Bang - The Best of Bang

Label: Ripple Music

Bang were a cult band back in the early seventies. Power trio Bang released their debut album in 1971. Since the band were considered the American Black Sabbath by some, it could be argued by many whether they fit under proto-metal umbrella or not.

The Black Sabbath influence is so strong on tracks like "Lions...Christians" and "The QUeen" that you wonder how many bats the singer has bitten the head off. There's undeniably heavy UK influence on this group in both senses of the word, "Questions" sounds like a missing link between Stray and Led Zeppelin due to the vocals doing the high-pitched part that Robert Plant became renowned for during his Led Zep days.

There's a delightful simpleness to the rock of "Mother". The song is catchy and there are echoes back to the fab four but while Bang were looking to the past, they were also looking forward. "Keep on" is from a similar mould and you can check this tune out on soundcloud. (Yay, I finally got my head around Soundcloud. Oh, no. I didn't. That site still sucks for embedding music on blogger). Many listeners will hear the roots of both what is now known as classic rock and also doom metal on tracks such as "Feel The Hunt". If "Windfair" was stacked up through more amps and turned up to 11, it'd sound rather similar to an English band named after torture device. There's some great soloing on "Don't Need Nobody". "Feels Nice" has a huge Zeppelin influence and if you've never liked Zep, this track will also beg the question, why does he sing like that?

This Anthology will nestle down in the vinyl format in the record collections of stoner and psychedelic rock/proto-metal fans and meat and potatoes hard rock fans. If you've enjoyed any rock albums that were released in the early seventies or if you'd like to, then "The Best of Bang" is a good arrival point.

4/5

Release date: 20 April 2018

Howling Giant - Black Hole Space Wizard Part 2

Record Label: Self-release





The band's chosen handle, Howling Giant suggests a gargantuan blood-curling beast and their latest EP title, "Black Hole Space Wizard Part 2" and song titles like "The Forest Speaks", "Circle of Druids" and "Earth Wizard", leaves little doubt that these three guys from Nashville, Tennessee are not only music nerds but also sci-fi and fantasy nerds.

From the outset of the EP, Howling Giant let you know they aren't just messing around with sound, the album opener, "Henry Tate" is nearly all instrumental groove as their are haunting spoken parts. Howling Giant let you know through their psychedelic space rock that they're going on a trippy ride and want you to take a seat and strap yourself in alongside them for the journey.
"The Pioneer" begins as a radio-friendly rock tune. The vocals of Tom Polzine are reminiscent of Jon Toogood from Shihad and the first three minute of the song do remind me of that band's recent rockier tracks but Howling Giant take off into more fuzzed out territory than the long-running New Zealand band have dared to.



There's a warning of an onset of ominous doom to come in "Visions", due to some slowed but incredibly heavy Sabbath riffs. While the melodic clean and incredibly accessible vocals are at the forefront of the mix, the music carries a heavy sense of foreboding doom through the heavy fuzzed out riffs until around the five minute mark where the band veer further into space with a more psychedelic stoner sound with wailing guitar. "The Forest Speaks" is an instrumental track with aucoustic guitar, baritone sax and synth. This track will draw the band many comparisons to the progressive sound of Jethro Tull and the space rock of Hawkwind. Comparisons aside, "The Forest Speaks" is a beautiful and relaxing soundscape.

After lulling the listener in, with a tranquil piece, Howling Giant take a medieval twist with "Circle of Druids" and conjure up Black Sabbath era Ozzy vocals with an emphasis on percussion and chants to come together (intentional nod to The Beatles, that you'll get when you listen to the track) and ascend from Avalon. The fuzzed out guitar leads voyage all over the place searching for Excalibur.







Mammoth crushing doom riffs set the tone of "Earth Wizard". This is the type of song that slowly creeps up behind you and makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up as the band lay down breathtakingly heavy riffs.


To merely say that this EP is good would be understating a fact, the six songs on this release are fantastic and all fans of space rock, stoner rock and metal, psychedelic rock should listen to this Howling Giant. The whole album can be streamed and bought for name your price at the band's bandcamp page. You know what to do and if you want greater riff sensation do what the band tell you to on their bandcamp page and play these songs at maximum volume.

4.5/5

Release Date: 25 August 2017


Howling Giant on Facebook


Howling Giant on bandcamp


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Moonlight Desires - Just the Hits 1981-1985

Record Label: Infamous Butcher Records




Canadian Moonlight Desires have transformed a number of 80's pop hits into hard rock covers. This is a fun album and the band do a good job of beefing up 80's tunes. 80's Gary Moore rather than Me First and the Gimmees sprang to mind as these aren't punked up covers but slightly metallic versions.

The question that a reviewer with personal bias favouring the eighties needs to ask is: do they always work? Most of them do but there are moments that don't quite gel. Duran Duran's "Hungry Like The Wolf" falls towards the end of the song when the band slow down but the rest of the song actually works surprising well. Rod Stewart's "Young Turks"is sped up with guitar solos and absolutely rocks. The original version of Simply Red's "Holding Back The Years" is an absolutely ghastly song which the band make listenable with guitar solos however it's still a cringe-worthy song. Thankfully, the follow-up track, Stevie Winwood's "Valerie"is as upbeat and fun as the original and rids the mouth and ears of the horrid taste of Simply Red. The Naked Eyes track "Promises Promises" works well as a beefed-up chunky hard rock tune and is a great tribute to the original version. If you've wondered what Level 42 would have sounded like if they'd started playing hair metal around the time New Order wore those hair metal wigs then you need to give Moonlight Desires version of "Something About You" a listen. Frankie Goes to Hollywood get the Moonlight Desires through "The Power of Love" conveys the idea of a North American Suede.

