Laura Marling has always been a precocious little talent. Since bursting on to the music scene with her debut album, the elven looking blonde was bestowed with awards and critical acclaim. It was a good start and also caused a minor stir at the Brit Awards when this almost unknown singer won best newcomer. Could she make good on her promise though?

Over the course of three albums Laura has de-constructed what has become known as nu-folk and left in its wake the likes of Mumford and Sons. Yes, they may be headliners in their own right now but Laura took a different path. Hers was a path of self-discovery and exploration.

Now we have Once I was an Eagle, her fourth and arguably best album to date. 16 tracks which take their time to work on you until you find yourself wrapped up in her world. This is not an easy listen though and it is this that makes the album so rewarding. You would be hard pushed to find an album so brave as this (yes, even including Joni Mitchells Blue, comparison out the way).

Opening up with a quartet of songs exploring a relationship gone wrong we are suddenly cast into a world where nothing is certain. For one so young it is a surprise to see her singing such adult themes. Despairing of being a “victim of circumstance” the protagonist doesn't want to put up with it anymore. Over the course of the suite we are thrown straight into the deep end. Plates crash against the wall, the threat of violence is ever present, dignity is lost...this is intense listening and not easy at times.

Through the conviction of her voice and the sparse instrumentation there is little room left to breathe. Violins colour the music intermittently but the background of acoustic guitar, bass and drums is all you get for the most. This is not the folk she used to play but it certainly isn't jazz either.

These songs threaten to overshadow the rest of the album but given time they start to work their charms on you. ‘Master Hunter’ gives us a break from the intensity with its wry take on Bob Dylan's ‘It Ain't Me Babe’. Turning the table on this master craftsman, Laura shows musical skill which belies her years and also provides us with a glimmer of humour.

There is the acid folk of ‘Devils Resting Pace’ which then turns into a gorgeous three song run which evokes the very best of Laura's folk roots. Sandy Denny comes to mind as the finger picked ‘Undine’ and ‘Where Can I Go show’ an ageless theme in her music. The latter builds to a crescendo accompanied by Hammond organ which is truly wonderful.

The absolutely gorgeous ‘Once’ drifts in and again it is Laura's voice which wraps itself around you with its warmth. There are so many types of voices on this album but it is this one you find yourself drawn to like a moth to a flame. Lilting and deep, it has experience which many of her contemporaries can only hope for. Maybe it is the casual calm with which she delivers these songs with but there is something special at work here.

‘Pray For Me’ heralds the last act of the album and a return to the themes of the opening four songs. This time there is a search for answers though and as a guitar motif reminiscent of Pink Floyd's ‘Fearless’ guides you through the rocky waters, it becomes clear that the protagonist this time will not give a shit. She has been broken but now she lives her own life.

It is an almost subdued ending to the album until ‘Little Bird’ builds up into an almost celebratory finale which then leads us into the extraordinary last track ‘Saved These Words’ where naivety has gone and full circle has been reached. It leaves you wondering quite where Ms Marling will go next in a career which looks to place her up with the greats. Album of the year is a term bandied around quite a lot but this damn near ticks all the boxes. Perfect and fascinating, you will be exploring all the nooks and crannies of Once I was an Eagle for a long time.

There are certain bands in this retarded world of ours that makes it worth living, some of them you can’t really label or place in a specific sub-genre. Some of these bands have become pretty important to their respected “scenes”, if you want to call it that, not sure it’s really a thing anymore. I’m talking of bands that push the boundaries of extreme music, defy all labels or sub-genres and just make crushing music to the core.If you want to be really clever you can probably label it “Crushcore” as Mr. Brynn Huxtable -of Iraqi Death Police- so elegantly put it. So crushcore is a mixture of hardcore, crust, doom, sludge, grindcore, crustcore and powerviolence.

By that definition, the new Full of Hell album could be labeled crushcore. See what I did there? All right, before you get your knickers in a knot, I will admit that there aren’t a lot of grindocre/curstcore elements to the new Full of Hell EP titled Rudiments of Mutilation, but it sure does crush to the fucking core.

The EP is filthy, very filthy and it’s chaotic doom-y mess at the best of times and the vocals have a very post-hardcore kind of vibe. It is a very appropriate follow-up to its predecessor Roots of Earth Are Consuming My Home. It has more of an eerie atmosphere to it, but make no mistake, this is Full of Hell at their very best. It is very slow and doom-y with brief outbursts where it goes full tilt and it's like they go absolute ape shit before it becomes more composed yet again. When it does go at full tilt is does have hint of powerviolence to it, which is excellent.

The record can get pretty low-key in terms of its speed and intensity, however it is very abrasive, which adds to the record as a whole because you’re never quite sure what to expect next. I can assure you that when it drones, it will melt your face off, which is absolutely fantastic.

