astounding, he twists his voice into perfectly controlled but uncomfortable avenues. The vocal control is amazing, purely from a perspective of technique but also he has elements of the best folk singers as he becomes a storyteller for the listener.

It would be three long years before Grech would release his next work 'Unholy'. There is a distinct shift evident here stylistically. The opening track 'Guiltless' is a cacophany of influences – everything from Nine Inch Nails to Wagner could be referenced in this song alone. The tone of this album is distinctly darker and dare I say, gothic. Shredding guitars, distorted vocal elements, heavy use of double bass tapping, a veritable rollercoaster of an album. 'I Am Chromosome' is a perfect example of this and I am particularly taken with the use of the piano to juxtapose against the Death Metal-esque interjections of the guitars throughout the song. At the risk of sounding controversial I actually think Grech uses the piano as a driver for his music in a much more interesting fashion than Matt Bellamy, who tends just to give selected songs s more 'classical' edge (much as I am an admirer of Muse's earlier albums).

Unfortunately, whilst critically well received and embraced by existing and new fans, 'Unholy' would be Grech's undoing. Island, disappointed with the commercial sales terminated their deal with him. Which is where it now gets really interesting. Grech, as I've intimated, is very hard to pin down – he rarely gives interviews or does promotional work other than playing live and even then his gigs are rarely widely publicised. Sharing his music with people is how he communicates with them and I personally believe this is not artistic pretentiousness at play, merely a man who immerses himself in his work until he is happy to release his vision to whoever wants to listen.

Which leads us to his last official album, the self released ' March of the Lonely'. This totally caught me out – having heard that he had officially gone to ground and that he was to all intents and purposes incognito (at one point he was apparently discovered by the police on a small island situated in the middle of the Thames, in a tent, with an eight track recorder and a guitar) suddenly this album appeared out of nowhere. 'March of the Lonely' represents a massive departure from his previous works once more. Stripped back songs, often with only an acoustic guitar as accompaniment. I will be honest, initially I was downbeat about this album. Where had all that vitriol gone? However, I stuck with it. I stood corrected. Lyrically, it is probably his best work, and in 'The Heritage' probably his best song to date. It is a very hard song to describe – despite its simplicity on a purely instrumental level the vocal performance is like nothing I have ever heard. There is a distinct sense of brooding menace in the lyric ' Dig, dig , dig, dig your coffins hole' in the last verse that is truly chilling. But perhaps this is the secret behind his later work in particular – there is an economy of form and structure that when put together just coalesces into something deeply moving and disturbing in equal measure.

Post 'March of the Lonely' Grech once again drifted into obscurity. At one point he was working on a project titled' MeatSuit' and some tracks were released via MySpace (yes, it was THAT long ago!). Then he released a series of rough cut demos under the working title 'Meta' which were available for download but then disappeared just as quickly as they were uploaded. Following from this a couple of years ago a new album titled 'The Watcher' was rumoured to be in the works. Again, this soon faded into the ether. However, Grech is still collaborating with other musicians, particularly those who have drawn influence from his music. Tesseract have him on their new album 'Polaris' contributing vocals on the track 'Hexes'.I can also recommend a track called 'Zenith' from the album 'Residual Hum From A Parallel Universe' by a collective of artists known as SomewhereNotHere. It is very much a Grechian inspired track – it demonstrates his vocal range exceptionally well. Only last week I happened upon Grech lending his voice to the track 'Black Sun on the Horizon' on Gunship's self titled album. Another departure for Grech, this song is almost a modern ballad.

So what next? There are rumblings abounding that Grech is now with a producer working on his fourth album with the working title 'Hush Mortal Core'. I sincerely hope this album comes to fruition, if not so that it may increase the reach of his back catalogue at large but also that it may receive more appreciation from a new audience than mere critical acclaim. Certainly the fact that he is collaborating with a wide range of other artists seems to suggest he is gearing himself up for more solo material to be released.