While the songs on "Just the Hits 1981-1985" are fun re-workings, it's difficult to see this album as anything other than a novelty album. The album full of covers doesn't have long-term replay value unlike a number of the originals.


Release Date: 15 September 2017


2.5/5


Moonlight Desires on Facebook

War Cloud - War Cloud

Record Label : Ripple Music

Bay Area band War Cloud are a new band having only formed in 2014. The band are made up of Alex Wein on guitar and vocal duties, Joaquin Ridgell,on drums,Sean Nishi on bass and Tony Campos also handling guitar. War Cloud took their name from a song from the UK band Wicked Lady, which will inform some readers that the band are influenced by hard rock from the late 60's and 70's.


There's a definite 70's influence coming through the fuzzed up guitar that leaves little doubt that Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy and UFO feature prominently in the collective listening diet of War Cloud. There's a hard rock boogie feel to "Chopper Wired"that forces a listener to not just listen but to also move their buttocks. With the band based in the Bay Area and lyrics about four horsemen in "Divide and Conquer", it's impossible not to think that within their musical stew, War Cloud are not only taking in and spitting out early hard rock and traditional metal but also early speed metal. The suspicion of an early speed metal influence is confirmed in "Hurricane" as it harks back to the first couple of Metallica albums but the vocals are more in the hard rock singing style than than the near punkish shouting style of early James Hetfeild. Wein can really sing but doesn't venture outside his range, which helps give the band their sound.

The guitar leads on "No Man's Land" are attention grabbing as it's apparent that both Wein and Campos are highly accomplished musicians. "Red Witch" sounds like it would have been a hit on the radio if it had been released in the 70's. It's a really catchy number due to the chorus, tempo and distorted guitar all shining from the speakers. It's easy to imagine people hearing the song on the airwaves and then seeking out the 45 rpm vinyl. "Speed Demon" is so full of punk'n'roll grittiness, you'll need to wash your hands after hearing the track. The album closer, which you can listen to below, has a NWOBM but War Cloud manage to stamp their own identity on the track.









At first I didn't really think much of this album but after listening to it a number of times, there are many things to discover and like about War Cloud's debut. An obvious criticism could be that with their retro style War Cloud look too much to the past however it's clear that the band have a genuine passion for hard rock from the past and their passion boils over in their songwriting and musicianship. Standout songs are "Speed Demon", "Red Witch"and "No Man's Land" however no song on the album is weak.


Release Date: 8 September 2017

3.5/5





Warcloud on Facebook

The Judge - Tell It To the Judge

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Damn, this is great! The Judge unashamedly play retro-rock. The band are incredibly influenced by the seventies hard rock and metal. There are obvious Led Zeppelin and Sabbath references but these guys are no mere clones. There's no denying the influence of Sabbath on "Empty Halls" but The Judge's singer, Tyler Swope, has own thing going rather than just copying Ozzy and sits more in hard rock genre than heavy metal. He has the voice most who don't like Led Zeppelin wish Robert Plant possessed in the seventies. It's melodic warmth is easy on the ears. The bass, drums and guitars just seam together perfectly throughout the album. There's a laid back groove to the whole album but it's strongest in "High Flyin'". Fans of guitar noodling and blues style boogie rock will enjoy "Darkest Daze", which has been reworked since appearing on an early EP.

Seventies hard rock fans could play games picking the influences for hours whilst they knock back a cold one or more listening to this album but it's more likely that they'll wind up just listening to "Tell it to the Judge" and just kicking back while enjoying the album. "Tell it to the Judge" sounds like one of the better hard rock albums from the seventies but the production quality is modern. The mix is great with all the instruments coming out nice, clear and loud. Drum cymbals give off the sound they should rather than sounding like sticks hitting canned food.


The Judge manage to have that retro sound and the dart hit the bullseye on "Tell It to The Judge". Go and grab yourself a copy when this gets released.





4/5

The Judge on facebook




The Judge on bandcamp

Last Bullet - 80-69-64

Toronto's Last Bullet clearly take a get up and go approach to hard rock. It's apparent that they take a no-nonsense and take no prisoners attitude to rocking their audience whether in the studio or onstage. Last Bullet have taken the DIY attitude to serving this musical platter releasing this EP themselves rather than sitting and waiting for a record company to do it for them.

If you're looking for dishy hard rock, then you need look no further. The band's sound is rooted in the time in the late 80's when many of the hair metal bands were shedding their make-up. Just get a load of "Bright Lights"and try no think of the time Bon Jovi and Skid Row ruled the radio airwaves and bar jukeboxes. "Southern Lips"starts with an AC/DC swagger that coated with grimy dirty and hard Southern rock.

"Little Miss Filthy"has a driving beat with guitar solos coming through nice and clear.

While the six songs on the twenty minutes of "80-69-64" are good, it's difficult to shake the feeling that Last Bullet are a band struggling to stamp their individual musical identity on their tunes like their fellow hard rock countrymen, Danko Jones have managed to do.

