Australian band Jupiter Zeus promise psychedelic space rock on this new release On Earth, their follow up to debut EP Green Mosquito and whilst we may not, in reality, get this, they do serve up an almighty slab of alternative rock. Giant walls of sound crash out of the speakers as they build up to epic songs which feel at times, like the earth moving.

'Waves' is a perfect demonstration of this sound with its foreboding opener giving away to a harmonious delivery not dissimilar to Soundgarden. There's a much more closer appreciation to smoothing out the jaggedness here though and the song glides along with its fantastic production values.

And this is where the band maybe could have slipped up but instead they consistently deliver throughout the album an increasing urge to envelope your senses in music. OK, it's not real psych rock but you can see where they are coming from at times.

'Over' and 'Cosmic Rays' continue this quest for epicness but it's not until 'Psychotic Seeds' that we see another side to the band. On this, the best song on the album, they deliver a much rawer sound which stands out against the lush wall of guitars. It's a welcome break in an album which so easily could have slipped into maudlin territory.

Jupiter Zeus will be huge on the continent. This sort of music always is and they may even do well in the US. Whether us here at the UK take to it is another thing altogether. Their music has a peculiar 1990's feel which is inescapable and yet a shame as there is great stuff on here. Take this album at face value and you have a gigantic rock album and at the end of the day there is nothing wrong with that at all. God knows we need a decent rock band at the moment.

Parisian outfit Direwolves are back with a real punch on their first full length Aegri Somina, the well matched follow up to 2012's From Me Myself To Banish EP. Encompassing a good range of sounds within the realms of hardcore, this LP makes for a really well-rounded and satisfying listen.

'Introspection' opens up with a neatly contained epic-ness that launches you straight into the second track then faultlessly through to the third. From here you start to hear more separation between tracks and development of their sound. 'Holy Treason' combines a cold beauty with a metallic and ominous charging force that makes for a textured and fluctuating lead to the much more brutal 'Echoed In Vain'. Cue a little mid-record sludginess, but don't worry, it does't overshadow the breaks in the tremendous dark clouds conjured in 'Sighs And Whispers'. This record doesn't let up on the power one bit- it just keeps going and going despite rhythm and style changes from track to track. It creates an impressive musical landscape that is so often overlooked in this section of the genre.

Still keeping up their darker elements, there are definitely some new twists that add some extra zest here and there like the sharper, almost thrash-inspired riffs amongst the rib-wrenching passion of melodic hardcore.

I think this may stand out a lot among this year's hardcore releases in the fact that it has so much fresh energy and refuses to lay back in the stagnant waters of the genre. These guys have a passion, and you can truly hear and feel it in their music. An honestly great band who (in my opinion) are fairly underrated. Definitely a band you should be keeping an eye on.

FFO: Pariso, Defeater, Birds In Row.

I’ll admit to being ignorant to John Wesley’s work (both solo and side-man) prior to this, his sixth solo release, entitled Disconnect. What a fool I have been. How could I have been unaware off such a musical giant? Well technically I wasn’t unaware…..

Wesley began his career in the early 1980's where he founded Autodrive. In the early 90s he embarked on a solo career and became the premier opening act for Marillion on seven consecutive tour legs around the world where he played for hundreds of thousands of fans. In 1998, Wesley embarked with White Lion frontman Mike Tramp on an extensive tour as premier opening act for the prestigious Peter Frampton/Lynryd Skynyrd tour. Following this was several world tours as lead guitarist for Scottish neo-prog legend Fish. In 2001, John Wesley was the primary co-writer of Fish’s Fellini Days album. That’s where I come in, in a sense. Being a huge fan of Fish and of that album particularly, I approached Disconnect with a sense of anticipation and interest. After all, I now knew that I had heard some of Wesley's music (via Fish) I was primed and ready to go.

Opening with the title track, there are tinges of Porcupine Tree’s ‘Anesthetize’ musically (hardly surprising given Wesley toured with PT as guitarist and backing vocalist through four album cycles and over 450 shows  as well as performing guitar duties during Steven Wilson's North American Grace for Drowning tour). Wesley’s voice is haunting and ethereal lamenting that someone is “Here….. In here…. But you’re not…. Here”. Whereas the album opener whisks you away on a bed of clouds follow-up ‘Any Old Saint’ begins with a buzz saw guitar riff and sees Wesley telling us that “We fight and give way” before he and guitarist Dean Tidey share solo duties in the kind of emotive, eminently hummable guitar solo that David Gilmore no doubt dreams about. It’s so uplifting and rapturous that I worried that the rest of the album would seem like downhill after this epic.

Again, idiot fool that I am.