Torche - Restarter

Artist: Torche
Album: Restarter
Year: 2015
Rating: 80/100

There's always been a triumphant and uplifting edge to the music of Torche. It's been a staple part of the band's sound since they rumbled into life after the break up of Floor, vocalist Steve Brooks' former band. "Restarter" is the band's fourth full-length effort, and looks to continue what has thus far been a successful formula for Torche,

Opener "Annihilation Affair" hits the listener with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer, with all the right ingredients for a strong Torche song in its rightful place: solid, powerful drumming, stop-start time signatures, MASSIVE guitar riffs and Brooks' trademark melodious shout. The musical content doesn't deviate a great deal from this formula, but then it doesn't need to. This is Torche we are talking about here, after all. Each track is a veritable slab of stoner rock, some blasts shorter and succinct than others ("Bishop in Arms", "Loose Men", "Undone" and the aptly titled "Blasted" to name but four). The eight minute long title track is the only song where Torche see fit to change it up a little, and is slightly faster than the rest of the tracks as a result.

"Restarter" is not a ground breaking album. It is more the sound of a band firmly in their comfort zone, knowing full well what works for them and what doesn't. And in this case, that's a good thing indeed. It's a good place to start with Torche for newcomers to the band, and it's another consistent album for people who are already Torche fans.

Track list

1. Annihilation Affair
2. Bishop In Arms
3. Minions
4. Loose Men
5. Undone
6. Blasted
7. No Servants
8. Believe It
9. Barrier Hammer
10. Restarter

Mutoid Man - Bleeder

Artist: Mutoid Man
Album: Bleeder
Year: 2015
Rating: 86/100

As musicians, Stephen Brodsky and Ben Koller both have reputations that precede them when it comes to quality. Cave In's Brodsky also had a spell in Converge as their bass player, while Converge drummer Ben Koller also had a temporary spell pounding the skins in Cave In! As a result, when I had heard that the two of them had teamed up again, I was hugely interested to see what results it would yield.

Opening track "Bridgeburner" opens with a wall of feedback and bass noise before kicking in at a rate of knots. Brodsky excels as the sole guitarist here, hammering out some vicious licks and chops which wouldn't have been out of place in his early Cave In days. Koller handles the songs' numerous time shifts with ease, giving everything a slight Jesus Lizard-esque touch. Elsewhere, "Sweet Ivy" has an effect-laden intro that starts slowly but builds into the typical Mutoid Man attack, "Surveillance" and "Beast" are almost metallic in their assault, and almost as subtle as a brick to the face, while "1000 Mile Stare" allows Brodsky to change things up vocally, incorporating screamed vocals into the mix for the first time on the album, as he also does on the furiously intense "Deadlock". The title track is the only track on the album that clocks in at longer than four minutes, but even that roars into life before long.

"Bleeder" is suitably intense, as expected from men with such fantastic extreme music chops as Stephen Brodsky and Ben Koller. Not only that, both give the finest performances on record I've heard from them since their own respective zeniths with Cave In and Converge; "Until Your Heart Stops" and "Jane Doe" respectively. It holds up superbly as its own record, as opposed to a stopgap between the next Cave In and Converge albums, and that alone is why it deserves your attention.

Track list

1. Bridgeburner
2. Reptilian Soul
3. Sweet Ivy
4. 1000 Mile Stare
5. Surveillance
6. Beast
7. Dead Dreams
8. Soft Spot In My Skull
9. Deadlock
10. Bleeder

Baroness - Red Album

Artist: Baroness
Album: Red Album
Year: 2007
Rating: 86/100

After their first two EPs garnered a significant amount of positive attention (not to mention a significant amount of comparisons to bands like Neurosis and Mastodon), Baroness have given us their first full length album. Like their contemporaries in the form of Kylesa and Mastodon, Baroness focus primarily on hypnotic guitar lines, swathed in multiple different effects, odd time signatures and powerful drumming, topped off with John Dyer Baizley's cheerful and melodious bellow.

"Rays on Pinion" opens the album brightly enough to start, even though it drags ever so slightly towards the end. "The Birthing", however, brings the level back up and smashes the listener in the face right from the start, continuing to do so as the song progresses. When Baroness get the balance between hazy and ethereal and out and out heavy correct, however, then it sounds superb, as demonstrated on "Aleph" and "Wailing Wintry Wind". "Cockroach En Fleur" throws a curveball in the mix, taking the form of a deftly fingerpicked acoustic number, while "Teeth of a Cogwheel" lives up to its title by churning away, while "O'Appalachia" smashes the listener in the face for a second time.

