Author Archives: Gustavo Scuderi

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About Gustavo Scuderi

"If I could survive to live one more time I wouldn't be changing a thing at all Done more in my life than some do in ten I'd go back and do it all over again..."

Album Review – Lelahell / Al Insane… The (Re)Birth Of Abderrahmane (2014)

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Pure aggressive Death Metal full of meaningful content? That’s exactly what this bright Algerian band offers us with their music.

Rating4

coverLelahel is an angel of the zodiac exercising dominion over love, art, science and fortune, bringing light and good luck to mankind. However, when an extra ‘l’ is added to its name, it’s time for Algerian Death Metal band Lelahell to attack all human beings with their first full-length album, the impetuous Al Insane… The (Re)Birth Of Abderrahmane, an album which fans of bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation and Vital Remains will be able to relish while at the same time they learn more about the culture of that Islamic country located in North Africa.

Of course, this is a Death Metal album, so do not expect to listen to anything that’s not as heavy as hell. The differential in Al Insane… The (Re)Birth Of Abderrahmane, as you can see by the name of the album (Abderrahmane is the transliteration of Abdur Rahman in French-speaking North Africa, meaning “servant of the most merciful”) and also the names of most songs, is the fact that the band makes it clear where they come from by adding elements of their culture to their symphony of violence. Consequently, their music becomes a lot more robust and appealing to fans of extreme music than if it was just the basic Death Metal many other bands play. This is something unique bands such as Sepultura and Chthonic do all the time, like in the masterpieces Roots and Bú-Tik, and you know how amazing those albums are.

After the quick intro Mazaghran, which is the name of a town and commune in Mostaganem Province, Algeria, you’ll already notice that cultural influence in Al Intissar, an Arabic word that means “victory” or “triumph” in English, with its blast beats, devilish and deep guttural vocals, and especially its very traditional Death Metal guitar growls showing you how brutal heavy music should be done. Voices Revealed has a more direct musicality than the opening track, but doesn’t sound so inspired, while Kalimet Essir is a true sonic massacre, guided by a dark tune generated by its guitar lines and fast drums (which you can see HERE). The only thing I couldn’t figure out was the meaning of the words “Kalimet Essir”, maybe the band could help me with this one.

lelahellThe nonstop violent Death Metal in Hypnose is highly recommended for insane mosh pits, with highlights to its good chorus and interesting drumming variations, followed by the short instrumental Imzad. This is another great example of how culture and music walk hand in hand, as “Imzad music is a characteristic feature of Tuareg communities and is performed by women on a single-stringed bowed instrument known as the Imzad.”, adding an extra Arabic touch to the whole album.

Fans of the old Cannibal Corpse will surely enjoy Am I In Hell?, with its Thrash Metal elements, really deep guttural and an ending that’s more than perfect for some brutal headbanging, and pretty much the same can be said about Hillal, or “crescent moon” in English, as this song is as violent and fast as it can be, energized by its evil vocal lines. Lastly, closing the album we have the almost Black Metal of Black Hands, the most obscure of all tracks (especially its riffs) where even the vocal parts are more inclined to Black Metal, with a cleaner guitar solo amidst all destruction to give more balance to the song; and the sheer brutality of the riffs and bass lines in Mizmar, another song that strengthens the connections Lelahell has with their homeland, as “Mizmar is also a term used for a group of musicians, usually a duo or trio, that play a mizmar (flute) instrument along with an accompaniment of one or two double-sided bass drums, known in Arabic as tabl baladi or simply tabl.”

The interesting cover artwork by Kaamos Illustration, who has already worked with bands such as Hypocrisy and Pain, also has lots of elements from the Algerian culture, including the stylish band’s logo, showcasing once again how the guys from Lelahell are true to their roots. Al Insane… The (Re)Birth Of Abderrahmane, available at the official Horror Pain Gore Death Productions webshop and BandCamp page, is more than just Death Metal: it’s good music with content, something so difficult to find even in heavy music these days.

Best moments of the album: Al Intissar, Hillal and Black Hands.

Worst moments of the album: Voices Revealed.

Released in 2014 Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Track listing
1. Mazaghran (Intro) 0:19
2. Al Intissar 5:11
3. Voices Revealed 4:00
4. Kalimet Essir 5:00
5. Hypnose 5:43
6. Imzad 0:48
7. Am I In Hell? 4:45
8. Hillal 5:27
9. Black Hands 4:48
10. Mizmar 4:58

Band members
Lelahel – guitars, vocals
Nihil – bass
Slaveblaster – drums

Album Review – Crucified Barbara / In The Red (2014)

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Our beloved Swedish rock goddesses return to give Rock N’ Roll to you and put it in the soul of everyone.

Rating4

coverIt was already time for Swedish bombshells of Rock N’ Roll Crucified Barbara to be back with more of their unmatched heavy rock and their tough attitude. After the awesome releases In Distortion We Trust (2005), ‘Til Death Do Us Party (2009) and The Midnight Chase (2012), those incredible hardrockers offer us, avid metalheads all over the world, another kick-ass album overflowing aggressiveness, sexy tunes and infinite stamina, the electrifying In The Red.

Although all of their albums are so solid and ravishing it’s extremely hard to choose the best one, there’s one major thing that drew my attention on In The Red: the total absence of any type of ballad. The whole album is pure motherfuckin’ heavy and fast rock, with not a single song being slow or romantic at all, and that, my friends, will please the hearts of pretty much all of their diehard fans for sure. In other words, don’t you just love when those sexy beasts simply assault us like that, with no mercy of our bodies and souls?