2.5/5



Last Bullet's website



Last Bullet on Facebook

Desert Suns - Desert Suns

There aren't any prices for guessing which style of music San Diego band Desert Suns play. Their bandcamp page states, "In that space where psychedelia, blues-rock, doom and sludge coalesce, it’s there you’re likely to find Desert Suns." This is heavily 70's tinged desert rock,

The band provide knockout blows early in the album with the psychedelic hard rock of "Burning Temples" and the hard-out jamming groove of "Space Pussy" with its wailing guitar. There's a definite Sabbath influence in "Passing Through". The vocals sound close to Ozzy but Desert Suns have the talent to manage not to sound like yet another Sabbath clone. "Ten Feet Down" is a serious change of pace with a huge dose of Southern blues. The opening vocals on "Memories of Home" remind this listener of "The Real Thing" period Mike Patton although there's also Ozzy simultaneously shining through.

This is a great debut and it's easy to see why the two labels wanted to re-release this. I hope Desert Suns stick around for some time.

This album was originally released on a limited 300 run of vinyl but has been re-released in Nort America on vinyl and CD by Ripple Music and HeviSike music.

4/5


Desert Suns on facebook



Check out the whole album on Desert Suns bandcamp page.

Osmium Guillotine - Osmium Guillotine

Ever watched any episode of Doctor Who? The British doctor travels in a phone box through time and space. There are many options to capture the feeling of time and space travel through music. One option is to check out older albums and close your eyes and imagine traveling through space and also picturing the time the album was released. Another option is to pick up a new album by a new band covering old ground. With metal, this is easy with retro-thrash and death metal bands playing the old-school style.

An obvious comparison to make with Osmium Guillotine and Doctor Who is the fact that they're both from the United Kingdom. Osmium Kingdom have their feet partially entrenched in the New Wave of British Metal however there are also elements of the original wave of thrash metal so the band's music voyages through metal's past despite being in the present. The vocals of Pete Keleris are of the clean and clear variety with no high pitched screaming. The drumming and bass playing are solid throughout the album. Lance Steele's guitar work really shines through whether he's soloing or Osmium Guillotine are playing as a unit.

The instrumental opener with its quiet build really gives no indication of what's to come but still works as an attention getter like a first song should. The follow-up tune "Martydom" let's the listener know that Osmium Guillotine mean business with their crunching riffs and quick rhythm that brings both early Maiden, Metallica and Anthrax to mind. Opening with a very traditional British metal sound, "D-Day" then becomes much faster paced with the guitar and bass reaching slamming speed. There is a slight hint of Joey Belladonna in the vocals on "Phobophobia" which could be due to the song's near blistering pace. Those who ran screaming when Metallica released the Black album will want to skip "Blight Upon Mankind" due to its slow tempo. "City of Chaos" however will bring a smile to thrash metal fans face. "Hobgolin" opens with a spoken part then the metal is slightly folked up. Whether it is done knowingly or not "Breathe it in, Son" recalls the early days of the crossover between metal and hardcore as there is a riff that is very similar to D.R.I.'s "Five Year Plan".

The only gripe with this album is the song "Subhuman" is too long. There's enough variety between the songs for multiple listens. Osmium Guillotine have released a very good debut album and are a band definitely worth keeping an eye on. Click on the bandcamp link below and give the album a listen for yourself.


4/5


Osmium Guillotine on Bandcamp

Osmium Guillotine on Facebook

Hard Tension - Fear and Guilt

If you're not interested in Neoclassical metal or Power Metal, you'll want to skip this review of Portugese Power Metal band Hard Tension's second EP and either browse through the archives looking for death metal, black metal or punk.  Believe me, I understand.  Well, maybe not why so many would choose  to favour straight up black metal.

The vocals of Migas Magalhães will have the no clean vocals running away as they're crisp clear and melodic.  His pipes are reminiscent of Michael Kiske of Helloween during the (Keeper of Seven Keys) period and a young Joe Elliot (Def Leppard) also comes to mind.  The guitar work of Paulos Santos is undeniably influenced by Classical music and traditional Spanish guitar players.  Due to his guitar work, there's an eerie feel to EP opener "Serenade of Fall".  "Harder Faster" shows how tight these guys are as a unit.  The drumming of Tião Costa is varied in tempo from slow to fast belying the songs title however there's no slacking around from any of the guys in Hard Tension as the riffing is quick.  It doesn't sound like anyone is playing catch up with the rhythm section.  There's a psychedelic edge added by the keyboards.  There's a poppy edge in the title track largely  due to the melodic vocals, more standard tempo and the overall crisp clear sound of the recording.  "Heading for the Light" is the heaviest song here with the Portugese boys veering towards Iron Maiden territory vocally and in song structure.   EP closer "Lords of Salem" is more straight forward melodic metal and it's easy to imagine this song going over well in a stadium.

The crisp sound of this recording is great.  Hard Tension really sound they're as well polished as your grandmother's silverware.   Fans of melodic/classical metal bands like Dark Moor will love these guys.

3.5/5

Hard Tension on Facebook

White Orange "Onawa"

 It'd be easy for (m)any regular readers of this blog to guess what White Orange sound since they have a song called  ".....And I Leave The Circus" and the fact that we reviewed them before here may help those without memory problems.    There's no denying that Kyuss and Queens of The Stone Age are likely influences but the fuzzed out feedback places it as the odd man out since it leads into "Either/Or" has more in common with alternative rockers Sonic Youth than the desert stoner rock crowd.    As comparing any band to QOTSA is pretty much useless unless an album is named ".....And I Leave The Circus" is very reminiscent of the slower material from "Rated R", which is an album that was play-listed as a soundtrack to my life for quite sometime. White Orange are keener to get lost in a seventies inspired haze of smoke and guitar.  The band don't resist the temptation to jam out for both their own and the listeners benefit.  It may not be intentional that Dustin Hill has a vocal sound akin to Josh Homme but it works although others may be shaking their fists and cursing at clone bands.  Baby, this rock grooves and the groove rocks.  Vinyl junkies needing  physical grooves in and on black disks should take note that the three songs on this EP are available  in your favourite format from the band's bandcamp site, which is linked below.