Even though, it is just an EP, I would highly recommend Full of Hell’s Rudiments of Mutilation. Especially if you’re into bands like Converge, Bacchus and Fistula.

Alright listen up, we should all know is that there’s a band from Portland in the US of A that is called Drunk Dad. I’ll tell you why in a bit. Since I am a father to two lovely (well, most of the time) children and I am occasionally drunk (though not as often as I used to, probably related to the having children bit), this band name instantly drew my attention. Ok, so why should we all know that this band with this name exists? Because they’re fucking awesome, that’s why.

With Morbid Reality they released a brilliantly energetic EP containing 4 songs of which 3 are absolute stunners. The 4th track ‘Ritual’ (track 3 on the EP) is nothing but 3 minutes of soundscapes, which goes on a bit too long if you ask me, but I forgive these drunken fathers for this, because the remaining songs all make more than enough up for this.

Let’s start with the opening track called ‘Guts’. A near 8 minutes long opening track taking the listener on a vast and heavy musical journey and probably my favourite track of the 4. Starting with some nice heavy distorted bass guitar and groovy guitar and drums it almost sounds like we’re dealing with some garage blues rock band here. The song slowly transforms into a alternative noise rock tune with some intense singing/screaming. Then it takes a near U-turn and we enter a section reminding me a lot of the older Sonic Youth, like around the Bad Moon Rising/EVOL period. Listen to it and you’ll know what I mean. If you know early Sonic Youth of course, but who doesn’t? (If you don’t shame on you). After this quiet little intermezzo we hit a huge wall of noisy sludge with pounding drums and vocals building up from talking to shouting repeatedly “Maybe you should get over yourself! Ego is a fuel for pride! Pride is the shelter for ignorance!” It is a great long track never boring one single second and by the end of it you just want to shout along with the vocalist on the top of your lungs. (Please come to Scotland so I can do this at a gig!).

Next we hit the short burst of energy called ‘Seizure’, which is quite the opposite to ‘Guts’, being 5 times as short and a quite a bit faster. The drummer shows great quality here throwing a bunch of complex rhythms in the mix of again those noisy sounding sludge guitars. It’s a real seizure in the middle of this EP. It hits you and then it’s gone again. The before mentioned drone sounding soundscape bit follows and we get woken up again by the last track on Morbid Reality entitled ‘Scum Free’. Again kicking of with some impressive drum display and a great noisy guitar riff repeatedly building up we’re off to another great start. The vocals initially remind me of The God Machine, but then we hear the by now familiar shouting/screaming taking over. The final minute of this track and therefore EP can best be described as some insane noise fest. Everybody just lets go of all the breaks and frantically plays like nothing else till the finish line.

I’ve listened to Morbid Reality a lot before starting to write this review and I’ve enjoyed every spin. I love this band and this EP as it hits all the boxes for me: heavy, noisy, great drumming, riffs, great vocals, plenty of tempo changes and sludge inspired. If you appreciate drone more than I do then you’d probably can’t go wrong with this EP at all. Grab it when you can when it’s released on Eolian Empire.

The Industrial and Metal genres have had a long and stormy relationship. There have been many variations that blend them in different proportions. Both genres are intense, loud and in your face... the pairing has always made sense to me. However getting the portions right is as challenging as mixing Aunt Jourgensen's award winning pecan pie. Occasionally however the blend is bang on. Tristan Shone's one man show known as Author & Punisher comes damn close to mixing the perfect blend of thick droning guitar with dark atmospheric sounds, violent percussion and ominous vocals. Author & Punisher hits like a flaming 18 wheeler careening down a collapsing mountain highway in an avalanche of apoplectic fire breathing Komodo dragons with nasty paper cuts. The material on Women & Children is intense and soul crushing.

The music reminds me of the rare power heard with some of Devin Townsend's projects. The first track 'Women & Children' seeps in and slowly begins unloading its arsenal of noise, chaos and percussion. The drone of guitar always lingering in the background. The heavily treated vocals are deep within the mix and have a tragic and eerie sci-fi essence to them. Screams, echoing voices and chants assault the listener like a hundred isolated vocal tracks from an early Skinny Puppy album. The next track 'In Remorse' conjures the demonic soul of Godflesh. The weighty drone is simply majestic and Shone creates some devastating melodies to accompany it. After the 'In Remorse' bludgeoning you are hit with the evocative song 'Melee'. The track's opening is sinister, like getting stalked by a black panther in a lost corner of a jungle. 'Melee' develops into a huffing, puffing, grinding, screeching, belching black smoke into the air train ride into the abyss. Hold on tight and keep your arms inside the vehicle; you have been warned. Author & Punisher then tease you with some piano, which seems out of place beside the bleakness of the drone and strained vocals on 'Tame as a Lion'. The track rolls along then suddenly thunderous percussion drops like a nightmarish beat pounding from the depths of Isengard. The vocals sporadically sound like ferocious growling and the menacing background sounds seem like they are about to swallow the track. Tame as a Lion indeed.