And their badass Rock N’ Roll party couldn’t kick off on a higher note than with the frantic I Sell My Kids For Rock’N’Roll, which is not only a great name for a song, but also a superb no-frills feast of ultra-hard-riffs and addictive lyrics, with highlights to the mighty bass lines by Ida Evlieye. It’s so thrilling that I challenge you to stand still during this song and to not play it again and again in your car, at home or anywhere else you might be. To Kill A Man, the first single released a while ago, is just an average song, but it’s a good example of how Mia Coldheart’s voice is sounding a lot stronger in In The Red than in any of their previous albums, while the spectacular Electric Sky has their beautiful trademark musicality, being the perfect choice for hitting the road while singing its chorus nonstop, with kudos to Nicki Wicked for her amazing drumming during the song.

crucified barbaraThen we have what can be called “Beer Rock” (or music tailored for drinking beer) in The Ghost Inside, a fast-tempo song with a 70’s Rock intro the likes of Black Sabbath, lots of cool riffs and melodic variations, and the straightforward 80’s Hard Rock in Don’t Call On Me, where their “Motörhead” side strikes again, with the always incredible Mia reaching some really high vocal notes. However, it’s in the title-track In The Red, a thrilling tune with a catchy chorus, where her voice goes even beyond that, enhanced by the awesome job done on guitars by Mia herself and Sweden’s number one blonde stunner Klara Force, and therefore turning the song into one of the best moments of the album.

Lunatic #1 reminds me a lot of “Kid from the Upperclass” from their previous album, with its cool lyrics pushing it to probably being one of their selected new songs for their upcoming live performances, while Shadows was born to be a Rock N’ Roll radio hit, with all instruments in perfect synergy and Nicki amazingly pounding her drums from start to finish. By the way, not only Nicki, but all members of the band seem to have almost reached their peak in terms of what they can do with their instruments in In The Red: they sound a lot more polished and cohesive now (needless to mention, of course, their undeniable talent as musicians), but at the same time they managed to keep that crude resonance so important for true Rock N’ Roll to happen. It’s really exciting to see a band evolving like that, don’t you think?

Fortunately for all of us, there’s a lot more to come before the party is over: the southern sonority in Finders Keepers is not bad, but it doesn’t keep up with the rest of the album; Do You Want Me, with its riffs full of feeling, talks about sex, love and troubled relationships (“Do you want me / I can never be your sacred angel”), just like many of Crucified Barbara’s top songs; and finally, the band closes the album with another fast and raw Rock N’ Roll tune the likes of Motörhead, Follow The Stream, leaving us eager for more of their powerful and invigorating music.

In 1973, British rock band Argent sang for the first time “God gave Rock N’ Roll to you / Gave Rock N’ Roll to you / Put it in the soul of everyone”. Then, in 1991, American Hard Rock giants KISS immortalized those lyrics forever in our hearts. And finally, here we are many years later banging our heads to the rock music by Crucified Barbara who, despite not singing the exact same words, are truly making them become reality and helping us enjoy our lives a lot more. Thus, call them goddesses, demonesses, heroines, female warriors or anything else: as long as they keep on playing such delightful music and putting awesome Rock N’ Roll in our souls, that’s all that really matters.

Best moments of the album: I Sell My Kids For Rock’N’Roll, Electric Sky and In The Red.

Worst moments of the album: To Kill A Man and Finders Keepers.

Released in 2014 Despotz Records

Track listing
1. I Sell My Kids For Rock’N’Roll 2:54
2. To Kill A Man 3:21
3. Electric Sky 3:56
4. The Ghost Inside 4:32
5. Don’t Call On Me 4:02
6. In The Red 3:48
7. Lunatic #1 3:11
8. Shadows 3:25
9. Finders Keepers 2:53
10. Do You Want Me 3:35
11. Follow The Stream 3:46

Band members
Mia Coldheart – vocals, guitar
Klara Force – guitar, backing vocals
Ida Evileye – bass guitar, backing vocals
Nicki Wicked – drums, backing vocals

Album Review – In Flames / Siren Charms (2014)

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A mediocre album by Swedish Melodic Death Metal giants, possibly the worst they will ever release in their career.

Rating8

in flames_siren charmsWhat’s happening with the most prominent Melodic Death Metal bands from Sweden in 2014? After the just average new album by Arch Enemy, it’s time for Swedish Melodic Death Metal icons In Flames to release what’s probably their weakest album of all time, the pedestrian Siren Charms, their eleventh studio album and also an unfortunate stain on their remarkable career.

Before fans come cursing me or anything like that, let me say I’m not asking for a new The Jester Race (1996) or Clayman (2000). Quite the contrary, I’m an advocate of bands that evolve during their careers, or even some that completely change their music style. I even like their previous album, the controversial Sounds of a Playground Fading (2011), and didn’t find any issues in the music by In Flames without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad. However, in my opinion, there’s an invisible boundary for what a band can or cannot do with their music, and that’s something called INSPIRATION, which is pretty much inexistent in Siren Charms.

The opening track, In Plain View, can be considered a very good summary of the whole album: weird vocals by Anders Fridén, more noise than melody (or maybe just noise and no melody at all), and where are those good old characteristic riffs they became famous for? Although slightly heavier than the previous track and despite its interesting intro, Everything’s Gone becomes something so uninspired after a while and all instruments sound so sloppy together it’s really hard not to quickly skip to the next track; and if you do that, Paralyzed makes things even worse, with all its electronic elements being totally disposable. Once again, what happened to Anders’ voice?