‘Window’ is a beautifully constructed tune with its pastoral opening guitar figure and Wesley’s questioning whether we’ve “lost the capacity to care”. ‘Mary Will’ is the kind of song that pulls you through the wringer, that leaves you feeling drained yet manages to pull you up by your collar and tells you everything is going to be ok. ‘How Goes The War’ starts with shock and awe and then slides back into a gentle pattern that ebbs and flows in volume and anger. Much like wars themselves actually. Many would baulk at the idea of closing an album with a song like ‘Satellite’ with its acoustic driven melodies and evocative soloing. But it’s testament to the song writing that it feels so, so perfect to end of such a non-bombastic track.

Musically John Wesley is up there with your Gilmours, Wilsons, Rutherfords et al. He can switch between gentle picked acoustic passages to aggressive, ice shards of guitar to solos that brings you to your feet with tears in your eyes. Lyrically, the Roger Waters comparisons are justified. Not content with just letting his music speak for him, Wesley wants us the listener to pay attention to what he’s say with his words as well as his guitar. This is John Wesley’s 7th solo outing and I’m worried about going into his back catalogue. Why? This album is so good I worry that it’ll never be beaten. This is an album that displays a musician at the peak of his powers; having taken on all sorts of influences over the years to mix into one pot that is distinctly his own work. It’s raw, it’s angry, it’s heart-breaking, it’s…… an amazing piece of work. Breath-taking in scope and design. Now stop reading this and go buy it.

Hibernal is a one man sci-fi post rock project of Mark Healy from Brisbane, Australia who has created a stunning two disc audio movie that employs voice actors to back up his musical soundscapes.

Disc one is the full motion picture, as it were, with the story itself being essentially Bladerunner but with the character of Rick Deckard replaced with Max Payne with the voice actors involved selling it perfectly.

'Replacements Part 1' sets the scene with the female character delivering a monologue to a backdrop of 1980's sci-fi film synths and effects, a single clean guitar and drum pattern slowly merge there way in and builds into a brilliant atmospheric nature which continues into 'The City Ebbs Away' as the sound of rainfall fades in and out to introduce us to the main male protagonist of the story.

All throughout, while the various characters are speaking, the post-rock aspects for the most part give way to synths and affects and then kick back in once the passages of dialogue have nailing the tone and atmosphere to sublime affect.

The story ebbs and flows so does the music, with one of the many highlights being 'The Restless Man' incorporating a hauntingly beautiful acoustic guitar passage which leads into a full on heavy RIFF moment.

The reminder of the story arc continues to ebb and flow to glorious affect with the impressive creeping tension of ‘The Place You Hide’ followed by ‘Machinations’ sucking you fully into the world so much that the emotional sucker punch of ‘Fragments of The Past’ really hits home!

And like all good movies it doesn’t spell everything out and finishes with a curious little cliffhanger... while still being an utterly enthralling and unique experience that will fully draw you into its concept and leave a lasting impression.

Disc two is the instrumental version of the album which strips away the voice actors and dialogue and slightly increases the emphasis of guitars in the mix, and it actually works really well as a standalone post rock album to boot.

This year Ipecac turns 15 years. 15! That's the exact same number of boobs Homer Simpson saw at Spring Break that one time, and a number I'm quite sure Greg Werckman and the right honourable Mike Patton are furiously proud of. March marked arguably one of the most interesting and noteworthy releases of the label's entire catalogue; The Unsemble. The name might not ring a bell but perhaps the sum of its parts might: Duane Denison (The Jesus Lizard / Tomahawk), Alexander Hacke (Einsturzende Neubaten) and Brian Kotzur (Silver Jews). If you know your eggs from your bacon then, like me, you'll already have your mouth moist and ready for a damn good egg…. read on, read on:

Recorded in 2012, this self-titled album sees Denison sitting mainly in the limelight as the three-piece hammers and unfolds across fifteen instrumental explorations of repetition and repetition and repetition and (just kidding). An odd notion of The Unsemble is how it seems more of a natural progression to Tomahawk's 2007 album Anonymous than it's actual followup: Oddfellows. The record holds a constant tribal brood, conjuring images of the three-piece dancing around a fire caked in warpaint, rather than the fine suits they present themselves in for their press pic.

The record opens with 'Krishna', a ceremonial beginning only short of an opening "om" from Patton (who sadly isn't present at all during the record). 'Circles' follows promptly, with a menacing legato guitar and sturdy rhythm section (the album's clear signature), allowing the first taste of what's to come before falling into the first of five improvised pieces. These improvs are vital for the record to survive as an atmospheric entity, rather than a selection of grooving head-spinning works; they help bed in the core pieces with a context and a setting, allowing all the more impact to hit harder when present.