Each track takes the listener down a new and equally twisted path of blustering noise, resonant drone and wrathful fury. The next stop puts the fear in 'Fearce'. The highlight is Shone's vociferous chanting of "Fierce! Fierce! Fierce!" which is deeply unsettling. If that wasn't enough Shone simultaneously fires off his massive drone cannons accompanied by rapid fire percussion. There is a slight reprieve from the tumult as some synth briefly fades in. Phew.

More synth radiates from the next track 'Miles from Home'. The song has an epic Blade Runner-esque vibe to it. The synth sounds pained and deeply encumbered under the heft of Author & Punisher's drone. Curiously the track still appears brighter beside the rest of the material on the album. Women & Children ends with the track 'Pain Myself' which starts with some gentle piano and Shone's clean coherent vocals. It seems optimistic... for about 70 seconds. Then dark droning clouds appear overhead and everything goes mental and flames into another A&P musical inferno. 'Pain Myself' bounces between the soft piano and unleashing of maleficent musical thunder and lightning. The pain is certainly palpable with the slamming percussion, grim, gritty tone of the drone and Shone's vocals as change becoming distressed and ugly. It seems like Shone is exorcising some personal demons on this profound sounding song. A moving and impressive track.

If you doubt the potential of merging Industrial with Drone Metal you must check this release out. Tristan Shone has made me a believer. Metal contributes the persistent growl of the droning guitar, which is the heart of most of Author & Punisher's material. Industrial brings foreboding atmospheres, earsplitting percussion and the harrowed vocals. Shone blends these elements to create a brilliant cacophony of textures while maintaining melody and harsh beats. I don't know why the album is entitled Women & Children. It would make most children cry and give them nightmares...

P.S. Special thanks to Ryan Stephenson for passing this angry ball of hellfire along to me. Thanks bud.

So when a band has an extensive back catalogue every new album is always one that fans look forward to. They've had followers; said followers will most likely enjoy new presentations as long as it’s truthful and not a steaming pile of crap a la St. Anger. And that is completely fine. But for those of us who stumble upon a band at the time of their newest release, there are no preconceptions. No memories of classic sounds, no biased opinion. I fall in the later category with Summoning and their newest opus Old Mornings Dawn. Here’s my report…

From the opening choir, flute and drum march intro ‘Evernight’ into ‘Flammifer’ I was immediately hooked, loved it. Black metal in the sense of guitars and vocals. Folk in the mandolins, flute, and other instruments of the like. What strikes me the most is that if you took away those later instruments, the former would make for a straight depressive black metal album by itself. By adding these other instruments Summoning creates such an aura in the music. I myself hail from a cold area, in the winter it is vicious here. And just the first two songs have me aching for a walk in the woods, right before the winter hits.

You may find bits and pieces you don’t like: the snare drum at times doesn’t sound acoustic enough, more like a marching snare. But those are only in certain parts. Used correctly on the title track they set the precursor for a great march through the mountains and wooded lands, an epic trip with views that are breathtaking. This is all done while still maintaining the black metal essence. The soul aching screams, the distorted guitars that move at a depressing pace… They’re counterbalanced by this grandiose choir and “orchestration” (don’t think a normal orchestra, I use that as just a term of extra instruments). ‘Caradhras’ starts out with an array of folk instruments that maintain and become that much more intense when the black metal scoops in underneath. And toward the end it’s all mixed into a somewhat claustrophobic mix then quickly gives way to a clean passage exit.

Final tracks ‘The Wandering Fire’ & ‘Earthshine’ still incorporate all elements used on this album, but seem to push the guitars further, sounding much more dominant in the mix. (That’s not to say the folk elements are gone, just not as dominant in spots). And as I've said before, it all conjures such visuals in my mind; I cannot help but love it. Come next winter I know what’s going to be blasting out of my headphones as I trudge out into the wilderness to meet my ultimate demise at the hands of a pack of wolves or a bobcat. And I’ll be ok as long as I can hear this to the end.

I would urge any fans of a black metal/folk mix to get this album through Napalm Records on June 10th in Europe, and the following day June 11th in the US.

Support artist and musicians you enjoy.

HAIL!!!!

Prog Rock has moved on from its epic, cape wearing days, but it’s essentially most at home in the green and black of the West Midlands. This Wolverhampton-based band play with verve and grace, their particular blend of new prog - rock is peppered with an acoustic edge - taking the crowd from gently bouncing on their toes, to all out dancing.