3.5/5



Listen to Onawa


White Orange on Facebook

Sleestak - Book of Hours

If you're exactly  like me you're probably a little lubricated as you write this.  Wait, that's not a good opening for a paragraph but regardless,  I'll open another extra-strength can of beer in the name of inspiration.   Hick.   This band is called Sleestak and exactly what's a Sleestak?


  Apparently it's a character from a late sixties TV show called "Land of The Lost".   I'm old enough to vaguely remember seeing repeats(re-runs to any North Americans who aren't aware of vocabulary changes further afield)*

*This should be a footnote.  But looking at the bottom of the page to read footnotes pisses me off so it's right here directly under what I've written to save me anger and to save you time.  If you're reading this still connected to the internet, I suggest using a search engine to find more about about footnotes.  Don't just type footnotes though, my suggestion is to type "Footnotes are gay" because on the internet the word "gay" ususally means lame unless you're doing an image search.  **If you're used to book format, forget you've read this and read the text underneath or if you're even more geeky than me then ignore this as you've copy and pasted this shit and realized a footnote shouldn't be underneath the first two paragraphs.


** Fuck you and your Coke bottle glasses.

Anyway this release from a band named Sleestak sounds like The Doors in places although they have a song called "Seven Sorrows", which sounds a little like The Doors but if you've heard a Danzig album or song, it's much closer to them.  It made me think of a long-gone local band that had a song with the chorus "Fuck The Doors, they sound like Danzig".  I miss those guys.  Although there is probably a band around now recording "Fuck Danzig, they sound like Sleestak".  The comparison is due to the vocals and the fact that the song is dirty bluesy hard rock.

Anyway Sleestak play bluesy hard rock with  a touch of psychedelia.  I wouldn't be at all surprised if Stray, Wishbone Ash and Cactus albums are in this band's essential listening list along with the more obvious Pink Floyd, 70's Alice Cooper(80's Alice mostly sucked thanks to Desmond Child), Doors and Pink Floyd.  Yeah, there are keys but the song "Lone Wolf" makes me want to listen to Valkyrie more than any other band.  This has nothing to do with the song sucking (because it definitely doesn't) but more because Sleestak clearly have similar influences.  Some idiot reviewing this with a shitty music collection is probably saying this song sounds like late Soundgarden with Doors keyboards parts which it does in parts but late Soundgarden sounded  like Pink Floyd meeting Black Sabbath before Roger Waters called it a day.  If you like any of the bands mentioned in this review you definitely should check this release out.

Oh yeah,. it's on this trio's trio's bandcamp site.

3.5/5

The Hyper Actives - "Rock 'n' Roll Lives"

Back when I was an ankle biter, there was a popular pop group from Sweden who were everyone's radar whether they loved or them hated them. Girls often dressed like them at costume parties. Then they became everyone's favourite band to deride but a movie about Australian drag queens put them make on the map decades later although the Swedish rock underground was at boiling point with punk, pop rock and metal with many bands overflowing and receiving mainstream attention.

The Hyper Actives are from Stockholm, Sweden and make no bones about being a rock band with an album entitled "Rock 'n' Roll Lives Again". The band claim influences reaching from AC/DC, Motorhead, The Dead Boys, The Exploited, Johnny Winter and Johnny Burnette.Although the fast drumming pushes them towards punks and has earned their music lazy Ramones comparisons elsewhere on the Internet. Admittedly the Hyper Actives rock path is a well trodden one but sometimes the path chosen because it's a good route to go rather than because it's where everyone has chosen
"Dirty Punk Rocker", is punk rock with a gritty AC/DC charm


  Otherwise this album is just good time three chord rock with an emphasis on fun. There are moments where the band sounds like they're channelling Mötley Crüe's debut but instead of injecting heroin, The Hyper Activesadd a heavy dose of the more affordable substance, adrenalin. Garage and heavy rock meet in "Rock 'n' Roller Man" which can only be compared to MC5 arm wrestling with Led Zeppelin.


Whether they're claiming to be nobodies playing rock 'n' roll or that nobody's playing rock 'n' roll in the song, "Rock 'n' Roll Messiah" both work better than claiming to be the band that saves rock 'n' roll. This album is nothing other than the sound of a band having fun playing and because the band are obviously enjoying themselves. I bet this trio are great live.  I highly recommend checking out "Rock 'n' Roll Lives Again" on the band's soundcloud page.



3.5/5

Obsidian Kingdom - Mantiis

Spanish band Obsidian Kingdom state on their bandcamp that their music is hard to classify heavy music with plenty of contrast. Stating that your music is difficult to classify can often work against you because there are no easy reference points for a potential listener or reviewer. However Obsidian Kingdom are correct that they fit almost directly under the heavy metal umbrella. Although they're not afraid to wander off into other and explore and incorporate other musical directions.

Obsidian Kingdom's "Mantiis" album introduces itself to a listener as post-metal with "Not Yet Five" and like all post-metal, it would be the perfect instrumental soundtrack to a rainy day whether rooted in reality, film or a documentary. "Oncoming Dark" sounds like a Peter Murphy tune due to the vocals and acoustic guitar but the drumming defies gothic or pop tendencies as it is firmly entrenched in heavy metal. Black metal rears its ugly head in "Cinnamon Balls" and attacking riffs that veer towards groove metal bring the track to its conclusion.