One of the more miraculous feats across The Unsemble is how each voice stands clearly as it's own while working to form a stronger, more defined body of sound. Often in "supergroups" (for lack of a better term) there's a battle for limelight, and although Duane Denison is often the clear melodic voice, this is mainly down to him being the only melodic voice. It really makes you wonder how much this group could benefit from a fourth member to extend these short-form ideas and compositions into something much bigger?

The record in many ways holds similarity to Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts I-IV, which ultimately led to Trent Reznor's soundtrack work, and there's definitely a large visual element in this that would be perfect behind picture or some sort of performance. Some of the music even holds similarity to Ghosts I-IV's scenic experimentations, such as 'Improv 2': many of the ideas are more sketches that serve their purpose as a large collection of work but struggle to gain a larger momentum and whole focus when alone.

This isn't to say that any of the tracks are bad, in fact there's a whole bunch of clear highlights: 'Neon' is a clean cut, straight driven smooth operator full of neat drums and chorus-drenched Cure-style guitar. 'Waves' is another big highlight on the record: spooky and persistent, like something out of a haunted-house in a theme park… not evil, but indulgent and enjoyable. 'Circles Revisited' takes the original concept and distorts it into some brilliant Einsturzende-infused nightmare, and 'Voices' closes the record with a deep, hazy Grails vibe.

There's no word on what's happening with The Unsemble since the release of this first album. We can only assume that the group spent their time together and until we hear more that's all we're getting, which is a shame in many ways. The Unsemble is a strong record by three vital musicians that could produce something more fruitful in the long-term.

Live performances, the addition of a fourth member, and further time developing together could see the band rise the ranks of Ipecac and through to a very large fanbase… they're the sort of band that would have ATP and its army of bearded hipster fans wetting their trousers and scrambling for tickets. The sort of band that could tour with Swans and take over the world of freaky musical tension. But, as it stands, we have one good solid record that does its job (and then some) from three incredible musicians working towards a combined piece of art, for the satisfaction of themselves in a medium in which they all profess to near virtuosity. It's seriously fucking cool.

Medway-based Whitedevilwhitedevil are a force of nature; the kind of force that leaves you reeling. Live they are thunderously loud and play with an imperious disdain for subtlety. A New Low is their first album and captures the raw, monstrous power of their gigs; if you get the chance to see them live bring ear-plugs and a change of underwear. Released through Kitchen Dweller Records – who also have Honey Ride Me A Goat and Karma to Burn on their roster – these six tracks sound like an elephant orgy during an earthquake. This is music to inspire riots.

The three piece peddle a down-tuned heavier-than-shit blend of grunge, metal and post-hardcore that’s difficult to categorise beyond the overly generic 'noisecore'; there’s elements of Slint, Queens of the Stone Age, Helmet, And So I Watch You From Afar, TAD, Big Black and the heavy sludge of Black Flag’s 'My War'. The key elements are monstrous riffs and some of the hardest drumming you’ll hear.

The album explodes into life with 'In My Suit'; it sounds like a screaming maniac riding a volley of missiles through a sheet metal factory. 'Death Clouds' is a menacing promise of airborne carnage; if locusts listen to music then this will become their 'Ride of the Valkyries'.

'Belladonna' is the best example of the band’s diverse influences; it’s a savage mix of hardcore, grunge and stoner metal overlaid with a burst of shearing vocals. 'Fight Milk' is pure sonic aggression; sweeping feedback combines with primeval riffs and Gatling-gun drums to foment a sound which just pummels the senses. '123456789'reminded me of the brilliance of early Therapy? and it’s the most obviously punk-orientated number; that said about a minute and half in, the song seems to suffer a cardiac arrest and lurches into a heavy staccato. 'A New Low' is distilled aural confrontation; a fitting closing track that rings long in the ears.

Whitedevilwhitedevil are about as concerned with commercial appeal as a shit-caked hippo (and just as heavy) but the fantastic album artwork – by guitarist James Boast – is another reason to buy a copy of A New Low. This album bristles with a unique fury that manages to be witheringly heavy without ever becoming formulaic or neanderthal and it’s an inspiring reminder of how music can quicken the pulse.

It could be argued that Sonic Youth chose a bad time to call it a day. In the wake of their demise there seems to be somewhat of a resurgence in the underground psych scene, full of wah guitars and experimental shit (to use the technical terminology).

Bands from across the globe are embracing their jammy roots and once more giving up the verse/chorus/verse for extended interludes and outros, and with Austin Pysch Fest, Berlin Psych Fest and a wealth of smaller blossoming festivals emerging it doesn't look like we're slowing down just yet. One Unique Signal are heavily in the centre of this and with their new album Aether they're ready to prove it.