Through Oblivion is another terrible song where you can barely listen to the guitars, sounding like some garbage not even Korn is capable of recording, while With Eyes Wide Open, despite being a lot more melodic, is not the musicality we were all expecting from this band. And don’t think the title-track will do any good for the album, as Siren Charms is another disappointment with nothing outstanding in it, especially its really weak vocal lines. Fortunately, When the World Explodes sounds like Anders finally woke up and decided to scream properly. It’s the closest we get to what In Flames do best (and the best song of the album by far), with highlights to its much better riffs and the awesome female vocals by Swedish soprano Emilia Feldt.

in flamesThe lead single chosen by the band, Rusted Nail, is just average (not to say it has lots of horrible moments), with its guitar lines saving it from being a total disaster, followed by the slow and tiring Dead Eyes and the slightly more exciting Monsters in the Ballroom, showcasing the best clean vocals of the entire album and an interesting guitar solo. And to end this disaster in a “St. Anger” style, we have more of the same tasteless musicality in Filtered Truth, which sounds like a demo version of something most bands would throw away without thinking twice. And I’m glad I just got the simplest version of the album with no bonus tracks, because it was an arduous job to listen to this album in its entirety (more than once, by the way).

In Flames will forever kick ass live, but I’m a little concerned about what their concerts will become in a near future. I mean, who will enjoy watching them playing most of the songs, if any, from Siren Charms, when they have so many amazing classics in their previous albums? Have they reached that unwanted stage of their career where they will just release new albums for money, no matter how bad they sound, as long as they keep headlining tours and festivals and fans keep paying to see them live anyway? I really hope not, so let’s just consider Siren Charms a lapse in their creative process, completely forget about it, and wait for their following releases.

Best moments of the album: When the World Explodes.

Worst moments of the album: Paralyzed, Through Oblivion, Siren Charms and Dead Eyes.

Released in 2014 Sony Music

Track listing
1. In Plain View 4:05
2. Everything’s Gone 3:24
3. Paralyzed 4:15
4. Through Oblivion 3:37
5. With Eyes Wide Open 3:58
6. Siren Charms 3:05
7. When the World Explodes 4:39
8. Rusted Nail 4:55
9. Dead Eyes 5:23
10. Monsters in the Ballroom 3:53
11. Filtered Truth 3:31

Band members
Anders Fridén – vocals
Björn Gelotte – guitar
Niclas Engelin – guitar
Peter Iwers – bass
Daniel Svensson – drums, percussion

Guest musicians
Emilia Feldt – guest vocals on “When the World Explodes”
German Jesterheads (In Flames fans) – guest vocals on “Rusted Nail”

 

Album Review – Seneron / Parasites and Poets (2014)

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Heavy riffs, catchy choruses and tons of Rock N’ Roll straight from Northern Ireland.

Rating5

1. cd frontI’m almost sure you’ve never listened to any Heavy Metal or Hard Rock bands from Northern Ireland, except maybe for Alternative Metal band Therapy? if you’re one of those guys that love old and alternative stuff. Thus, in order to expand your heavy music boundaries, how about going to Derry (or Londonderry), the second-largest city in Northern Ireland, to enjoy the exciting Rock N’ Roll by Alternative Rock band Seneron and their debut album entitled Parasites and Poets?

This talented three-piece band united elements from some of their biggest influences, such as Foo Fighters, Nirvana and Green Day, with traditional Hard Rock and Rock N’ Roll, creating some cohesive and powerful music that will please all fans of heavy music without a shadow of a doubt. Are they the most creative band in the world? Of course not, but sometimes sticking to the foundations of heavy rock is all you need to generate entertaining stuff.

Parasites and Poets begins with the Rock N’ Roll vibe of Don’t Cave In, which by the way was the lead single chosen by the band to promote the new album. It was indeed the perfect choice, as fans of the heaviest stuff from Foo Fighters will love this due to its Hard Rock riffs and chorus, with its raw vocals adding a good kick not only to this song but to the whole album. Talk the Walk keeps up with its predecessor, offering the listener some heavy and rhythmic rock music, with the catchy chorus (“Stop stop stop the talking / Do the walking”) and the nice drumming by John Hamilton being its highlights, followed by the also interesting Breath, where you’ll find riffs inspired by modern Punk Rock music like The Offspring and Green Day. Despite being a lighter track that could easily become a radio hit, that doesn’t mean it lacks the energy expected in a Rock N’ Roll song.

seneronThe following track, Dig Deep, reminds me a lot of the music done by many excellent Southern Rock bands, with its direct and effective sonority (especially its heavy bass lines) turning it into one of the best songs of the entire album. Then we have What a Way to Go, which will inspire you for banging your head and having a beer (its  chorus doesn’t keep the momentum, though), and It All Ends Here, where the band focuses on a more traditional Rock N’ Roll, but it ends up not being as catchy as the other songs.

And the album ends with two more professional and enjoyable performances by Seneron: Freakshow has a very cohesive sonority, with highlights to its nice chorus; while Outbound offers us everything a good Hard Rock song needs, from heavy riffs mixed with slower melodic parts, to strong vocals lines. You can visit Seneron’s SoundCloud, BandCamp and ReverbNation pages for more information about the band and their high-end rock music. If you’re a fan of honest straightforward heavy rock, just go for it. You won’t be disappointed at all.

Best moments of the album: Don’t Cave In and Dig Deep.