"Red Album" is slightly easier on the ear than its EP predecessors, but is still excellent nonetheless. It draws for a multiple of different styles, refusing to adhere to just one, and is atmospheric and hypnotic without being suckered into being the latter's evil twin, boring. Highly recommended.

Track list

1. Rays On Pinion
2. The Birthing
3. Isak
4. Wailing Wintry Wind
5. Cockroach En Fleur
6. Wanderlust
7. Aleph
8. Teeth of a Cogwheel
9. O'Appalachia
10. Grad

Deftones - Diamond Eyes

Artist: Deftones
Album: Diamond Eyes
Year: 2010
Rating: 96/100

It's easy to get caught up in the hyperbole and carried away when talking about the Deftones' back catalogue. After all, their musical evolution as a band since "Adrenaline" dropped into our lives twenty years ago has been nothing short of jaw-dropping. But, fucking hell, when what's in front of us is as outstanding as "Diamond Eyes" truly is, then who are we to argue, really?

Album opener and title track "Diamond Eyes" gets us off to the euphoric flyer that we, the listeners, deserve, with its back and forth time shifts in the first of many truly gigantic choruses. "Royal", "CMND/CTRL" and "You've Seen The Butcher" all fit together seamlessly as if they were three parts of the same amazing song. Elsewhere, "Beauty School", "Prince" and "Rocket Skates" highlight the Deftones at their finest; the former is one of the slower numbers on the album, equal in ethereal presence with "Sextape", whereas the latter two bring the Deftones' sound of years gone past up to date without needing to change anything drastic.

"Diamond Eyes" is unmistakably the Deftones at their finest. While it's true that no two Deftones albums sound the same, the band have never gone back down the same road and changed their plans entirely, more like re plot their musical co-ordinates slightly every single time, and it's an approach that has served them better and better over time, as what they've produced has been of the highest quality on every occasion. A must own album that reveals more and more nuance with every listen.

Track list

1. Diamond Eyes
2. Royal
3. CMND/CTRL
4. You've Seen The Butcher
5. Beauty School
6. Prince
7. Rocket Skates
8. Sextape
9. Risk
10. 976-EVIL
11. This Place Is Death

Young and in the Way - When Life Comes to Death

Artist: Young And In The Way
Album: When Life Comes to Death
Year: 2014
Rating: 76/100

Now this is exactly what I'm talking about: hardcore punk with guitar riffs so dirty that you'll need to take a shower the minute you've heard them, coupled with filthy blood-curdling screams that wouldn't be at all out of place in the realms of the old Norwegian black metal masters themselves. North Carolina quartet Young and in the Way approach "When Life Comes to Death" with as little subtlety as possible, and as a result come up with something that will blow the listener's face off the minute "play" is hit.

"Betrayed By Light" sets the tone for the entire album with a scream of "When life comes to death!", and then the listener is hit in the face without even a second for any respite by Young And In The Way's sonic arsenal. The other immediately striking thing is how seamless every transition between tracks is, with "Fuck This Life", "Be My Blood" and "Self Inflicted" as cohesive as they are brutal. Similarly, "Shadow of Murder", the only track that offers even the slightest respite to the listener's senses, leads into the nine minute epic that is "Embrace Extinction", which also happens to be the album's closing track, with the same cohesion and coherence.

"When Life Comes to Death" is not a record that will be enjoyed by everyone. However, it will be appreciated and enjoyed by the right audiences with its heady combination of brutality, venom and incisiveness. You'll have trouble finding a record that will assault your senses in quite the same way as this one will.

Track List

1. Betrayed By Light
2. Fuck This Life
3. Be My Blood
4. Self Inflicted 
5. Loved and Unwanted
6. We Are Nothing
7. Final Dose
8. Weep in My Dust
9. Take My Hand
10. Shadow of Murder
11. Embrace Extinction

Bad Religion - No Control

Artist: Bad Religion
Album: No Control
Year: 1989
Rating: 95/100

This album is, to put it quite simply, timeless. In Bad Religion's discography it sits slap bang in the middle of a hat-trick of great albums (the other two being "Suffer" and "Against the Grain"). In this respect, it works beautifully as the middle part of a superb, albeit unintended, trilogy. Not only that, along with "Milo Goes to College" by the Descendents and "Energy" by Operation Ivy, it helped lay down the basic groundwork for every SoCal punk band in the 90s.