Blasting open with racing insanity and something to prove, 'Luna Attractions' is merely one Kim Gordon away from being a Washing Machine cut; in fact there's even a lyrical head-nod to Gordon's signature "come on down, down to the river!" with the song’s only lyrics: "come and swim where the river is dry." Full of stuttering tremolo and wah-laden guitars, the group repeat over a constant gritty bass and hypnotic rhythm, rising to fall with noise and mayhem - a powerful opener. 'A Beginning' is a tribal beast; reverberant and washy as if the group recorded in a cave, but it helps accentuate a dark and uncomfortable tension in the song that might have otherwise been lost.

There are many instances of clear musical heritage in Aether, almost too many in fact (almost), but it's the dense feeling of space and reverberation throughout that ties the record together and gives it claustrophobic character. 'The Under Side' and 'One Three Five' have the unmistakable sound of someone who's just dusted off their Sub Pop 200 sleeve and reopened their world to what good grunge really sounded like… with Lanegan-inspired vocals and homages to Mudhoney and Green River in the guitar stylings.

But equally there's 'Amplitude' that must have fallen out of Ian Curtis' notebook… or perhaps it was a b-side from Spiderland along with closing track 'Aether' ? Who cares…. it's… it's amazing! and very rarely can a band can pull so many references and ideas together from across the board, but it's with good production that this feat can be achieved [unfortunatly no producer credits came with the PR… hint hint bands/publicists].

An album that pays homage to such a diverse range of cultural staples (and One Unique Signal seem to draw from some of the best) can often result in a washy listen with clear rip-offs and borrowed ideas, but Aether doesn't ever suffer from this, but rather mutates influences into something pleasantly familiar but distorted and awesome.

To contradict the opening declaration: there is a psych rock resurgence, sure, but there is no more a resurgence in psych rock than there is anything else. What we're really seeing now is a musical climate that allows ALL of the little sub-genres and left-fields to crawl out from the underbelly - if you know where to look. One Unique Signal always knew where to look, which is how they've formed a clear solidarity in themselves, while channelling some of the world's favourite freaked-out bands and musicians. Much of the band's influence has passed on and decayed now but with this spooky second album the group seems to have found a solid footing.

Whether it's dark Slint-y haunts, such as 'A Ribbon Snake' or balls-out rock tracks, like in 'Seed' there's a consistency in the inconsistencies. This is a band with a strong idea of how all music should sound to their ears and instead of just being one song per band, they're all of them. What if Sonic Youth had Mark Lanegan in the band? What if Ian Curtis was alive to sing with Slint? What if ALL OF THE ABOVE PLAYED AT THE SAME TIME?! Did you spend your teenage years dreaming of all those bands like Mad Season and Temple of The Dog? The 90's mashups and tripped out anthems? Well, look no further than here, my dear plaid-shirt-clad acid head. You've come to the right place and you're in good company.

I recall as a younger man, I was very into Hypocrisy, especially their later stuff, which had more of a Sci-Fi edge to it. Records that truly spoke to me had that eerie, dark sci-fi atmosphere and influence, records such Abduction, The Arrival, Catch 22 and the Fourth Dimension were all excellent and that to me was the peaking of their career in my opinion. Ever since bands that looked like they would incorporate similar themes and music styles left me disappointed.

That’s until now of course. Enter Unsacred Seed from London, Ontario in Canada. The 5-piece blacked death metal outfit, which also incorporates a lot of groove in their music are to release a their second full-length titled Frontiers which is set for self-release on the 29th.

Think eerie abandon space shuttle that is about to re-enter the earths atmosphere after a failed exploration mission, right, Frontiers would be the sound track to this grueling image. These lads start off with one of the coolest intros to a record I have heard in a long time. It sent chills down my spine as the scene is set for something truly special. This being said, they’ve managed to incorporate some pretty cool electronic music elements that add to the over-all feel of the intro.

Not allowing you a moment’s peace, the record is pushed to full-tilt as the title track is like a carpet bombing run, targeted at your ear and sends shockwaves throughout your body, mind fucking your sense completely. It’s here; it has arrived, with the malice of an asteroid hurling itself towards the earth to bring forth the end of the planet, as we know it. The guitar work and vocal work is absolutely exceptional, with that hint of groove. The leads will have you banging your head so hard it might come off you spine and decorate your wall.

The drums on the record are programmed, but who cares? This fucking rips and it adds that Putrid Pile feel to it, which is never a bad thing. The rest of the performance is so fucking tight. The vocal work has that death metal touch to it, which leads to like a goregrind/brutal death metal side of things.

The record is basically an extraterrestrial being that offers so much with regards to all aspects of the music, it’s impossible to pick a favourite track, cause they’re all exceptional. Especially in a age of bland death/black metal releases popping up all over, Unsacred Seed has taken a unique approach to their music and it has paid off. I would highly recommend this to anyone who’s keen on a unique experience and tired of the same old pragmatic death metal records of March 2014.