Worst moments of the album: It All Ends Here.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Don’t Cave In 4:05
2. Talk the Walk 3:17
3. Breath 3:14
4. Dig Deep 3:27
5. What a Way to Go 3:27
6. It All Ends Here 4:23
7. Freakshow 3:13
8. Outbound 3:17

Band members
John Shields – vocals, guitars
Ivor Ferris – bass, vocals
John Hamilton – drums

Album Review – Iron Maiden / Powerslave (1984)

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Exactly 30 years ago, the world would witness the birth of the best Heavy Metal album of all time.

Rating1

Iron Maiden_PowerslaveRecorded from February to June 1984 at the famous Compass Point Studios in Nassau, Bahamas, and released on September 3, 1984, Powerslave is much more than just a milestone in the Heavy Metal universe. You can disagree with me and start all that blah blah blah about how this or that album from Black Sabbath or Metallica, or even another Iron Maiden album like The Number of the Beast, is better than Powerslave, but I’m sorry, nothing really compares to this album. Powerslave is by far the most complex, complete, exciting and powerful album of all time, and anything I say about it won’t be enough to describe this 50-minute Heavy Metal masterpiece’s grandiosity.

Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray and Nicko McBrain were at the peak of their musical creativity and inspiration, delivering their fans unique songs about the Ancient Egypt, the experiences of a sailor from a famous English poem, the pleasures and honor of a duel, an aircraft battle during the Battle of Britain, and more. All songs have wonderful instrumental parts, together with clever and meaningful lyrics, making them some of the most requested by all Maidenmaniacs around the globe for any live concerts, best of albums, top 100 Heavy Metal songs, weddings, birthday parties, Bar Mitzvahs, funerals, prom nights, or anywhere else good music can be played.

Well, the album kicks off with my favorite song of all time in any music genre, Aces High, which still gives me the chills every time I listen to it. “Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die / Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces High”, sings Bruce perfectly while Steve Harris “gallops” his bass like a wild beast. Not only that, you can feel the battle going on in the air with the lyrics, and the solos are among the best the band has ever produced thanks to majestic performances by Adrian and Dave. Do I need to say it sounds even more splendid live?

There’s no better way to continue the album than with another all-time classic, 2 Minutes to Midnight, a song that has an unparalleled starting riff that even a newborn baby can easily recognize, and amazing lyrics that make reference to the Doomsday Clock. Then comes Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra), one of the few instrumental songs the band has ever produced, with total highlight to the beautiful job done by Steve and Nicko. Flash of the Blade keeps the bar high with its outstanding riffs and speed, while The Duellists is in every fan’s dreams of seeing it being played live by the band in any of their world tours. This is another one of my top Maiden tracks of all time, especially due to its incredible rhythm led by Steve and Nicko. Iron Maiden even tried to replicate this type of sonority with more contemporary songs like “Fallen Angel” and “Montsegur”, but it seems the fans didn’t like the new songs that much. Then we have Back in the Village, another song with amazing riffs, although it’s considered the least favorite of the album by many fans.

Iron Maiden 1984The last part of the album is simply awesome: Powerslave is one of those cases of a song that should be turned into a movie due to its excellence in telling the Ancient Egyptian history during its 7 minutes of pure Heavy Metal. Its initial drums are superb, the lyrics are perfect, the chorus is wonderful (“Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave / I don’t wanna die, I’m a God, / Why can’t I live on?”), as well as every other part of the song. Seeing Maiden playing this song live is an unforgettable experience in the life of any person. And last but not least, we have another Heavy Metal masterpiece, the one and only Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Inspired by the amazing poem from British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge called “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”, this 13-minute song has one of the most elaborate lyrics in the world of music, different tempos, a beautiful narration in the middle taken directly from the original poem, and all musicians showing us why “Iron Maiden’s gonna get ya, no matter how far”. As I mentioned before, nothing I say will be enough to describe the magnitude of this song or the entire album.

“One after one by the star dogged moon,
too quick for groan or sigh
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang
and cursed me with his eye
Four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan),
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
they dropped down one by one.” 

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1772-1834)

Iron Maiden World Slavery Tour

World Slavery Tour 1984-1985

If you think that’s all, you’re completely wrong. Iron Maiden is not a regular band, as they add a lot more than just the music to their work. Powerslave follows its predecessors with another unmatched front cover showing the band’s most celebrated “member”, Eddie the Head, this time inspired by the Ancient Egypt and perfectly representing the content of the album, designed by master Derek Riggs. It’s impossible not to fall in love for it, don’t you agree? And if you get the 1995 reissue, you’ll also enjoy the songs from the bonus disc, especially their cool  version for Beckett’s Rainbow’s Gold.

Finally, right after the release of Powerslave the band went on their longest and most memorable tour of all, The World Slavery Tour, which began in Warsaw, Poland on August 9, 1984 and ended only in Irvine, U.S. on July 5, 1985 (187 shows in total), culminating with the launch of another masterpiece, the live album Live After Death. I have no idea of how many bands have been influenced by Powerslave or by Iron Maiden’s entire career, but I know that none has ever been able to deliver something so mighty and unique as Steve, Bruce & Co. did with Powerslave. UP THE IRONS!

Best moments of the album: Aces High, The Duellists, Powerslave and Rime of the Ancient Mariner.

Worst moments of the album: None. Powerslave is perfect.