Stand out songs of the 45 minute set were ‘Bullet Rain’ & ‘This Is England Now’ but the whole flowed smoothly building from a gentle start and held tightly together by front man/singer Adam Broadhurst. He was joined on stage by the regular line up of Jonny Millington (drums), Adam Richard (Bass) and Jonathan Price (lead guitar); with the addition on several tracks of violinist Jack Rowe (a veteran support artist whose commissions have included New Model Army).

Also included in the set was their upcoming single ‘Some Stories’ - A swooping, classic example of a modern folk rock Story song, drawing from across our national traditions; and one from which all proceeds go to Help For Heroes. It is due for release on the 24th of June. It, and indeed the whole of the bands album The Ragged Rhythm of Rain can be downloaded at https://www.underabanner.co.uk/.

The set closed with the tracks ‘Steam’ and ‘Where We Are’. The former was a very different beast, sung with a particular passion, and with a very heavy edge as the lyrics spoke of the industrial past of the bands home town. Both songs were strongly reminiscent of other bands for which that part of England is well known, it could be said they have the ‘Wolverhampton sound’; whilst the lyrics mean this band wouldn’t be out of place on the steampunk circuit, should their inclinations ever steer them there.

Groove, lots and lots of groove is what is instantly apparent on the sophomore release Graveyard Dead from the Canadian metal band Death Valley Driver. An album built on swinging grooves and powerful riffs with a throaty swagger that allows one to reminisce to the days of Pantera at their best. Starting off from the opening song 'Black Vein’ the band allows each member to bring their own character to the music and through this it becomes evident that the Southern blues inspired, groove metal they are blasting out comes from the heart and a blue-collar work ethic that punishes the listener.

Death Valley Driver is not a copy of Pantera but an extension in a genre that seems to try to copy them rather than pay homage to them. There will never be another Pantera; with the death of Dimebag the chemistry to make the type of powerful groove metal that they were capable of is gone. Lots of bands have tried to fill those shoes and failed, but Death Valley Driver has come the closest, in my opinion, to bringing that dirty, blue-collar grove back to metal and this is obvious on the title track of the album 'Graveyard Dead' as well as stand-outs 'Ice Serpent', which to me also pays a little homage to Amon Amarth as well, and the outstanding 'Smoke Whip'.

Let’s take a second and look at the title song from the album as I feel it epitomizes everything else on the album and if it were the only song you heard from this band it would instantly reveal to you who they are. The song starts off properly with a short drum intro right into the recurring and main groovy riff of the song. After the intro it morphs into a groovy, almost sludgy chorus that allows the listener to take in the power and finesse of these fine players. The throaty, growling vocals do nothing else but make the listener believe that what these guys are playing and singing is serious and one should pay attention. Of course you don’t have much choice but to pay attention as this song already has you by the throat and is ready to punch you in the face. The guitars on this song are outstanding and even though they are not flashy they move the groove with an appropriate aggression. Finally, you can’t have appropriate groove without rhythm and the combination of drummer Ryan P Gallant and bassist Adam Praught on bass, who thankfully are easily heard in the mix, make this song stronger and more accessible than any other on the album. As I said before, this song epitomizes what Death Valley Driver is about.

Take the time out of your day and listen to one of the strongest groove metal albums to come along in a long time, maybe since the breakup of Pantera. Death Valley Driver has honed in on a sound in their sophomore release that will ingratiate them with the stingiest of heavy metal fans and they will leave you wanting more. The album is out now and believe me when I tell you it is worth your hard earned money to buy this album. You will not be sorry.

Until later, Peace!

On their third full-length album, and first with vocalist Wrathprayer, Sacrilegious Impalement brings a barrage of black metal ferocity not too unfamiliar. That’s not a bad thing though. While they aren’t quite “necro” enough for the diehards to not cry foul, they are competent and write good songs.

Opener ‘Angel Graves’ is a standard mix of quick, sinister riffing, evil vocals and one-speed-is-all-we-need drums. There is a dip in the action that arrives after a thorough solo, though. A crawling out of the weeds, ready to pounce approach. Next track ‘Down for Grim Lord’ is a bit more dynamic though. The mixture of black and death metal is enough to maintain attention throughout, as the speeds vary and the guitars pack melodic sections that add a feeling of need or desperation. ‘For Sins of the Pigs’ starts out slow for the first minute or so, mixing up the flow as it continues with dead man speaking over subdued swanky (swanky?) guitars and standard training drumbeats. The seesawing back and forth eventually stops and the rest of the song becomes like the rest of the sacrilegious affair.