As any person in any music sub-culture there are always overhyped bands and then there are bands, which you seldom hear of. The latter usually have the element of surprise, especially where I’m from. So, Ringworm? Uhm… eew? Nah mate, it’s a band and they’re probably one of the most under-rated in the business in my personal opinion. This opinion is also based on a minuscule scene on the very southern tip of Africa.

Ringworm, are a metallic hardcore band based in Cleveland, Ohio in the US of A. They’ve been around since 1991, crushing everything in their path before deciding to pursue more personal ventures, some of them even joined Integrity, so the beast lay dormant, waiting for a decade, before emerging, stronger and angrier than ever. Their Victory Records debut release Birth is Pain in 2001 has become their most critically acclaimed releases and made waves in the hardcore and metal scenes all over. Three more LPs followed this, which finally brings us to 2014.

Their latest incantation of heavy hatred is titled Hammer of the Witch and it might just be their finest work to date, pushing the very limits of extreme music in a very special culmination of hardcore and metal. From the very get go, the tone is set for something truly eerie and heavy. The first noticeable thing of this new record is on the track titled 'Dawn of Decay', which has an incredible intro followed by on of the heaviest riffs I have heard in a long time. The first thing that came to mind was “Damn, that bass riff game is pretty fucking strong” and yes it absolutely crushes. Angry vocals, heavy riffs and precision drumming, what more can you ask for on a record? It is absolutely fucking relentless. This is very much the trend throughout the entire record. It’s impossible to pick a favourite track off the record as every one of them are in their own right spectacular.

The fact that Ringworm gets on with it and just don’t care what anyone thinks, makes them stand out, not to mention the heaviest riffs around. Usually you hear metallic hardcore and people immediately think it’s some metalcore garbage that kids are into these days. I promise you, this record will change your perspective on metallic hardcore and obliterate your senses from the first track to the last. Would I highly recommend this? Yes, I would very highly recommend this, especially if you’re into acts such as Terror and Earth Crisis. Ringworm’s Hammer of the Witch is a phenomenal release and is definitely making my shortlist of records to buy as soon as possible.

If you’re familiar with Matt Stevens’s previous solo albums then ‘Oxymoron’ will take you by surprise (maybe not now that I’ve spoiled it but hey you chose to read this). Gone is his signature acoustic sound and in come all manner of electric guitar explorations. The opener comes out of the traps with a driving rock riff in alternating bars of 4/4 and 3/4. It’s like Genesis’ ‘Turn It On Again’ time signature shenanigans repackaged for the post rock generation.

Short and sweet is the order of the day for the majority of the album. I hesitate to call the tracks ‘sketches’ as that implies a slap-dash approach to the composition. Rather, these are densely packed vignettes without an ounce of fat. Every second has been lovingly crafted and that attention to detail shines through.

Matt is fond of playing with repetition and confounding expectation during the course of a song. In a recent interview for Echoes and Dust he cited the comedian Stewart Lee as an influence in this area. ‘Unsettled’ is a good example of that unusual parallel. Figures and patterns insinuate themselves into the listener’s brain but are subtly changed on each iteration by modifications in dynamics and tone.

‘The Ascent’ is noteworthy for the incredible line-up of guest musicians contributing to a homage to Mahavishnu Orchestra as seen through the eyes of the Crimson King. Percussionist extraordinaire Pat Mastellotto clatters and batters his way through the serpentine riffing. It’s like ‘Vision Is A Naked Sword’ being molested by 90s-era Crim and enjoying the experience. Keyboard wiz Jem Godfrey from Frost* puts in a spectacular turn pastiching Jan Hammer’s mind-melting synth solos.

The acoustic guitar has not been tucked away in its flight case completely. Pieces like ‘Street and Circus’ and ‘The Other Side’ add contrast to the heavier material. The latter showcases Matt’s pop sensibilities with a chord sequence that recalls the Foo Fighters’ hit ‘Everlong’ but with the added lyricism in the lead melodies that this guitarist does so well.

If brevity is the soul of wit then Matt is something of a genius, packing so much fine detail into each of his creations. The highlight though is ‘The Bridge’. Weighing in at over twelve minutes it is his most ambitious solo composition yet. The heavy riff is pure Celtic Frost with its evil intervallic jumps but the yearning quality of the melody which accompanies it makes the heart soar.

It is impossible to categorise this music. Matt has garnered praise and listeners mainly from the prog sphere, perhaps due to his heart-on-sleeve admission of the many artists which have inspired him over the years. There is so much more going on here though. Lucid is a crucible in which burn all the influences that fire his imagination. In that way this is a statement that is highly individual and could only come from Stevens himself. Thankfully it is a statement which will also ring true with anyone open-minded enough to share in another person’s headspace and musical world and claim some of it for their own.