Unlike a lot of post-metal, "The Nurse" swings towards jazz although this shift comes very late in the track and doesn't continue long enough. "Answers Revealed" starts as a progressive rock track but finishes with a bite of chunky metallic slab. Is there black metal jazz fusion? As far as I know there's only Sigh but in "Last of the Light" Obsidian Kingdom throw their name into the gauntlet as they incorporate jazz, black metal and Latin rhythms. There's also more of the black metal jazz fusion approach in "Endless Wall". Although I haven't listened to Queensryche in years, the quiet yet still heavy "Fingers in Anguish" brings Geoff Tate's crew's softer moments in the late eighties to mind. It's clear that this album was intended to be listened to as a whole when the last song"And Then It Was" commences with the lines "When the music over, turn off the lights". The song itself starts with clean singing but that doesn't last long at all before a black metal journey unfolds.

Much like the aforementioned Sigh, Obsidian Kingdom join them as heavy metal artists that are able to mesh styles yet manage not only to keep the listener interested in what's around the corner by continuously offering surprises but also own the sound that they have created. The album, "Mantiis" is free from the band's bandcamp site and because Obsidian Kingdom are feirce belivers on free digital music online, their entire discography is up for download.

There is also a nice looking digi-pack CD offered at a price.

4/5


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Danko Jones - Rock and Roll is Black and Blue

Danko Jones “Rock and Roll is Black and Blue”

The legacy of Canadian trio Danko Jones endures. “Rock and Roll is Black and Blue” continues with their merging of Phil Lynott tinged vocals with a potpourri of 80’s glam metal (that’s what hair metal was called back in the day, youngsters) occassional AC/DC riffs and punk rock. The band are aware of the past rock history and have managed to create their own sound through the pastiche.

“Get Up” is definitely a nod to the ghosts of rock and roll past as it borrows from The Knack’s best known song. “Legs” doesn’t win originality points in the title stakes but luckily doesn’t sound like mid-80’s ZZ Top although the guitars are buzzing but there’s not the same overproduced sound that was going on with the bearded ones at the time of their more commercial albums. “I Don’t Care” has a sliding metal guitar groove without heading to groove metal waters. At this stage, “You Wear Me Down” sounds like filler to my ears but I picked out filler in the band’s last album and came to love the whole damned affair. “Always Away” screams out single due to its rock radio-friendliness that could easily sit between Black era Metallica and Foo Fighters. “Conceited” rocks like hell due to the rhythm section sitting well above simmering.

It’s clear that Danko and company have been listening to both the Misfits and Danzig in recent times as “Baby Come Home” features a Glenn Danzig style howl and “I Believed in God” has undeniable MISFITS. Due to the final song “In Your Arms” sounding like it could have come off “How The Gods Kill”, I gave the band’s name a second look just to check that it wasn’t now Danzig Jones.

While “We Sweat Blood” remains my favourite outing from the band, Danko Jones have proved that they are hear to stay and are still capable of bringing it, I really hope they don’t turn into mere clones of the man with a million evil internet memes.

3.5/5

http://www.dankojones.com/

Buzzmutt - Static In the Mind's Eye Chpt 1

Buzzmutt – Static in the Mind’s Eye – Chapter 1

Earlier in the year I ventured out of the house to see a reasonably well-known American psychedelic band who were really just Black Sabbath clones in different clothes and haircuts, not that there’s anything wrong with that unlike paraphrasing hit and miss TV comedy shows. The band asked for no photos to be taken and the mirror ball with the lights took care of that anyway because most of the pictures wouldn’t have turned out. Listening to Buzzmutt from San Francisco, it’s easy to picture them using the lighting and mirrorball as another instrument or even a separate band member.

There’s no faking pscychedelia in Buzzmutt’s music; these guys are not just weekend flare wearers and incense burners. It would be totally incorrect to state that there is a hallucegenic undertone because if Hunter s. Thompson was to be in a band Buzzmutt would be that band. The band conveys a spaced out airiness in songs like “The Trickster” and “Adjusted Sight”. The rythym section proves their worth in “Coming To”. If chemical lounge jazz swing isn’t a genre yet then “I Don’t Remember Pain” sets a precedent. “After That” rubs with a Velvet Underground rawness vocally although there’s a pervading spring of a puppy here too. Stylistically these guys are capable of going all over the map while retaining their own sound and testament to that is when garage punk parks up and yells and sings “Sharp like Razor”. Pleasurable distortion without added weird primal effects sums up “Jungle Zombie”.

These guys sent me an email describing their music as noisy experimental indie rock kind of stuff. The word "expreimental" is often used in musician speak and means only listenable to the band and a few of their friends. Believe me, that’s not the case here. All too often twelve songs from an unknown band wear out there welcome however Buzzmutt have abided by the review rulebook and followed Rule 1117 section E, which categorically states don't make each song sound the same but if you do then make certain that your band don't sound like shit. Unfortunately most bands don't even read the rulebook past page 3, the forming a band section.

Buzzmutt may have their own sound but one song sounds different enough to another for them to not only get away with it but for the length to make sense. No complaints about this release being too short either from this reviewer. It’s available from their bandcamp site at a price of your choosing or on cassette from the band.