‘Behead the Infants of God’ is the standout track on the album. The blackened thrash attack use here, and song length, show the band taking their abilities, using them to the max, and getting the fuck out of Dodge. The speeds and riffing turning into a conjumbled ball of fiery hell at the end, it’s what this album needs. The next two tracks, ‘Regain the Dormant Realm’ and ‘His Gift Embodied’, both start out and play the same as the previous mentioned ‘Behead…’ But where they falter is at around the 3:30 mark. Both songs dive into parts that make the songs seem too long, be it either an extended guitar solo or a weaving of music parts that feel like filler. That’s not to say that the previous three minutes and thirty seconds were bad. They were amazing actually. All the songs are to that extent, it’s just at times they feel too long and leave me wanting to skip to the next track.

So, that said, the album itself contains good songs and all are well executed and played, they just need to be a bit shorter. If song length isn’t something you struggle with, and you like black metal infused death metal, then I don’t see you having any problems enjoying this album. I just hope for album number four that the band chooses the “shorter is better” route.

You can grab Sacrilegious Impalement’s III – Lux Infera through Woodcut Records right now. Support bands you enjoy, buy their records and go to a show.

HAIL!!!

Just days before launching their debut album, Glasgow band Quickbeam played a hometown gig in an abandoned Victorian swimming pool to celebrate the arrival of said release.

And what a venue it is: Govanhill Baths may not have seen any swimmers for a while, but it survives as a venue thanks to the work of community campaigners who prevented its closure. The show saw Quickbeam and record label Comets and Cartwheels collaborate with local artists to produce an event that encompassed art, projection and theatrics. Not to mention music from one of Scotland’s biggest musical hopes for 2013.

With a glass ceiling far above the makeshift stage in the pool’s deep end, support band (and labelmates) Fake Major arrived in broad daylight, giving something a festival vibe. “We’re in at the deep end now,” announced the band – one of whom was wearing a rubber ring. They worked their way through a steady set of pop-tinged folk, with Richard Ferguson and David McGinty’s harmonies particularly impressive.

Opening with ‘Remember’ Quickbeam quickly arrested the crowd and established their sound – gritty guitars clashing with subtle strings and brass, instantly backing up the  comparisons with Sigur Ros that have accompanied almost every review of the band.

Debut single ‘Seven Hundred Birds’ was a real stand out, Monika Gromek’s voice perfectly balanced against the strings, while the swell on ‘Immense’ was huge, the band slowing building the sound into a huge multi-instrumental crescendo that felt like the biggest wave the pool had seen since its heyday was about to crash over the audience.

Andrew Thomson’s delicate piano pitched against Ruth Campbell’s cello worked as well live as it does on record. Indeed, ‘Fall’, with Thomson taking lead vocal, was the first song of the night that deviated from the album, with the guitar cranked up and the post-rock sound more fully realised, despite the sound system in the venue not being as big as it could have been. This proved to be a minor issue throughout, with the sound never quite loud enough to dominate the chatty Friday night crowd. For those who did pay attention, the experience was all the better.

‘Matter’ proved to be the highlight. The ethereal lilt of Gromek’s chorus “I’ve travelled so far for so long…” was majestic, the accompanying video playing out on a screen behind the band only adding to the spell being cast.

Closing with the spectacular ‘Grace’, there’s a hint that this could have been something much more than a gig if only the audience had given more undivided attention. That will matter little to the band, who seemed genuinely moved by the reception they received at the end.

Quickbeam already have one of the contenders for Album of the Year, and if this show was a marker, there’s enormous potential in their ability as a live act. Govanhill Baths was a glorious fit for an event like this and it’s one that will live long in the ear of the audience, but it’ll be interesting to see Quickbeam play a venue built specifically for music. It won’t look nearly as spectacular, but your ears will probably thank you for it.

Percussive tribal rhythms, gritty electronica, soulful voices and rhymes are the ingredients, mix them all together and what you get is Tape Two the second “mini” album from Scottish trio Young Fathers.

I have to say that it is a tasty musical treat and one I enjoyed very much right from start to finish.  From the smooth soul of ‘I Heard’ to the anthemic ‘Come To Life’ and the slightly punk tinged electronica of ‘Queen Is Dead’.  There is a wide variety of songs on this album however these all fit comfortably with the overall stylistic feel of the music.

As for that style of music, the only points of reference I would have is The Streets or a more electronic version of Massive Attack and that is just based on the electronic/rap element and is more a rough guide than direct copy of these .

That aside, Young Fathers have a lot on offer here as the music is well constructed, catchy and there is no padding out of the songs here as these are mean and lean with all excess fat trimmed off.  The guys have a real nice blend going on with smooth vocals and strong rhymes and they keep in real with no cheesy lyrics or clichés.  There is some great production going on as well with all the elements sitting perfectly in the mix and no part overpowering another.  A great juxtaposition of the singing and the rhyming is prevalent throughout the album and nothing seems forced or out of place.  This is proper honest music from the streets with absolutely no fakery.