Over the past several years, it appears that what I refer to 'proper metal' has returned with a vengeance – with the likes of Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall signalling the death knell for nu metal; while they shoved it down the stairs, ensuring it broke its neck tripping over its baggy trousers and met a swift end. Better still, there's been a thrash metal renaissance occurring; new bands such as Toxic Holocaust, Stallion, Skull Fist, Cauldron, SSS, and Gama Bomb. Okay, they're not entirely original but I believe you should enjoy it for what it is – a homage to thrash of old, but instantly satisfying and enjoyable for a quick blast. At first, I was admittedly skeptical about the recent resurgence in thrash metal but the more of the 'new guard' that I hear – usually the more I like. I say long may it continue.

A bit of browsing on the Ech(((o)))es and Dust 'staff room' revealed an interesting proposition – an all girl 3 piece thrash metal band called Nervosa. Coming from San Paulo, Brazil – they're comprised of Fernanda Lira (bass, vocals), Prika Amaral (guitars and backing vocals), and Pitchu Ferraz (drums). They originally started off with a demo, and an EP called Time of Death – and demonstrated a lot of promise for a forthcoming and hotly anticipated album release, which is their début called Victim of Yourself.

So, what are the first impressions? Very decent indeed. Brutal, bludgeoning riffs with a furious paced attack that instantly reminds me of the grittiness of Kreator, parts of latter day Testament (notably the Low album in particular), latter day Exodus and mixed with bits of Onslaught. Each band member adds to the mix very well. Fernanda Lira's twanging bass in particular underpinning the tracks beautifully and is a very competent bassist indeed; with a style that reminds me very much of Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse (especially evident in the track 'Envious'). Lira's vocals are a sharp bark/scream that reminds me of Chuck Schuldiner that suits their style of thrash with a ferocity that can strip wallpaper and paint from walls. There're also some decent guitar solos that feature in the tracks courtesy of Prika Amaral, adding some dynamics to their particular brand of thrash metal bludgeon and the drumming of Pitchu Ferraz fills each track effectively and adding to the frenetic pace that never slows down.

Each track on this release are pretty strong with many sonic dynamics to pick from. 'Twisted Values' starts with a stop/start riff pattern but then further into the album builds up and draws the listener in hook, line and sinker. 'Nasty Injury' is full of shifting riffs that blend together perfectly that is a definite track. 'Into Mosh Pit' is a full on rifforama with the barked instruction of “INTO MOSH PIT! INTO MOSH PIT!” that sounds unintentionally Spanglish in an awkward manner that reminds me of very early Max Cavalera era Sepultura, combined with the Chanel 9 sketch as seen in The Fast Show. Somehow, I can see this becoming a Doge style tumblr meme posted affectionately by neo-thrashers and will be an instant crowd pleaser played live - “INTO MOSH PIT! MUCHO THRASH! SCORCHIO! WOW!”.

Overall, this album is an excellent début that is up there with the best of neo-thrash, and compliments the original thrash bands of old. To conclude, an excellent slice of perfectly executed top draw thrash metal. An essential purchase for fans of thrash, new or old.

Well done, ladies. Thrash on!

Psychedelic rock’s recent obsession with occult theology has absolutely nothing on Sabbath Assembly. While the presence of Satan in the drug-addled rock genre dates all the way back the 1970’s, Sabbath Assembly were one of the progenitors of the modern variant, releasing their debut Restored to One with Jex Thoth on vocals in 2010, not long after the debut of The Devil’s Blood.

Sabbath Assembly have other bands beat on the ideological front as well; while most bands opt for simple Satanic invocations, Sabbath Assembly spread the word Process Church of the Final Judgment, a fringe religious group from the ‘60’s-‘70’s who believed that Christ and Satan would reconcile at the final judgment of humanity, so that Satan could execute the judgments carried out by Christ. The band is named after the church’s holiest liturgy, and the homepage is a veritable library of the church’s message, hymns, and prayers, some of which are used by the band as the basis for songs. (Fun Fact: the Process Church, after many permutations and name changes, eventually gave birth to the Best Friends Animal Society.)

If the sonic goal of Sabbath Assembly is to invoke a mystical, religious atmosphere, then Quaternity succeeds marvelously. This is an album designed to envelope you, full of lush layers of vocal harmonies and graceful instrumentation, and fans of Comus, Renaissance, and In Gowan Ring will find much to love in the soft, folky soundscapes.

Quaternity is packed with melodies eerie, uplifting, and melancholic, and the seamless blend of the three is what creates the haunting, ethereal magic on the album. It also prevents monotony from setting in – when the creepiness of ‘Let Us Who Mystically Represent…’ is juxtaposed with the chilling sadness of ‘The Burning Cross of Christ’ and the joyous prayer of ‘Lucifer,’ you know the album is a journey. And the real beauty is in just how effective Sabbath Assembly are at conveying those emotions – ‘Let Us Who Mystically Represent…’ really does feel like the beginning to an obscure, dark ritual. ‘Lucifer’ is a perfect portrayal of calm, almost numb religious ecstasy. And ‘The Burning Cross of Christ,’ one of the best songs on the album, is just as despair-ridden as its lovesick narrator.