4.5/5




Buzzmutt's bandcamp

Buzzmutt on facebook




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Five of the worst albums complete with reviews

These are some of the worst albums that came my way while I was writing for the now defunct webzine, Peacedogman. The poor albums often were the easiest to write about and the average unsurprisingly provided nothing inspiration wise. Truly the worst was a French punk band, Arrach. Their album "Artisans Du Chaos". who sounded a lot like Biohazard except with heavy French accents and they committed a Bad Brains cover to CD which served to prove how bad they were and just how good Bad Brains can be. I gave them a 0/5 rating which they weren't too happy with and sent me an unhappy email accussing me of being a stupid American and being like all the other Americans since the website was based in the US. Unfortunately I've lost the email and can't find the review since I stupidly didn't save either so they were half right. So anyway here are a few of the reviews.

5)Sanctification "Black Reign"

You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Neither should a paragraph start with a cliche but convention and rules were invented to be broken. Swedish death metal band Sanctification either missed the memo about crushing the rules or the meaning got lost in translation. “Black Reign” is like when you get a packaged box for Christmas. You give it that shake that lets you know that someone was incapable of thinking of a more imaginative gift than a box of chocolates. The blame clearly lies firmly on the shoulders of the “Forest Gump”scriptwriters.

The expected down-tuned guitars, blast-beats, asthmatic elephant blowing through a snorkel vocals are all present on this album. The clear but gruff spoken chorus of the title song is the closest these guys come to any semblance of melody. “Thirst for Blood” is relentless with crushing riffs over pounding drums. Soundwise Sanctification edge closer to Deicide than Dismember. However most of the songs are the songs are mid-tempo so they blur together. Instead of invoking the feeling of being run over head on by a Mac truck which then reverses to make sure the job’s completed and leaving the victim flattened and incapable of passing on stories to his grandkids, “Black Reign” just leaves a listener flat due to its generic nature.


1/5

4)I Love Rich “Season Of The Rich”, 2009

Chicago band I Love Rich channel Kiss both musically and lyrically. Discerning whether they’re serious or stretching a band parody as far as it can go when they only thank themselves for being so fucking awesome because everyone else go paid and boldly declare “All lyrics by RICH because honestly, only he could come with lyrics this bad ass”.   Sleepless nights spent thinking out the lyrics to the homage  “Let’s fuck all night” are highly doubtful.    The tongue in cheek “I’m Only Here Because Your Sister Said No” easily wins the best song title.  A knife with a serated punk edge gently cuts through still leaving a heavy chunk of glam metal in “Everybody’s Getting Laid Tonight”. The rawness of the procution here and a couple of the later songs weakens the overall sound bringing the words: filler material to mind.  Whilst it’s not difficult to appreciate the lack of seriousness on the five songs on this EP, I Love Rich come across as nothing more than a coattail riding novelty act.

2/5

I love rich website

3)Yet another band obviously boasting extreme stupidity when it comes spelling their own moniker. The extra "o" chosen perhaps because they've soaked themselves in nu-metal or they're pushing the boundaries and the English language deserves a beating once in a while.
The band take on the listener with monotonous death grunts placed everywhere, chugging over Pantera riffs, the whole done-to-death stop/start breakdown reigning supreme. These guys want you to know they're edgy: "Pot Pie" has a sample mentioning seventeen swear words (go ahead and take a random stab at what the first lyrics are). The song proves crossing Korn with death metal is as terrible in practice as it is in theory. A hamfisted nomeansno and Victim's family jazz-punk guitar bridge swings in "Someone Kill Don Henley", but while those bands knew where to place their off-kilter explorations, it just doesn't work well for VAMPIRE MOOOSE as it's all too clear they're stretching beyond themselves. The Tool worship of "Angra Manyu" is a square peg in a round hole, and "La Tumba" is a weakly-inked facsimile of the PANTERA song "Walk". The angry pig vocals may be different but this was obviously written in less than two minutes. I'd say credit the band for another daring move, but it won't pay off as we're ten songs in and I seriously doubt many will have the endurance to make it this far.
While there are some amusing movie samples, the actual music on "The Reel" is a bigger patience-tester than waiting in a queue to see the latest blockbuster movie. But unlike enduring this nu-groove death metal borefest, buying tickets for a decent flick is typically a worthwhile experience.


2)

Skullfower “Strange Keys to God’s Firmament”, 2009
(neuorot)
Exercises in excess aren’t necessarily a bad thing.  That extra burger, for example, will taste as good as the first and ensure the hunger is filled and that your stomach stops rumbling at potentially embarrassing moments.   Skullflower have taken a huge risk releasing a double drone album with the hope of quenching a listener’s thirst for more of their music.

The music consists of feedback loops and monotonous guitar fuzz not miles stylistically away from the dirge of Sunn 00))).  Even with the differing song lengths, it’s incredibly difficult to discern one song from another over the course of the two discs. “Blackened Angel Wings Scythe the Blowing Void” will take up back if you can remember the days before 24 hour television as it sounds TV static turned up as loud but with cement mixers churning in the background.  Water being blasted to clean a decade of gunk build up off concrete as holes are powerdrilled is what comes to mind listening to “Chaotic Demons Fly Into My Eyes”.    There’s a feeling that something might actually happen is conjured in the fourteen minute “Gateway to Blasphemous Light” with its Iommi tone and sparse drumming.  However I’m left twiddling my thumbs.

While “IIIrd Gatekeeper” had a captivating drum and bass sound and the tracks had definite beginnings and ends.  murky monotony of sound buried deeper than necessary on “Strange Key’s to God’s Firmament”.   The drum sound is barely present as it has been muffled into oblivion and the tracks just go on for far too long without any real changes This album really only proved useful after a day of  drinking about fifteen cups of coffee plus more than a few Cokes, I reached for this album knowing that it  would be the ideal antidote to a sleepless night. On the negative side, the two discs are near impossible for anyone to digest in one sitting.  If Skullfower’s goal was to make an album very few would manage to listen to right through this album is a success story.