The songs on offer are extremely powerful and if you need verification of this you can check out the video for ‘I Heard’ online, which is excellent.  So hats off to Alloysious Massaquoi, Kayus Bankole and ‘G’ Hastings who form the Young Fathers for delivering a fine album worthy of anyone’s time and attention.

Young Fathers are a band that I could imagine closing massive festivals with 80,000 people singing along to ‘Come To Life’.  The guys also have a few nationwide dates lined up and again I would urge you to catch ‘em if you can as I would say that Young Fathers live experience would be just as great an experience as the this record is. Tape Two is the finest thing to come out of Edinburgh since Trainspotting.

If you’re going to open your debut full-length album with a damn near 10 minutes song, you better do it with some fucking balls. There’s no half-ass shit to pull, no “made you look” moments. All or fucking nothing. Meet Demon Lung, purveyors of turning it to 11, and all around DOOM monster mother fuckers. I’ve reached my ‘fuck’ quota for a review so I’ll do my best to remain civilized from here on out…

For those interested in the concept, see as follows: “The long-begotten son of Satan, who’s been sent to earth to assemble the three parts of the devil’s bible so that we can speak the name of God in reverse and undo creation”. And summon horned creatures from Hell, Demon Lung so do. From the get go on ‘Binding of the Witch’ with its feedback soaked swirls of hell, these cats aren’t messing around. Once guitarist Phil Burns, bassist Patrick Warren and drummer Jeremy Brenton have all come up in your ears, and the spine crawling whispers of Shanda Fredrick are setting them on fire. To say her vocals are good would be an insult; she takes everything from the choir and puts her tortuous, yet still feminine spin on them. Down right haunting and beautiful. The guys behind her are just as strong and precise in their own crafts. Be it the locked down wails that fly frequently in ‘Devil’s Wind’ or the subdued segues in ‘A Decade Twice Over A Day’, top notch playing and song writing on display all over this album.

The Lung don’t just play heavy for the sake of blowing speakers and shaking your house, though. There is a defined flow of up and down trough each song. ‘Heathen Child’ moves from monstrous thunder to plucked guitars echoing side by side with smooth vocals spoken in a language that I can only recognize as awesome, then right back up to a sped-up tempo that drives home the point that much harder. ‘Hex Mark’ comes in as a ripper and stays that way all the way through; proving that doom can done quick, and with class. If the final two song tandem of ‘Hallowed Ground’ & ‘Incantation (The Hundredth Name)’ doesn't win you over…well fuck you. There. Simple.

Demon Lung should appeal to any and all doom metal fans out there as The Hundredth Name is a prime offering in the genre. I see (and hope) only bigger and better things coming for this band. With an album like this, it is deservingly so. Be sure to go pick it up through Candlelight Records on June 3rd  in the UK, and June 4th in the US.

Support artists and musicians you enjoy and respect. Fuckers.

HAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Much like my addiction to Swiss roll, for some people more is never enough. You’d have thought two wildly successful “day jobs” would be enough to keep some folks busy. But not so for Katatonia lead vocalist Jonas Renkse and The Pineapple Thief front man Bruce Soord. Clearly they've got too much time on their hands as they have come together to create Wisdom Of Crowds. I can tell you now, I am eternally grateful that these two chaps did a bit of moonlighting. As will you.

Originally written for Renkse’s voice, Soord sought out the acclaimed vocalist to complete the compositions and release the music to the masses. In doing so, Bruce Soord has found the perfect foil for the music he has written. Which is all at once jagged, sharp, melodic, aggressive, tender, sparse and loud. What anchors it all together, what makes it a cohesive mix, is Renkse’s vocals. His delivery is sublime. But we’ll come to that in a bit…

Album opener ‘Pleasure’ sets up the album with Renkse’s weary and plaintive voice stretching across the track as it morphs from electronic intro to a upbeat mix of live instruments, effects and sounds. This album is different to their respective bands yet retains enough familiarity to comfort fans of both. Title track ‘Wisdom Of Crowds’ evokes a faint vibe of early Gotan Project with its horns and sparsely placed guitar lines whilst ‘Radio Star’ leaves you haunted…. leaves you looking for something as Renkse sings "give you the lights, give you the stars, give you a sign".

Standout track of the album is ‘Frozen North’. It’s simply stunning. A melancholic guitar line awash with strings coupled with Renkse’s beautifully evocative vocal melodies and lyrics transporting you to a place of reflection. When, 4 minutes into the song, we descend musically into a fantastically out-there blend of electronica with jagged shards of glitchy noise rhythmically pounding towards the conclusion of the song. It just feels right and natural. It feels magnificent.