That doesn’t even touch ‘Jehovah On Death’ or ‘The Four Horsemen,’ which blend all of the above; the latter in particular, being an 18 minute titan, is especially adventurous, taking its scary, apocalyptic sermons with equally apocalyptic accompaniment and pairing it with the joyous hymnals of those welcoming the impending doom of mankind. And then there’s the album’s lone heavy song ‘I, Satan,’ whose Swans-tinged distorted terror is filled with a war-like contempt that most extreme metal bands only wish they could capture. However, despite the rawness of it all, ‘I, Satan’ is somehow delivered with the same gentle grace as the softer moments on the album.

The sheer emotional weight Quaternity carries is staggering, no matter which emotion Sabbath Assembly are trying to convey. Joy and pain, serenity and horror – all are delivered with zealous conviction. And in that sense, Quaternity is about opposites, much like the church from which its message arises.

While 2014 is barely a quarter of the way done, Quaternity deserves to make plenty of record-of-the-year lists. Don’t miss out.

Earth Crisis eh? Now, there's a band that I'd initially thought had faded into the pages of history never to be heard from ever again. Turns out that they've since returned in 2007 and I didn't actually know anything about it. Back in the mid 1990s, there was a big fuss with Earth Crisis when they released Gomorrah's Season Ends, which was pretty much one of the first bands I can recall that was essentially metalcore; and I recall many raving about it – along with Merauder's Master Killer, Downset's Do We Speak A Dead Language and people making a fuss about Machine Head's début. Okay, those bands are in different pigeon holes (for those who want to nitpick) but they were all around at the same time and were real game changers. Then, nu metal happened – and the less said about most of that stuff the better.

Anyway, as recently as last week I discovered that purely by chance and a mention on Twitter that they are indeed very much still going, and are a functional as ever – and I “put my name in the window” to check out their latest piece of work – which is Salvation of Innocents.

On the first playback of the album, it was immediately catchy and I admit to being rather enthusiastic about it – the deep crunchy sledgehammer riffs and shouty raged vocals of 'De Desensitise' immediately grabbing the listener by the throat and demanding attention drawing the listener in. 'Out Of The Cages' has a chest beating chorus that will no doubt be a crowd pleaser if it was played live. 'Shiver' is a more of a slower paced number that somehow reminds me of Biohazard's works in places that builds up in speed as the tune progresses. Throughout the album, it continues in a similar pattern of chest beating angry stomp, socio-political rage and a sense of fury, bile and hubris – as to be expected from Earth Crisis, which is pretty much business as usual. 'Final Breath' is a fantastically crushing closer that would have the listener stage dive off their couch and run around the living room performing a one man wall of death.

However, after more and more listens of the album it eventually becomes apparent that Earth Crisis are to my ears, dare I say – playing it a bit safe. I really don't mean to sound overly critical but their sound nowadays appears to be taking their musical cues from bands that have appeared since the demise of nu metal. By this, I refer to bands such as Chimaira, Killswitch Engage, Unearth, and Hatebreed; the bands that started appearing at around 2003-2006 or so if that makes sense. Not that this is in any way a bad thing as personally I loved those bands when they appeared as it signalled a death knell of what was quite frankly a bloody awful period in the history of metal (sorry, I'm one of the 'old guard' that remembers the days before it appeared – and yes, it was better - deal with it).

The album is very enjoyable indeed, and it is by no means terrible – as it most certainly isn't. To me, there is a slight magic that is lacking from when I first heard Gomorrah's Season Ends or when I first heard Merauder's Master Killer. There can be occasions where I believe that if this album was played in a nightclub you wouldn't immediately think “Oh man, this is Earth Crisis – sweet!”, but you would nevertheless get up to it anyway.

However, this album still stands head and shoulders above the over-diluted slew of metalcore bands that specialise in clean vocals, ranty vocals, breakdowns, silly neck tattoos and crab pose guitar playing – and quite rightfully so. It's good to see that they are very much present and showing the current crop of bands how the metalcore style should be done.

To conclude, this is a pretty sound and decent album of the genre. However, I do believe that Earth Crisis must ensure that they don't find themselves trapped in a creative cul-de-sac and disappear into the current indecipherable sonic blur of metalcore that we hear today – especially as they're a band that are one of the earliest innovators and pioneers of this sound. Despite the aforementioned quibbles, I wouldn't hesitate purchasing the album and these new tracks will no doubt sound excellent and crushing in a live setting.