Released in 1984 EMI

Track listing
1. Aces High 4:29
2. 2 Minutes to Midnight 6:00
3. Losfer Words (Big ‘Orra) (Instrumental) 4:13
4. Flash of the Blade 4:03
5. The Duellists 6:06
6. Back in the Village 5:03
7. Powerslave 7:12
8. Rime of the Ancient Mariner 13:42

1995 Reissue Bonus Disc
1. Rainbow’s Gold (Beckett cover) 4:57
2. Mission From ‘Arry 6:42
3. King of Twilight (Nektar cover) 4:53
4. The Number of the Beast (live) 4:57

Band members
Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
Dave Murray – guitar
Adrian Smith – guitar
Steve Harris – bass guitar
Nicko McBrain – drums

Metal Chick of the Month – Lisa Thompson & Jessica Marsden

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lisa_jess

Lisa and Jess, the “sweet poison” of Sovereign Council.

Although the music by Canadian Symphonic Metal band Sovereign Council is already professional and pleasant enough to draw the attention of any metalhead that loves listening to some good symphonic heavy music, two of their band members can be considered a huge plus to their live performances, especially to the eyes and hearts of all regular guys (and even some girls) attending the show. Given the fact that this session of the Headbanging Moose is called “Metal Chick of the Month”, I bet you have an idea of what I’m talking about. Thus, for the first time in this website we have not only one, but two metal chicks at the same time to our total delight: the beautiful singer Lisa Thompson, and the stunning keyboardist Jessica “Jess” Marsden.

I had the pleasure to see this Kingston-based band opening for German Power Metal icons Primal Fear in Toronto, in May this year, and I can say those girls are more than just pretty faces on the stage. They are truly talented musicians, which by the way is what really matters in the end, enhancing the overall performance of the band with their voices, instruments and moves. You can take a listen at their contribution to the musicality of Sovereign Council in their official ReverbNation and YouTube channels, but not before checking out the biographies below to know more interesting details about those two beauties.

LISA THOMPSON

lisa01Born and raised in Ottawa, the official capital of Canada, Lisa Thompson grew up surrounded by rock music, with her father being a musician playing lead electric guitar and organ in local rock bands.  Lisa always sang as a child and, at the age of 10, her parents decided to start her up in singing and piano lessons.  She trained for nine years vocally, two years piano and then became a vocal coach in 2003. Today she continues to coach full time from her studio in Ottawa and specializes in coaching recording artists, performing musicians and bands.

At the age of 16, Lisa was a hired as a vocalist for a local recording studio in Ottawa and had the opportunity to write a few songs of her own, which fueled her passion for song writing and studio work.  Lisa started performing in rock cover bands in 2003, and over the years she has performed solo, in cover bands, tribute bands, original bands, and has had three albums produced between two different original bands.

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Our gorgeous singer joined Sovereign Council in 2012 as the band’s female vocalist.  She wasn’t looking to join a metal band at the time, but after one listen through the material of New Reign she was hooked to their music, and it was a welcomed challenge for Lisa contributing and writing vocal harmonies for the band. Moreover, performing along with lead singer Alex MacWilliam has been a true partnership feeding off of each other’s performance and vocals, giving their audience a performance of emotions and theatrics.

In regards to her musical interests and influences while growing up, they consist of a wide variety of artists, including names such as Evanescence, Disturbed, Silverchair, Led Zepplin, Eva Cassidy and Holly McNarland, just to name a few. You can see by this list that our charming female singer’s taste for music goes beyond metal, appreciating any artist that brings forth some high-quality material, especially in terms of singing and lyrics.

“There’s no better feeling than performing! Hearing your audience cheer you on and singing along with you. It’s surreal.” – Lisa Thompson

JESSICA MARSDEN

jess01Born on January 15, 1991 in Burnley, a market town in Lancashire, England, located around 34km north of Manchester, keyboardist Jessica Marsden (or simply Jess) also has a longstanding relationship with music. Her parents encouraged her to follow that path from a very young age: Jess was given her first miniature keyboard when she was only three years old and her father, who had taken a few organ and cornet lessons when he was a child and was more musically inclined than the average person, would play quick little tunes on the little keyboard for her. She then listened to what her father was playing and started figuring out how to play the same thing immediately after. Needless to say, music lessons started up not too long after.

At the age of five, Jess began taking piano lessons. She was able to grasp the basic theory behind it all, but by no means did she enjoy it: all she wanted to do was play the songs that she had heard on the radio or on a CD that her parents listened to. That was “unacceptable”, and therefore she was pushed to read music she was given, but the problema is that she simply hated it. Jess spent a few more years with a different teacher, who trained her ear further and provided guitar and vocal lessons.

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When our gorgeous keyboardist hit her senior years in high school, she stopped taking lessons altogether and began to pursue her own musical endeavours. This was around the time when her music taste started to broaden significantly, when she was listening to everything, from Rachmaninoff to Killswitch Engage and, of course, she loved it all. After finishing high school and being involved in several musicals, concerts and competitions, Jess went off to the University of Ottawa, taking classes ranging from Music Studies to Behavioural Psychology. She finished two years of the program and ran out of money, and not too long after returning to Kingston to live with her family and work for a while, a coworker informed her of a local metal band that was looking for a keyboardist. That was when Alex MacWilliam introduced her to Sovereign Council, and she has been there ever since.

According to Jess herself, working with such hard-working and creative individuals like the other members of sovereign Council has really pushed her to play further and further outside of her old comfort zone. She was used to playing softer and more melancholy pieces, although she had always secretly wanted to express her inner beast through heavier music. With that said, can we call Jess the “Beauty and the Beast” of the band?

“With every show, I am able to completely let loose, let my inner passions (love, sorrow and rage) build up, and let it out, turning it into something beautiful and expressive. Hopefully, this is something that many people can relate to and appreciate through our music.” – Jessica Marsden

Sovereign Council’s Official Facebook page
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Album Review – SouLost / The Way I Feel Pt. 2 EP (2014)

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This promising new band from the UK brings forth a very melodic and captivating mix of Electronic and Hard Rock.