In spite of the fact that it clocks in at just 29 minutes in length, and that it's not wholly different in feel from its predecessor, "Suffer", this works completely in favour of "No Control". The songs come flying at the listener thick and fast, some of them barely a minute long, but when your lead singer and lyricist is Greg Graffin, that's no problem, as the songs more often than not turn out to be as catchy as they are intelligent; see "Change of Ideas", "No Control", "I Want to Conquer the World" and "You" as shining examples.

What "Reign In Blood" did for thrash metal, "No Control" has done for punk rock. It opened up countless possibilities to scores of bands who needed a blueprint to adhere to, it established Bad Religion as genre leaders when it came to punk rock, and it put "No Control" up there with "London Calling" as a punk rock standard. Absolutely essential listening.

Track list

1. Change of Ideas
2. Big Bang
3. No Control
4. Sometimes I Feel Like
5. Automatic Man
6. I Want to Conquer the World
7. Sanity
8. Henchman
9. It Must Look Pretty Appealing
10. You
11. Progress
12. I Want Something More
13. Anxiety
14. Billy
15. The World Won't Stop

Catch 22 - Keasbey Nights

Artist: Catch 22
Album: Keasbey Nights
Year: 1998
Rating: 84/100

The words "ska-punk" when they're combined can sometimes evoke some serious musical horror stories to the ears, often incorporating the very worst of both worlds. Not so for Catch 22. The New Jersey sextet do the exact reverse here on their debut effort, "Keasbey Nights", incorporating the massive choruses and snotty attitude of punk rock with the fun and exuberance that ska is largely known for.

The most striking thing about "Keasbey Nights" is how precise musically Catch 22 as a collective unit are. There's no guitar chord out of place, no misplaced bass groove, no awry drum fills. The brass section make a valuable contribution to every song without grating on the listener's ears, best heard on the title track, and efforts such as "Walking Away" and opener "Dear Sergio". Elsewhere, "Day In, Day Out" boasts an unexpected yet brilliant reggae pick up, "On & On & On" has a superb middle eight with fingerpicked guitar, brass and minimal drums that sounds like a ska-punk nod to Pachebel's Canon, while "Walking Away" boasts a brilliant jazz bass and hi-hat intro and a scintillatingly superb trumpet/trombone duel!

Unfortunately, while "Keasbey Nights" rightly got the critical acclaim it deserved from fans and critics alike, frontman and guitarist Tomas Kalnoky quit the band after the grind of touring became too much. Eventually he would surface in the more chilled out (but equally as good) ska sextet Streetlight Manifesto, and re-record "Keasbey Nights" in its entirety with them, and as a result nothing else Catch 22 would go on to record would be even half as good as this. As a stand alone album, however, "Keasbey Nights" is a must listen for ska and punk fans alike. It's not quite in the Operation Ivy/early Rancid class, but damn if it's not very close indeed!

Track list

1. Dear Sergio
2. Sick and Sad
3. Keasbey Nights
4. Day In, Day Out
5. Walking Away
6. Giving Up Giving In
7. On & On & On
8. Riding the Fourth Wave
9. This One Goes Out To...
10. Supernothing
11. 9mm and a Three Piece Suit
12. Kristina She Don't Know I Exist
13. As The Footsteps Die Out Forever

Blues Pills - Blues Pills

Artist: Blues Pills
Album: Blues Pills
Year: 2014
Rating: 92/100

Over the last few years there has been a huge resurgence in top quality psychedelic rock acts. Graveyard, Purson, Wolf People and Spiders, to name but a few, have caused a few ripples with consistently excellent albums. None of these bands, however, seem set to take the world by storm quite in the same way as Blues Pills do.

Based in Örebro, Sweden, with Swedish, French and American members, Blues Pills have the very obvious influences, such as Cream, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, but instead of borrowing heavily from them, they use these artists as minor cues to create something that is entirely their own. Zack Anderson and Cory Berry on bass and drums are fluid and unflappable, and guitarist Dorian Sorriaux has the licks and chops that would make the likes of Mick Ralphs and Jimi Hendrix proud. Sorriaux gets to showcase this best on the frenetic "Devil Man".