There's some seriously heavy shit going down on this album. Here we have what may amount to a complete wet dream for anyone who has ever listened to anything remotely heavy featuring characters from a Dungeons and Dragons outing. This is Pilgrim, and they are going to blow your mind. This is Pilgrim, you're gonna fucking love this!

After releasing a couple of split singles and an album, Rhode Island doom merchants Pilgrim have upped the ante on this album with a concept completely covering dwarves, elves, sword, sorcery and whatever else you want to throw in. They also have some mighty big riffs and some rather fine progressive moments too which all adds up to one of the most satisfying metal releases this year. Maybe not as fuzzy or sludgy as some more recent doom release, nevertheless Pilgrim know how to create a maelstrom of noise.

Take the gentle doom riff of the intro which then builds into the magnificent 'Master's Chamber', which sets the scene for some almighty tales of peril and woe. Clashing riffs play out against a melodic interchange of guitars as the rhythm section takes us on and on. You almost think the song is over until another few minutes grasp you once again and you fall further into the chasm. This is metal at its finest and for all its neanderthal leanings, this is intelligent stuff too.

This is accentuated by the progressive 'The Paladin' (one for all you LOTR chumps out there!) which shows a keen sense of melody whilst still keeping the crushing heaviness. It's an heaviness which returns to the fore in the instrumental 'Arcane Sanctum', which is like being smashed on the head repeatedly by some huge soft doom metal toy. Bone crushing but beautiful, it takes a good band to get away with this.

'In The Presence of Evil' brings in an early Iron Maiden style albeit with some grind crushingly strong doom bits, this is then taken to anther level with the desolate and desperate title track 'Void Worship' whose forlorn lyrics play out over a cinematic background of some of the best metal you have ever heard. It's powerful but kept at a considerate level where it's not overbearing, at least in the all instruments to the wall kind of way. It's almost bluesy in a way and with that innate melody, keeps a level head whilst you may be losing yours.

The short 'Dwarven March' offers some respite before the epic closer 'Away From Here', which is pure doom metal that slowly beats you down until your head moves monotonously with each crashing riff. Clean vocals reminiscent of some of the more operatic style singers in metal keep this firmly in classic territory without having to delve into the growling realm which makes a nice change. It's a touch which lifts this album out of the rash of other doom albums and leaves it with the status of minor classic. Yes, Pilgrim is that good and it's going to stay with you for awhile.

Hunter Ellis: a multi instrumentalist (guitar, bass, mandolin, keyboard, violin) from LA bought this to my attention simply by sending his album to Echoes & Dust for a possible review. Not knowing what to expect, I went ahead and put myself forward – and whether or not it was me or other members of the E&D family who did it, my ears are forever grateful. Because this is 13 (including bonus track) floors of aural architecture that have been built carefully and purposefully to create a sonic structure of immense beauty and intrigue that stands proud and tall.

Seconds into first track ‘The Healing Power Of Laughter’, guitars have already started to orbit around your consciousness with immediate effect. Like stars shining in the evening sky to form constellations, they do so with intensity while drums and bass float by as clouds gathering for an oncoming storm, with thunderous violins adding to the drama unfolding in the stratosphere.

‘Fevertime’ follows, and only goes to prove what has already been discovered – that every note and beat are the bricks and mortar that have been attentively placed exactly where they need to be, forming a tower of sound that will stand the test of time. And kudos to anyone who would even think about covering Aphex Twin, as Hunter actually does effortlessly with ‘Fingerbib’, an organic transformation that respectfully pays tribute to Richard D James’ crazy electronic genius.

Not only is ‘The Egg Hole Is The Shit Hole’ one of the best song titles ever, but like many of the tracks here, they could quite easily be used as a soundtrack to any David Lynch movie. Here, a haunting horn section takes you along a desolate road with nothing but flickering streetlights and a desire to drive until the sun comes up: on a full tank of gas, this is a fine companion for any adventure you could let your mind go on.

‘La Llama se Llama Llama’ and bonus track ‘Secret Song’ bring you to your final destination, on a journey that has passed through so many varying landscapes – keeping your attention from the very start to its eventual conclusion. On every listen (I’ve lost count myself now), there’s always something new that makes you want to go back to the beginning and start over as soon as you can. Like revisiting a museum to see your favourite painting, to see if there’s a detail you may have missed before.

There’s an obvious talent that’s easily recognized straight away here and fans of instrumental music will find a welcome place for their mind to visit; and they’ll want to stay there for a very long time. I’ve already booked myself in for many a return journey, I’ll see you there – your ears will thank you for it! Speaking of thanks, this goes out to Hunter himself – thanks for getting in touch with us and introducing me to one of my favourite albums of the year so far!