Next up we have ‘The Light’, a more traditional (as in what the uninitiated imagine it to be) prog tune that is reminiscent of Saucerful-era Floyd with its backwards guitar and drumbeats. It’s 7 minutes of pure progressive music: bluesy guitar licks on a bed of synths with again startlingly intimate vocals.  ‘Pretend’ counters this with aggressive shards of guitar playing from Soord.

With that we head into the final 3 tracks on the album. The triumvirate of the album in fact. I’ve genuinely never heard an album FINISH with such breathtakingly songs. Most artists would have put these tracks at the top of the album such is their magnificence. ‘Stacked Naked’ shimmers into view with a tenderly melodic  intro backed with some wonderfully harmonised vocals. Renkse’s lyrics painfully urging "if anyone should ask how the story goes just pretend we're almost there just pretend....pretend.....". ‘Centre of Gravity’ is a song that made me think of the bond of friendship, of the shared experiences, of the sharing of secrets and hopes and dreams. It ends with Jonas repeating "hold out your hand", a plea to never let go of what once was but also as an offer of support. And finally ‘Flows Though You’ arrives with a wail of siren and simmering aggression. Renkse defiantly proclaiming "I can lose but I will never break" as the song heads towards a cacophony of drums, guitars and electronica.

So. After all that what is this album like?

Jonas Renkse’s vocals and lyrics are the highlight of this album. They are the lynchpin of the entire record. No matter where the music goes, no matter what genre it delves into, the guiding light is his voice, his delivery and inflection. In Soord, he has found a collaborator that can create music that uses every aspect of his voice and talent.

It is a stunning album in both depth and range of emotion and music. It captures so many genres and yet defies labels. Part rock, part electronic it's all blended together to create and album that lifts you up, makes you think and most importantly makes you FEEL. There is a hypnotic use of space and dynamics from the frailest most intimate ambience to bombastic guitar driven sections that lift your spirits. It is everything you can want from an album and more.

Having never been to Glasgow's Audio before I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleased to find a modest sized dungeon teaming with leather and denim clad punters. And this was early on, second band of the night Sunsmasher were setting the tone. The tone being mostly fucking loud and riff heavy. The Glasgow natives were more impressive live than the few tracks I had heard previously online. Definitely a band to see again and keep track off. 

I was impressed and pleased by the decent turn out for this gig. Especially on a rainy Monday night close to the end of the month. And a healthy welcome was given to main support Bossk. I've been a big fan of them since their first couple of EPs. In fact I recently interviewed Tom Begley on all things past, present and future for Ech(((o)))es and Dust. Despite that, this was my first time seeing them live. A ripple of excitement permeated through the crowd as they took to the stage. Clearly others were in the same position as me, long time fans, as 'Define' struck up there was a big roar of acknowledgment. With minimal lighting Bossk set about business in effective style. Gathering together on stage at times in almost a huddle they locked in together and were super tight. Seeing the likes of 'Define' and 'Truth' live was special. Tracks I've played countless times and are classics in my book. Bossk live were worth the wait, going through new tracks as well like 'Pick Up Artist' proving there's much more to come. Performing as if in their own zone with impressive tightness they at times exploded forth, as the music shifted in dynamics. Bossk provided a certain amount of refinement to the evening of otherwise dense riffery. Although what followed was the total opposite. 

Dragged Into Sunlight aren't like other bands. Two antelope skulls are dimley lit red at either side of the stage. A candelabra is placed at the forefront, three thick candles burning. Then when they emerge they are cloaked in shadows and smoke. Facing away from the crowd also, they launched into a set drawn mainly from debut album Hatred For Mankind. There is a brutality and edge about how they perform that was captivating. And then the strobe lights kick in just in case you were starting to feel comfortable. From where I was standing I could see side on through the shadows frontman " T" rather than his back. I have to say he looked totally immersed in his own zone.  Barefoot, he looked like someone with "issues" rather than someone turning their back as some kind of gimmick. The constant strobe flashes and shadows provided a fitting setting for the hate filed cacophony being produced. The crowd at times seemed either confused as tracks merged into one another or simply stunned by what we were witnessing. When "T" turned to the crowd as the final song began it was like a vampire seething at the sun. He looked genuinely uncomfortable summed up as he dramatically blew out the candelabra, and (I think) unintentionally sending it crashing over. There was a few jeers of course, but was a brief light moment in an otherwise intense performance. Dragged Into Sunlight are a band even if you haven't listened to before you should see live. I say "see" but really you'll be lucky if you catch a glimpse through the fog and seizure inducing lights. Well worth it though for a totally different live experience.