The real jewel in Blues Pills' crown, however, is the extraordinary singing voice of front woman Elin Larsson. Every single line she delivers is finely nuanced, and she lets rip when she needs to, such as on "High Class Woman", "Ain't No Change", and "Devil Man". But where Elin excels is where the pace is a little bit slower, such as the verses of another album ripper, "Black Smoke", or the beautiful, anthemic "Little Sun", which closes the album off, and sees her crooning with every fibre of her very being.

While what Blues Pills do might not be highly original, the talent, promise and enthusiasm to create something quite extraordinary is all there in abundance, and they pull it off with aplomb. On this evidence, Blues Pills could well be absolutely huge in years to come if they continue at this level.

Track List

1. High Class Woman
2. Ain't No Change
3. Jupiter
4. Black Smoke
5. River
6. No Hope Left For Me
7. Devil Man
8. Astralplane
9. Gypsy
10. Little Sun

Rival Sons - Great Western Valkyrie

Artist: Rival Sons
Album: Great Western Valkyrie
Year: 2014
Rating: 87/100

Rival Sons have a sound that evokes the likes of Led Zeppelin and the Black Crowes, among others, without sounding a great deal like any of them. Where classic rock influences come into play, it's tricky to sound largely original, but the fact that they pull it off owes largely to the intelligent songwriting present on "Great Western Valkyrie". As always, the primary focus is the guitar work of Scott Holiday and the soaring, swooping vocals of Jay Buchanan.

What makes "Great Western Valkyrie" the masterpiece it truly is, is that there isn't a single track on here that could even remotely be deemed filler. "Electric Man" sets the tone of the entire album by roaring into life with a colossal guitar riff and Buchanan's melodious wail, not letting up for a second. "Open My Eyes" is punchy and exuberant, with a distant nod to Led Zeppelin in the drum intro, while "Good Things" takes things in a near-Motown direction, and "Rich and the Poor" showcases the band's versatility, adding Hammond organ to their sonic arsenal. Just when you think you've heard everything Rival Sons have to offer, though, closing track "Destination on Course" shows up to blow the listener's mind completely.

"Great Western Valkyrie" has shown that Rival Sons have developed long beyond mere classic rock copyists. While it has some fantastic individual songs, the whole in this case is very much greater than the sum of its individual parts, wrapped up nicely in some superb musicianship and Jay Buchanan's incredible vocals. Next time you hear someone complain that rock and roll is dead, hand them a copy of "Great Western Valkyrie". That ought to change their mind.

Track list:

1. Electric Man
2. Good Luck
3. Secret
4. Play the Fool
5. Good Things
6. Open My Eyes
7. Rich and the Poor
8. Belle Starr
9. Where I've Been
10. Destination On Course

GIG REVIEW: Solstafir, The Institute, Birmingham, July 31st

Headliner: Solstafir
Date: July 31st
Venue: The Institute, Birmingham
Supports: Dialects, Silverface
Rating: 8/10

The crowd at the Institute to see Solstafir is an intimate, but appreciative one. Solstafir are fresh off the back of a set at the inaugural Ramblin' Man Fair down in Maidstone, where they shared a bill with the likes of Alcest, Riverside, and Blues Pills, among others. Tonight, however, they're bringing Dialects and Silverface with them.

First up are Silverface. This young, local quartet have a sound pitched somewhere in between Explosions in the Sky, Pelican and Maybeshewill, with plenty of lush soundscapes, builds in the songs in the right places, and an excellent ear for perfect sonic nuance. There's little crowd interaction, but the foursome are firmly in the zone as they give it everything, including the use of a violin bow on guitar that would make Jimmy Page proud.

Glasgow's Dialects, however, prefer an approach that is just as focused, but more musically chaotic, drawing instead from the likes of Miava and Russian Circles, Despite a relatively short set, the band's coherence and enthusiasm go down well with the appreciative crowd, double tapping and all.

Then, finally, Solstafir arrive on the stage. In spite of the fact that their set is littered with minor technical niggles, the Icelanders rip through material primarily taken from their past two albums with the same enthusiastic approach as their openers, and again, it's well received, with Adalbjörn Tryggvason's impassioned vocals sitting comfortably atop a mountain of monolithic guitar riffs and thunderous drumming. If another opportunity to catch them in a live setting arises, then do not miss it.