1/5

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1)

Balls - “Chameleon” , 2008 (BLP)

When this digipak fell out of my review packet I couldn’t tell whether the band name was Chameleonn or Balls.  Either way I didn’t have high hopes as both names seem equally uninspired and immediately decided this would be the last review CD I listen to.  Then a look at the press sheet reveals that Balls are Swedish.  My hopes are up as in recent years Sweden has produced a great many quality rock, punk and metal bands.

I shove this Balls  album and unfortunately my initial instinct is confirmed.  The album opens with the AC/DC inspired “Camper” and Björn Lodin does a reasonable Brian Johnson imitation for 2 minutes but then his voice breaks into sounding like a man with the flu in need of blowing his nose.  He’s the major deficit on “Chameleon”.  The press sheet writer’s thesaurus must have listed terrible as a synonym for distinctive.  That’s how his voice is described.  Balls play W inspired hard rock so the awful voice is too often just not suited to the music.  The second song “Chameleon” has King's X backing harmonies which only serve to point out how awful this guy’s voice.  They’re really good.  There is a punchy guitar sound here and there all over the album but it’s not present enough to give the listener a needed rest from those awful vocals.  “Jealousy” sounds like it could have been a mid eighties hard rock radio hit.  There is some great soloing and backing vocals on “Locked Up and Crazy”.

Looking at the band photo, the  bass player and drummer are about twenty years younger than the rest of the band who should have known better than release this album. The drum and bass sounds are often inaudible or just plain missing.  Like those Idol television shows this album offers the challenge to see how much you can listen to without wincing.

1/5


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That's the list. There are a few omissions but reviews can be painful work and it's far more rewarding to hear a band that you enjoy so five of the best albums is up soon.




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Outlaws of Zen - Don't Bother Getting Up, We'll Let Ourselves In

Do you like your music with a sludgy heavy rock groove with a stoner vibe? If you answered yes then the Outlaws of Zen will be for you. The band are from, Auburn, Michigan which is the nation leading murder per capita rate, Bay City’s old boy’s network, heavy drinking, and fear of the future, and Mayberry er' Midland the land of unicorns, rainbow Kool Aid, and nothing bad can happen there. If you've seen the movie Cabin in The Woods then you'll know exactly how safe unicorns can be. For those that haven't seen that movie, just think about how an impalement would be possible.

All you really need to know about these guys is that they have a song called "Pornstache(The Ballad of Thunderlips of Johnson" which in terms of misnomer (almost) rivals the Ballad of Jerry Curlan. Need to know more? Then dear reader, read on.

"Boiling Point" enters the frame with the sound Jane's Addiction favoured in the nineties but the after three minutes the angry and more heaviness buttons are switched on to maximum.
"With The Swine" proves these guys aren't afraid to get down and dirty rolling around in Mud, Mud, Gorious Mud. At times the vocalist's gravelly tones even stretch to similarly depraved pigfuck depths as Michael Gerald of Killdozer. In comparison, "Standard Double Standard" is a little more ordinary heavy rock with a boogie blues heartbeat ticking healthily. The heavy blues swagger is maintained in "Elephant Bells" could be an out-take from Danzig's "When The Gods Kill" recorded while Glen had a congested nose from the dirty black summer. Still, it's clear that Outlaws of Zen are true followers of the mantra that heaviness is next to godliness.

3/5

Outlaws of Zen bandcamp




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The Memorials - Delirium

The Memorials "Delirium",2012
(Bloodthirsty Unicorn)



Often a mix of various genres doesn’t look good on paper but can still sound great. Take Faith No More for example, their fusion of heavy metal, funk, hip-hop, and progressive rock sounds like the worst concept in the universe on paper however the band themselves are great. Similar to Faith No More, The Memorials are also San Francisco dwellers. The Memorials feature drummer, Thomas Pridgen, who was once in the MARS VOLTA and that alone correctly suggests unpredictability for the group’s song structures and a drummer who bangs the rhythm out hard and steady with the sticks.

The band combine hip hop rhythms combined a no-nonsense garage rock approach although there is an interlude where a brass section lays a downbeat jazzy vibe amongst the angst in “Flourescent’s Unforgiving”. In the song, the band lyrically take on the American prison system using free labour and the illegality of the growth of a sometimes medicinal herb. Funky bass rythms blare out in “Gone” as the soothing soulful voice of Vivecia Hawkens smooths out a smattering of the jagged edges although later in the tune the guitarist suprises due to an allowed permit to go wild. Deceptively “Daisies” starts out like an all to familiar radio rock song but then Hawkins sings in the fashion of the Throwing Muses, Kirstin Hersh and is able convince that she genuinely is sorting out her lovelife by picking the petals off flowers. Deftones style nu-metal weighs heavily in the title track but the band’s potpourri of colliding sounds ensures that there is much more for the listener to be dragged in by with soul and progressive rock all hanging out the bait. “Heavyweight” carries a Mike Tyson punch with steady drumming right through and the soul crooning belies the rock layered underneath until concluding with a strong self-assurance. The close to twelve minutes “Mr Entitled” ensures that the song’s duration doesn’t equate tto edium owing to the band constantly surprising.