Thanks to Bruce Cowie for the photo.

Two things grabbed my attention when this debut by Iron Tongue was announced: 1. It's released on Neurot Recordings; 2. They feature Rwake frontman C.T. on vocals. Straight away I knew I had to hear it, Neurot gets a free pass as their track record and quality control are second to none. Rwake are one of the most respected underground sludge acts, with C.T. also being heavily involved in the scene and the film 'Slow Southern Steel'. So valid reasons for me to check it out.

Given the two reference points mentioned Iron Tongue must be a sludge post-metal experimental act right? The answer is simply no, as this is an album of blues soaked rock. The important thing is however, that it is a brilliant album. Iron Tongue don't deal in bullshit, gimmicks, retro worship and don't need face paint or convoluted imagery to make their point. It's basically a bunch of guys (and girl) getting together and playing some Southern rock.

The song's are lengthy, slow and filled with soul. Although everyone impresses musically, C.T. steals the show, displaying a more stripped down raw vocal approach thereby demonstrating his power and range. There's a range of classic Southern influence apparent, but also even touching on soul. This is apparent on 'Lioness', which reminds me of Aretha Franklin's classic 'Chain of Fools'. The tracks have a steady flow never really going full tilt, but it suits their style and delivery.

Although all the tracks are enjoyable and worthy of praise the first one I heard was '7 Days'. It impressed me so much I had it on repeat for ages. It is still a highlight on the album and displays C.T. at his devastating best. Emotion pours out in his voice in the tail of separation and musically it's all heavyweight.

Another recurring element is a lot of slide guitar work which is perfectly suited to the music. I'm a sucker for a bit of slide but it can often be out of place. Iron Tongue though play like the resident band in Hell's finest drinking establishment. With other commitments it's unclear how much touring Iron Tongue will do. So either make sure you see them live or pour your favourite whiskey and listen to Iron Tongue and let it soak in.

The Dogs Have Barked, The Birds Have Flown is available through Neurot Recordings and thanks to Rarely Unable again for providing this promo copy.

It's weird that you can listen to a record 20-odd times and you're still not entirely sure what the next song is going to sound, or more importantly, feel like. Mind you there's a good chance it will start off with a simple melody as it pulls you close in an embrace and starts to whisper in your ear. Just don't count on it always being gentle and loving, for this is truly a record of emotional contrasts that pretty much cover the full spectrum. It's this lottery that creates an album whose style helps break the record free from so many post-rock cliches.

If you followed the process of making the record on fb or twitter you'd know how much thought and effort Sydney trio Solkyri put into the making of their debut album Are You My Brother. It's really paid off too, because despite the familiarity of the different styles found on the record, the breadth is at the same time adventurous and harmonious, and there's enough experimentation to prevent it from just sounding like so much other music.

'Home' contains beautiful warbling vocals from Hannah Cameron, who also provided the lyrics. Her voice is strong but largely restrained and a far cry from the girlie sounds pervading Australian indie pop at the moment. Full of individual character, she builds on the sadness set up in the introduction with almost a tinge of folk, although the structure is more linear than cyclical. Vocals are also used in the final track, although they are strictly musical rather than lyrical. Other than these two it's strictly instrumental.

There are periods of sheer uplifting joy in tracks like 'With Strawberries Like Dead Men' and 'Threads of an Old Life', yet even here the former gets you punching the air or trying to keep up with some fast air-drumming, while Threads is more happy, content and almost has a sense of relief, as if rebuilding from tragedy rather than happy in isolation.

That's not to say Strawberries is all joy and the opening half contains an element of fear and uncertainty, almost despair with its powerful use of strings and piano. The dynamics of the song are magical with great use of resonance, silence, and towering, majestic layers of sound. The production in the record is of consistent quality but it's here that it shines the most, as if this is the reference point. In fact the song feels like the reference point for the whole album in every way and that the other songs all exist in some kind of relationship to it more so than to each other. It's a different feeling than when you might pick out a favourite or stand-out track, or that one song you often find that contains elements of all other songs. It's like this is Solkyri in its natural state and the other songs are its other moods.

It's in this context that the two shortest tracks 'Oklahundt' and 'Glory' work well, being very simple and reflecting that emotions and feelings are not always intense or complicated. Call them fillers if you must, but they are not simply bridges between songs. 'I Am The Motherfucker', on the other hand, is long, intense and anguished, with great swells of anger and despair.

Are You My Brother doesn't grab you and hold you or shake you like some records do. Solkyri use restraint and subtlety, allowing the rich contrast, diversity and dynamics to keep you engaged. By usual post-rock standards these songs don't all belong together in one place, but the fact these brilliantly performed and produced songs are in one place is the reason the record's so fucking awesome.