Rating5

SouLost-The-Way-I-Feel-Part-2After releasing their first EP in February 2014, entitled The Way I Feel Pt. 1 EP (which you can take a listen HERE), and featuring on the Best of British Unsigned playlist, leading to airplay in 16 countries over 88 radio stations, it’s time for British Electronic Rock band SouLost to take the next step in their promising career with the excellent The Way I Feel Pt. 2 EP.

Although at first glance it seems this is simply the second part of this London-based group’s February release, there are many noticeable differences between parts 1 and 2, starting by the fact that now what once was a three-piece became a quartet, with the addition of bassist Lux to the band. But even more significant than that is the evolution in the musicality by SouLost, moving from some basic Electronic Pop Rock to a full-bodied Melodic Speed Rock, which ends up expanding their music horizons and allowing them to be a lot more creative in their writing process.

SouLost_01Let’s say the only issue with the EP is that it’s too short, with only two original tracks and an acoustic version of one of the songs from the previous EP. However, there’s still a lot to enjoy in its almost 10 minutes, starting with Bring You Down, a great song that fluctuates between Alternative Rock, Hard Rock and heavier stuff as if Evanescence met Lacuna Coil, with the addition of some symphonic elements in order to make it more robust. Furthermore, the catchy chorus pushes the song a little further for becoming a radio hit, if the radio stations are OK with the mild coarse language found in its acid lyrics, of course.

Without Me showcases stronger synths and keyboards than the first track, flirting with Pop Rock and boosted by the excellent percussion by drummer Law, who doesn’t let the rhythm become stale, and the stunning Ceira stealing the show with her outstanding vocal performance. And last but not least, the acoustic version for the song Save Me is a lot more heartwarming than the original one (it was too electronic for me), with Ceira’s tender voice definitely being what makes it so delightful.

To sum up, SouLost excel in everything that’s needed in the showbiz, not only musically speaking but also in terms of their looks and attitude. For instance, the band’s logo is something you can visualize on the T-shirts of many rockers all over the world, don’t you agree? The Way I Feel Pt. 2 EP, which will soon be on sale at their official webstore as well as the previous EP and some cool merchandising, presents a more mature band heading into the right direction with their music. Moreover, you can also check their live performances especially if you’re in the UK, and hopefully really soon everywhere else in the world, and see with your own eyes an excellent band that will probably be part of the mainstream in a not-so-distant future.

Best moments of the album: Bring You Down.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2014 Independent

Track listing
1. Bring You Down 3:21
2. Without Me 3:23
3. Save Me (Acoustic) 2:52

Band members
Ceira Mahoney – vocals
Stef G – guitar, synths
Lux – bass
Law – drums, percussions

Album Review – Innsmouth / The Shadow Over Innsmouth (2014)

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A dark and deranging music voyage guided by the most technical Death Metal shredding one can imagine.

Rating5

4 panel.epsFrom the dark district of Thy, in the northern regions of Denmark, comes a band that truly enjoys the art of shredding from the bottom of their nebulous hearts. However, it’s not just virtuosity that’s found in their music, but also huge doses of violence and horror, turning their sonority into something at the same time very technical and disturbing, and consequently recommended for fans of, inter alia, Nile, Emperor, Death and Behemoth. This is what is offered to all of us in The Shadow Over Innsmouth, the debut album by Danish Technical Death Metal band Innsmouth.

To begin with, there would be no Innsmouth without guitarist and composer Thor Sejersen ‘Krieg’ Riis, the mastermind behind the band. This Danish Death Metal shredder seems to love shredding above all other things in life, with his guitar lines impacting the sound of all other instruments in the entire album. Moreover, the names of the band and the album were inspired by the horror novella The Shadow Over Innsmouth, from the iconic American author and poet H. P. Lovecraft, a man who completely revolutionized horror, gothic and dark fantasy literature, and who also influenced the music by lots of heavy music giants like Cradle of Filth, Metallica and Mercyful Fate.

If this is not enough to convince you of Innsmouth’s wickedness, simply hit play and you’ll be assaulted by the opening track, Vomiting A Hole In The Soul, which focus heavily on shredding blended with devilish vocals and some Thrash Metal elements, with highlights to its “smooth” lyrics (“Drown myself in alcohol / Bathe myself in bloody gore / I’m waking up next to my corpse”). If you like what you hear, continue to the following track, Dreams Of Slowly Drowning, with its eerie intro the likes of Cradle of Filth and a very similar sonority to the first song, but with more rhythmic breaks and vocals varying between deep guttural and a high-pitched demonic voice.

Ritual Of Chud might be the most Death Metal track of all, where the band provides the listener some nice guitar riffs plus a pleasant and groovy drumming, with more shredding in the background as a “support” to the whole song, while Under The Pyramids sounds like something the old Cannibal Corpse could have recorded, especially due to its strong guitar lines. Then we have the interesting Klaatu Verata Nicto, which if I’m not wrong are the spoken words required to retrieve the Necronomicon (if you do not speak the words “Klaatu Verata Nicto” before picking up the Necronomicon, there will be hell to pay), with its excellent guitar riffs and solos giving it a more traditional sonority, and the damn heavy Reanimator, with its outstanding bass lines and a more direct approach.