Alabama Shakes - Sound and Color

Artist: Alabama Shakes
Album: Sound and Color
Year: 2015
Rating: 91/100

With the likes of the Black Keys, Blues Pills and Gary Clark Jr. among others enjoying acclaim from critics and fans alike, it was surely only a matter of time before Alabama Shakes had their turn in the spotlight as part of the new blues-rock revolution. Led by Brittany Howard's captivating, soulful vocals, "Sound and Color" is the Athens, Alabama quartet's second album.

Right from the start, Alabama Shakes grab the listener from the opening strains of the title track, with its sumptuous grooves and guitarist Heath Fogg's excellent guitar work. Lead off singles "Don't Wanna Fight", "Future People" and "Gimme All Your Love" provide Brittany Howard with the chance to play to her strengths with her vocal power. "This Feeling" is a beautifully worked acoustic blues number which changes the pace a little. The final two tracks, "Gemini" and "Over My Head" are slow burners that burn ever so brightly as the song winds down and has the listener yearning for more.

The influences that are evident on "Sound and Color" might not be wholly original. But Alabama Shakes's sound just feels so unforced that everything they attempt works a treat, and they still manage to sound like the same band, even when they attempt something different. It's a mature and hugely diverse effort that works primarily because the Shakes dared to be different. If that works for you, definitely give this album a look.

Track List:

1. Sound & Color
2. Don't Wanna Fight
3. Dunes
4. Future People
5. Gimme All Your Love
6. This Feeling
7. Guess Who
8. The Greatest
9. Shoegaze
10. Miss You
11. Gemini
12. Over My Head

The Haunted - Exit Wounds

Artist: The Haunted
Album: Exit Wounds
Year: 2014
Rating: 54/100

The Haunted as they stand are a band in transition at the moment. For one band member to quit at an inopportune moment is unfortunate, but for three of the five to quit within a short space of time is nothing short of a travesty, especially when these musicians are of the calibre of Peter Dolving, Anders Björler and Per Möller Jensen. They're three very formidable musicians to lose. However, Jonas Björler brought two very familiar faces back in the form of Adrian Erlandsson and Marco Aro, along with new guitarist Ola Englund, and the end result has appeared here in the form of the band's eighth effort, "Exit Wounds".

Unfortunately, with the departures of Dolving, Anders Björler and Per Möller Jensen looming large, the other thing that has disappeared from the Haunted's arsenal is the ability to write truly killer songs, despite the best efforts of Aro and Erlandsson. The songs, for the most part, lack cohesion, and conviction, and Aro and Erlandsson frequently find that their bandmates are trailing in their wake with Gothenburg metal by numbers riffs that serve the sole purpose of taking up album space.

"Eye of the Storm", while hardly in the same class as older Haunted cuts such as "Hollow Ground" or "Bury Your Dead", is the album's sole exception, and provides a timely reminder of what the Haunted are truly capable of. But on the whole, this is a largely forgettable collection of songs that is nowhere near in the same class as "Made Me Do It", or even "One Kill Wonder". Save yourself the trouble and take a look at At The Gates' newest effort instead.

Track list:

1. 317

2. Cutting Teeth

3. My Salvation

4. Psychonaut

5. Eye of the Storm

6. Trend Killer

7. Time (Will Not Heal)

8. All I Have

9. Temptation

10. My Enemy

11. Kill The Light

12. This War

13. Infiltration

14. Ghost In the Machine

The Damned Things - Ironiclast

Artist: The Damned Things
Album: Ironiclast
Year: 2010
Rating: 84/100

Supergroups are always a tricky beast. There's no middle ground with them; more often than not; they're either absolutely outstanding or they end up being little more than a chaotic mess. Luckily for the listener, The Damned Things fall into the former category.

Boasting Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley from Fall Out Boy (yes, really), Anthrax axe men Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano, and topped off with the melodious yet throaty holler of Keith Buckley from Every Time I Die, the Damned Things play a hedonistic blend of beer party hardcore punk coupled with plenty of rock and roll swagger and thunderous heavy metal riffs. Album opening track "Handbook For the Recently Deceased" kicks things off with the subtlety of a brick to the face, but catches the listener pleasantly off guard with its massive sing-along chorus.