Often listening to “Delirium” is akin to peeling an onion with multiple layers underneath. A quirky catchiness mirrored with unpredictability provides the often-lengthy songs with an easy listenability. The vocal talents of Vivecia Hawkins are definitely a huge part of the band’s sound with her ability to provide smooth sultry vocals and then rapidly seethe with rage. It’s tough to pick a highlight or a lowlight on “Delirium” as all the tunes are equally electrifying. Those that need a change from their Bellrays albums will find similar yet far gruntier tunes with this album. I haven’t heard The Memorials’ first album but if it’s of the same merit then ownership is mandatory.

5/5

www.thememorialsmusic.com

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Reactor - The Real World

REACTOR – The Real World(2009)
(Shadow Kingdom)

Digging around in boxes of cassettes from years gone by often yields pleasing surprises. Tapes that were considered gems that you thought you’d never hear again, get to be listened to and reevaluated through a cloud of nostalgia. If you have a record label, the thought of releasing material from forgotten days is entertained. Shadow Kingdom Records have turned those thoughts into reality by releasing material from 1983-1990 by Maryland metal band Reactor.

As to be expected with members, who were in Pentagram at some point , there are touches of Sabbath, pushing through at full strength in “War Machine” due to Ozzy vocals and a heavy underbelly of destroying riffs. It’s not difficult to gage the punkish “Meltdown” fitting into the time period of the first wave of American thrash metal. The chosen subject matter is also telling with the band’s social conscience coming to the fore covering terrorism, the arms race and corporations taking over work lives. These guys were probably coincidentally spinning the exact same NWOBHM records in synchronized time with Metallica. “The Terrorist” slows pace and concentrates more on melody using a very stripped bare to the bone structure. “The Real World” is that terrible Mister Mister song, “Broken Wing” on metallic based steroids and proves that mullets and leg warmers weren’t the only things better left in the 80’s. Proving that they were en route to suckdom, they went on to use the tepid song title as a band name.


It’s difficult to take in the tinny sound of “Greenhouse” and not think demo band and really as these are old unearthed recordings that’s exactly what Reactor were. I imagine Reactor were a big local drawcard but struggled to get audience numbers when they left town. The inclusion of eight live tracks ensures that the disc isn’t just a six track EP but the CD booklet really elevates the recording from demo status and is impressive as a looker and informative with liner notes, lyrics and band photos. Despite the packaging, this is still more one for the metal historians and archeologists than the run of the mill metal fan who will listen to this then shuffle it towards the back of the collection.

2.5/5

Shihad - Beautiful Machine movie review

Shihad – Beautiful Machine

Rock documentaries are a dime a dozen these days but bands that last close to a quarter of a century certainly aren’t and that length of time ensures that there are stories to be told. Shihad’s finest moment was their second album Killjoy and soon after The General Electric the band became New Zealand’s answer to Nickelback musically. Though from the band’s strength has always been their live show.

The animation in the trailer may make you think that you’re in for an Antipodean version of the Metallica documentary “Some Kind of Monster” and in some ways it does parallel that movie but there is no life coach for the band but similarly there is alcoholism and inter-personal relationship breakdowns as well as a similar part with the drummer's child sitting on his knee while surrounded by drums.

The film is more about relationships than about music and how time overseas affected them as a band and as people. There is a lot of John Toogood’s partner who rightly priotizes that her child is the more important than her partner following his desire for band fame overseas and felt the biggest strain due to partner absense. Other band member’s partners do get talked to although Phil Knight’s wife really only gets a wave in.

Parents of all the band members are talked to about their sons. Drummer, Tom Larkin’s parents talk about not knowing that the boys were doing pub gigs when Shihad is underage unsurprising but worth a smile. The parents and band members are all candid in all of their answers. The appearance of Killing Joke's Jaz Coleman is a surprise given the band's previous grievance's with him over finances.

The interview with Germany’s Noise record label people is interesting. Shihad basing themselves in Melbourne due to the signing with Warners is covered, as is the tour and recording in the States and how the band blew it in front of a lot of record label representatives. The band changing their name to Pacifier gets a lot of coverage. It was telling when Americans looked at the Shihad name and a few said it was close to holy war but a couple of young woman guess much more correctly. Shihad in front of label people who wanted to manipulate the band down to picking their set list is covered is paralleled with Larkin telling Knight to puff his hair up to look like a big rock star.

There are a lot of fond memories and Phil Knight’s animated first phone call between Ton Larkin, Jon Toogood and himself is a highlight. The band’s manager Gerald Dwyer is shown in a number of clips and remembered very fondly by band members and others associated with him. Dwyer’s drug habit, death and tangi are all talked about. Toogood talks about writing quieter songs because Dwyer wasn’t around to point out that the band’s grunty rock strength is what should be concentrated on. The missteps the band have made aren’t overlooked.

I loved that the band's early days were covered because I was following the band back in their demo days so would have liked to heard from the former bass players and also from other band’s that were around at the time. In fact, I may well be in the Mountain Rock audience footage. I also know people who were at the 91 AC/DC gig, which was bass player, Karl Kippenberger’s second Shihad. The first being a show the night before in Palmerston North(I suspect the then thrash metal band played with a goth band). Head Like A Hole’s experimentation with heroin in Berlin is only covered from the Shihad viewpoint. From a music point of view, the band’s surge into the mainstream when “Home Again” started being played at rugby games total lack of mention disappoints. There are also a number of personal incidents that go unmentioned. This documentary also sadly fails at showing how the band changed from working jobs to becoming full-time musicians. During the movie there is a change in quality of band filming over time as VHS and VCR recorders become digital and professionals can be afforded by the band. This documentary is aimed more than just the band's fans since it is really more about a group of friends from New Zealand chasing their dream of success overseas and the problems that come with it rather than just about music.


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