INNSMOUTH band photoLastly, The Colour Out Of Space is a movie-ish instrumental track mixed with some basic guitars and drums that works as an intro to the last song of the album, the atmospheric title-track The Shadow Over Innsmouth, in which the keyboards finally stand out among all the sonic violence created by the band, becoming the closest Inssmouth gets to traditional Black Metal and the most melodic of all tracks too.

In regards to the album art, everything including the logo and layout was created by Riaj Gragoth, complementing in a very entertaining way the message Innsmouth want to send with The Shadow Over Innsmouth, which will soon be available at the official Crime Records Webshop. And that message, ladies and gentleman, couldn’t be more demonic, unsettling and, of course, an excellent choice for the ones with a strong stomach and an utter passion for all things crafted for darkening our souls.

Best moments of the album: Vomiting A Hole In The Soul and Klaatu Verata Nicto.

Worst moments of the album: Under The Pyramids.

Released in 2014 Crime Records

Track listing
1. Vomiting A Hole In The Soul 4:41
2. Dreams Of Slowly Drowning 4:01
3. Ritual Of Chud 5:30
4. Under The Pyramids 3:53
5. Klaatu Verata Nicto 4:25
6. Reanimator 3:56
7. The Colour Out Of Space 2:44
8. The Shadow Over Innsmouth 3:43

Band members
Kim ‘Dvergur’ Brandhøj – vocals
Thor Sejersen ‘Krieg’ Riis – lead, rhythm and clean guitars, keyboard and drum programming
Martin Munch ‘Der Mönch’ Christensen – bass

Guest musicians
Nina Banke – female vocals on “Dreams Of Slowly Drowning”
Peter Dahlgaard Mark – keyboard programming
Asger Gammelgaard Nordbo – drum programming

Album Review – Swine Overlord / Parables of Umbral Transcendence (2014)

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Get ready for 40 minutes of sheer savagery with this Guttural Brutal Slamming Death Metal band from the United States.

Rating5

SwineOverlordcdcover000If you’re one of those people who feel something is not right if you suddenly start yawning while listening to a heavy music album, no matter which song is playing, consequently changing the music to something more berserk, then Parables of Umbral Transcendence, the debut album by American Guttural Brutal Slamming Death Metal band Swine Overlord might be exactly what you need to feed your inner beast, always eager for the meanest type of metal you can think of.

Formed in December 2011 under the name Malignant Abomination, what once started as a project quickly evolved to a more serious and professional band, changing the name to Hypoxic and then one last time to Swine Overlord. On Halloween of 2012, the band released their first EP entitled Anthologies of Abomination (re-released in 2013 by Gore House Productions), and now in 2014 they’re finally releasing a full-length album which overflows furious riffs, blasting beats and blood-curdling vocals, including special appearances by guitarist/vocalist Mike O’Hara (Splattered Entrails), vocalist Josh Smith (Gutfucked), Hunter Pate, and vocalist Richard “Yeti” Kirk (Abdicate).

Swine Overlord’s  bestial sonic assault starts with Celestial Purge, with its Cannibal Corpse-ish riffs and drums as fast as a machine gun, followed by the even more insane Transformation and Rebirth, where the guttural vocals reach some really deep notes. This song is pure slamming and as brutal as one can imagine, which makes me wonder how just three musicians can generate so much violence in such a short period of time. Although the instrumental track Convergence slows things down a bit, even with its strong bass lines, it ends up working more like an intro to the next song, Post-Burial Defloration, which “desperate” sonority will be too disturbing for people not used to this type of music. Moreover, pay attention to the excellent double bass by drummer Devin Alford and to the last part of the song, these details are both very important to its overall quality.

Falsum Messias keeps up with the sheer brutality by Swine Overlord with its more melodic guitar lines, becoming some pure headbanging after two minutes, while Bleeding the Sinful is indeed a great song for fans of brutal music, with its vocals sounding so vile and devilish sometimes it can be really disturbing for the faint of heart. That can also be said about Chunks, where the whole band keeps the energy bar high with another technical and brutal performance. How amazingly violent would this song sound during a live concert?

Swine O PicThe next part of the album is composed by the excellent Cadaveric Pantomime, a song full of fuckin’ awesome riffs by guitarist Will Peplinski, in which Swine Overlord managed to sound even heavier than all previous tracks; Umbral Transcendence, with its heavy bass intro and more of the band’s characteristic brutal drumming and vocals; and the nice rhythmic breaks in Dissiliency, with highlights to the awesome job done by drummer Devin Alford, giving the song a lot more intensity.

Lastly, those North American metallers still have fuel left for more insanity with the violent Porkchop, The Man-Butcher (an interesting name for a song, by the way), where riffs and vocals go along flawlessly, followed by the headbanging track Dismantling the Flesh Construct, and finally what can be considered the darkest song of the entire album, Seeds of a Treacherous Creation, where it’s very interesting to follow the fast drumming blended with more obscure passages, and once again terrific guttural vocals that sound like if singer Anthony Davis was possessed by a demon.

In summary, with Parables of Umbral Transcendence, which is available for purchase at the official Gore House Productions webshop and as a digital album at the Gore House Productions BandCamp page, Swine Overlord summarize everything one needs to know about cruelty and brutality in 40 minutes of very raw and technical Death Metal. Furthermore, if they keep loyal to their principles and maintain that level of quality in their ruthless musicality, we will surely start seeing those guys kicking ass in different cities, venues and festivals pretty soon, injecting some much needed violence to the music industry, especially to the boring and stale U.S. market.

Best moments of the album: Celestial Purge, Falsum Messias and Cadaveric Pantomime.

Worst moments of the album: Convergence and Umbral Transcendence.