While the Damned Things are solid from a musical perspective, their secret weapon is Keith Buckley. Having only sung sparingly on Every Time I Die's earlier efforts, he really steps up his game here. On "We've Got A Situation Here" and "The Blues Havin' Blues" he brings the screamed vocals back into play, whereas on "Little Darling" and "Friday Night (Going Down in Flames)" he delivers his best cleanly sung vocal performance on record to date.

The Damned Things as a collective unit tick all the right boxes for a supergroup. Their songs have an excellent cohesion to them, and the musicianship is superb. If that works for you, give them a look.

Track List

1. Handbook For the Recently Deceased

2. Bad Blood

3. Friday Night (Going Down in Flames)

4. We've Got A Situation Here

5. Black Heart

6. A Great Reckoning

7. Little Darling

8. Ironiclast

9. Graverobber

10. The Blues Havin' Blues

American Sharks - American Sharks

Artist: American Sharks
Album: American Sharks
Year: 2013
Rating: 76/100

Texan stoner/fuzz power trio American Sharks do not mess about. Their self-titled debut effort is a short, but sweet blast of monolithic guitar riffs from guitarist Will Ellis and raspy vocals from bassist and vocalist Mike Hardin, topped off with a boundless supply of raw hardcore punk energy right from the word "go".

Opening track "Iron Lungs" roars into life unrelentingly, clocking in at just a minute and a half, which, albeit short, is more than enough time for the band to get their point across. Unsurprisingly, this sets the tone for the rest of the album. "Satan's Overture Part 1" has a suitably evil intro, with some of the dirtiest guitar work on the album, while "XVI" sounds like Clutch, Red Fang and Black Flag locking horns in a three way standoff.

If there is any criticism to be levelled at "American Sharks", it's primarily that the album is far too short, clocking in at a mere 20 minutes for just 9 tracks. It's nothing groundbreaking or even original, but there's plenty here to keep the listener occupied, especially with the songs being as short as they are. Fans of Clutch, Black Flag, Red Fang, Scissorfight and Doomriders would be highly advised to check this one out.

Track list

1. Iron Lungs
2. Overdrive
3. Satan's Overture Part 1
4. Indian Man
5. XVI
6. Freak Out
7. Demon With Glass Sword
8. Cocaine
9. 11:11

Gig reviews - a short note

After having yesterday established the ground rules for how the album reviews are going to work last night, I stupidly forgot to do the same with how gig reviews will be covered. So I will use this post to establish that right now.

Normal gigs will be given an overall rating out of ten with 500 words maximum written about the event; from the opening band, to the support act, to the headliners. Festivals, however, will be handled differently, as obviously I can't watch every single band on the bill on my own. Each individual band will be given a rating along with a couple of sentences each. The same will be done for all day events where several bands will be on the bill at once.

Now that I've got all of that out of the way, I can now crack on with getting some of my own material put up on this blog!

Toby

A quick welcome

Welcome to the blog space for Hear and There music reviews. In it, I'll be writing reviews of albums that I've listened to, or gigs that I've attended. These albums will cover a wide-ranging gamut of styles of music along the contemporary musical spectrum, ranging from Americana to Doom Metal to Hip hop to Punk Rock and as many things in between as possible. (I like to keep a reasonably open mind as best I can when it comes to this sort of thing, after all.)

Rating systems and styles of reviews

How I'll be tackling the reviews will go as follows: I'll be writing 500 words tops for each album that I review, extolling its virtues or pointing out its flaws (whichever is closest to the mark for the album in question). Alongside that, each album will receive a score out of 100, which will be calculated by rating each track on the album out of 10, adding them together, then dividing that total by the number of tracks on the album. Case in point: if I were to review "Foundations of Burden" by Pallbearer, an album which has six tracks on it, the scores for the tracks would be added up together, then divided by 6.

Scores

The scoring system is a reasonably straightforward one, and will go as follows:

Below 50: Avoid

50-64: Approach with caution

65-74: Mediocre

75-84: Recommended

85-94: Highly recommended

95+: Essential listening

As I'm a reasonably open minded soul when it comes to music, these reviews will be as unbiased as I can possibly make them, although I can't offer any concrete guarantees on that!

One final note, happy reading, and feel free to offer comment and constructive criticism on my writing style, or the albums themselves.

Thanks.

Toby (Hear and There reviews main man)