Released in 2014 Gore House Productions

Track listing
1. Celestial Purge 3:22
2. Transformation and Rebirth 1:49
3. Convergence 1:41
4. Post-Burial Defloration 5:14
5. Falsum Messias 4:00
6. Bleeding the Sinful 4:11
7. Chunks 3:11
8. Cadaveric Pantomime 3:09
9. Umbral Transcendence 2:51
10. Dissiliency 3:34
11. Porkchop, The Man-Butcher 3:31
12. Dismantling the Flesh Construct 3:03
13. Seeds of a Treacherous Creation 2:42

Band members
Anthony Davis – vocals
Will Peplinski – guitars, bass
Devin Alford – vocals, drums

Album Review – Septekh / Plan for World Domination (2014)

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These Swedish metallers show us all how to dominate the world with violent and creative heavy music.

Rating4

SEPTEKH - Plan for World Domination cover artFrom the obscure island of Mörkö, Sweden, comes a band that plans to dominate the world with an awesome mix of Thrash, Death and Black Metal, Rock N’ Roll, and even Blues in their musicality. After two EP’s, entitled The Seth Avalanche (2012) and Apollonian Eyes (2013), the latter with the outstanding song (and video) “Burn It To The Ground”, it’s time for Swedish Death/Thrash metallers Septekh to release their first full-length album, the excellent Plan for World Domination.

Formed in 2008 in Stockholm, those Swedish guys are not only very technical in what they do, but there’s an extra dose of dark humor that ends up adding a lot of value to the music they play. I think it’s more than obvious that without humor no one can blend the brutality of Slayer with Motörhead and Blues music, and sing about death and depravity, without sounding cheap. I mean, you have to be completely arrogant and out of your mind if you think you can do Thrash Metal better than Slayer, don’t you agree? Fortunately, that’s not the case with Septekh, and what they offer us in this album is beyond enjoyable and fun, starting by the brilliant album art, featuring the big horse (also known as “Playmate of the Year – The Hippocalyptic Messenger”) by Swedish artist Richard Damm.

When you see such an amazing front cover like this one, you automatically know the content inside is going to be good, which is exactly what happens as soon as the band starts blasting everything on their way with the opening track, Into The Void Of My Mind, a frantic crossover of Thrash Metal from the 80’s and Death Metal, with riffs and guitar solo the likes of Anthrax or Exodus. The following track of the album, Going Down In Style, is some kind of “Blues Metal”, with highlight to the bass lines and the rhythmic drumming by Patrik Ström and Staffan Persson respectively and its fun lyrics about selling your soul to the devil  (“I’m going down in style / I got better things to do than survive / I’m going down in style / See I’ll be burning up and I’ll do it with a smile”), turning it into the best song of all; while Saving Graces goes back to a more direct Thrash Metal with some nuances of Punk Rock. In addition, it should work really well if included in their live performances due to its high level of energy.

In Neanderthal, which sounds like the band’s “tribute” to the unique Rock N’ Roll by Motörhead, Septekh present a faster and rawer side of their music, while in Don Asshole the band offers a more modern sonority focusing on heaviness instead of speed, with David Wikström doing an awesome job on the guitars. Then we have Left Handed Man, a very melodic and exciting tune that truly elevates the quality of the album with excellent vocal lines by Nils GRZNLS Meseke blending perfectly with the riffs, and the dark sonority of Black Shores, with its heavy bass intro and a huge dose of melancholy.

SEPTEKH band photoThe Man Who Died A Million Times can be summarized as two minutes of pure violence, or maybe as “the perfect soundtrack for some insane circle pits and furious headbanging”, but things get even better with Superheated Liquid Iron Core, another intense track with superb drumming and riffs that sound so much like 80’s Thrash Metal I can even visualize this song being recorded by Anthrax with Joey Belladonna on vocals.

The last part of the album starts with Eyes Of The Grave, with riffs that remind me of the early days of Slayer plus some very interesting lyrics (“There is no light / There is no youth / There are no eyes but the eyes of the grave”), followed by the fuckin’ heavy song Fuck Dollar, probably the weirdest track of all, sounding almost like traditional Black Metal in the end. And lastly, we have more traditional Thrash Metal with powerful riffs in Desdaemonia, and the 11-minute “epic” title-track Plan For World Domination, with so many different elements it gets hard to label this song. Let’s just say it’s a brutal music voyage, and that you will enjoy it for sure.

If you got hooked by Septekh’s crazy sonority and want to know more about the band, the best thing you can do is purchasing Plan for World Domination (available on the official Abyss Records store or for digital download on iTunes), because supporting this very creative Swedish band will at the same time keep the fire of metal alive and, even more important than that, help them in their amazing “plan” for dominating the entire world with fuckin’ heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Going Down In Style, Left Handed Man and Superheated Liquid Iron Core.

Worst moments of the album: Black Shores and Fuck Dollar.

Released in 2014 Studio 508 Productions / Abyss Records

Track listing
1. Into The Void Of My Mind 3:50
2. Going Down In Style 4:29
3. Saving Graces 4:28
4. Neanderthal 2:27
5. Don Asshole 4:53
6. Left Handed Man 5:05
7. Black Shores 4:33
8. The Man Who Died A Million Times 2:07
9. Superheated Liquid Iron Core 3:12
10. Eyes Of The Grave 3:54
11. Fuck Dollar 5:39
12. Desdaemonia 4:39
13. Plan For World Domination 10:58

Band members
Nils GRZNLS Meseke – vocals
David Wikström – guitars
Patrik Ström – bass
Staffan Persson – drums