Tag Archives: rock n’ roll

Album Review – Grenouer / Unwanted Today (2015)

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If alternative heavy music is your cup of tea, the new album by this talented and experienced Russian band might be exactly what you are looking for.

Rating4

5.Unwanted_Today.Album_coverUnwanted Today is more than just the eighth studio album by Russian Alternative Metal/Rock band Grenouer. Blending elements of traditional Heavy Metal and Alternative Rock and always evolving in a very similar way to what can be found in the music by renowned bands such as Sevendust, Velvet Revolver and Linkin Park, among others, the entire album is a very interesting expedition through the realms of alternative music and, according to the band members themselves, can be considered “a soundtrack to an epic story of loss, struggle, and resurgence.”

In case you have no idea of what that actually means, I suggest you take a good listen at Unwanted Today in its entirety, and not just at one or two songs, otherwise you won’t be able to absorb the full message delivered by this talented four-piece group from Saint Petersburg, Russia. Not only that, the music in the album is nicely complemented by guest contributions from Eddy Cavazza (John Wetton, Anthony Phillips), Demian Von Dunkelwald (Overunit Machine), Enrico ‘Erk’ Scutti (Figure Of Six) and Dmitriy Yankovskiy (Helicaon Opera), adding extra layers of vibrancy to the overall result.

The futuristic intro Awake already presents to the listener the avant-garde side of the band, but it’s when the heavy riffs and keyboards from Alternative Metal from the title-track Unwanted Today kick in that you’ll get a much better taste of what Grenouer have to offer. In addition, lead singer Andrey Ind has a smooth and melancholic voice that matches perfectly with the band’s musicality. It’s a very good song for driving on an endless road, just like A Little Too Obsessed, which presents a stronger Hard Rock vibe the likes of Velvet Revolver thanks to the job done by guitarist Alexander Motor. In my opinion, this is what Linkin Park could have been doing if they hadn’t chosen the more “commercial” path of the music industry.

The following track, Something Really Bad, is another radio-ready tune where the band delivers a pleasant and very cohesive sonority with its Rock N’ Roll riffs enhanced by its Alternative Rock drums and vocals, while the slower and more introspective On A Rainy Day sounds tailored for a relaxing moment alone. Blossoms In The Dust, a semi-ballad where the low-tuned bass lines by Al Bolo keep it away from being commercial due to their strength, follows a similar pattern as the previous track, with highlights to Andrey and Alexander for being in total sync. And “closing” the first half of the album we have I Can’t Stand It, where Grenouer travel back to an Alternative Metal musicality, in special its heavier riffs and atmospheric passages with the vocals by Andrey being boosted by the background effects. Besides, its straightforward lyrics truly help the song become more enjoyable.

3.Grenouer.Photo.AIn Daily Miracles, which even has a headbanging feeling despite not being pure metal music, they combine elements from bands like Korn, Linkin Park and Sevendust, with Al Bolo once again kicks ass on bass, whereas Going To Stay is even heavier and therefore more inclined to Heavy Metal. It’s my favorite song of the entire album, with guest guitarist Eddy Cavazza enhancing its energy level and its chorus being extremely effective and catchy. Point Of No Return, another introspective song totally focused on its vocals lines, kind of disappoints a little not for being a bad song ( it delivers what it proposes), but for coming right after the most exciting tune of all. Maybe if it had been placed before “Going To Stay” it would have sounded a lot better, who knows, at least to my ears.

The electricity is back in Artificial Tears, a great display of Alternative Rock with a metallic energy flowing and the constant beats by Danny D leading the song, before Don’t Let Them (Get You Down) shows us all Grenouer know how to go from low and heavy music to gentler passages, displaying a high level of professionalism that proves why they’ve been in action since the 90’s. And to properly wrap up this alternative “soundtrack” they offer us the outro Clearway, which showcases an impeccable connection with how everything started in “Awake”.

You can get more information on Grenouer at their Facebook page and YouTube channel, and also get your copy of Unwanted Today at the Mausoleum Records webstore or at the band’s BandCamp page. If you’re a fan of well-crafted alternative heavy music, this entertaining album by this skillful band from Russia might be exactly what you’re looking for to add to your playlist.

Best moments of the album: Unwanted Today, A Little Too Obsessed and Going To Stay.

Worst moments of the album: Point Of No Return.

Released in 2015 Mausoleum Records

Track listing
1. Awake 1:01
2. Unwanted Today 3:17
3. A Little Too Obsessed 3:37
4. Something Really Bad 3:25
5. On A Rainy Day 2:46
6. Blossoms In The Dust 3:27
7. I Can’t Stand It 3:14
8. Daily Miracles 3:27
9. Going To Stay 2:57
10. Point Of No Return 3:25
11. Artificial Tears 3:10
12. Don’t Let Them (Get You Down) 3:44
13. Clearway 1:47

Band members
Andrey Ind – vocals
Alexander Motor – guitars
Al Bolo – bass
Danny D – drums 

Guest musicians
Eddy Cavazza – lead guitar on “Going To Stay” and keyboards on “Clearway”
Demian Von Dunkelwald – guest vocals
Enrico ‘Erk’ Scutti – guest vocals
Dmitriy Yankovskiy – guest vocals

Album Review – Broken Rain / Here Comes The Pain (2015)

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Here come Broken Rain and their feast of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.

Rating4

here comes the painWhat originally started as a cover band in 2006, playing classics from behemoths such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, has finally evolved into a much more compelling and original act who, above all things, remained loyal and true to the roots of Heavy Metal, their strongest passion in life and the essence of their powerful music. I’m talking about Slovakian Heavy Metal band Broken Rain and their debut full-length album, the ass-kicking metal extravaganza Here Comes The Pain.

After releasing a demo in 2009, which included some cover songs and three original tunes, and after sharing the stage with several metal bands in Europe in the past few years, including opening for British legends Uriah Heep in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia in October 2011, the band formed by Martin Rybár (lead vocals), Filip Prašovský (guitars, backing vocals), Vladislav Gális (bass, backing vocals), Imrich Šimig (keyboards, guitars) and Branislav Končír (drums) is more than ready to rock with their debut album. Combining the foundations of Hard Rock and Heavy Metal with elements of modern metal genres, Here Comes The Pain will guide you on a pleasant heavy music journey that will remind you why you became a metalhead many years ago, making you bang your head, raise the horns and sing together with the band.

With its spooky intro with wolves, wind, screams and so on, the opening track Burn The Witch takes the listener to the amazing kingdom of heavy music from the 70’s and 80’s, sounding like a tribute to Helloween, Deep Purple, Axel Rudi Pell and many other metal giants, especially due to the awesome riffs by Filip. It’s a very exciting tune with a simple and catchy chorus, and I don’t need to say the lyrics talk about how witches are mesmerizing and drag us to the dark side, right? In Seize The Fire, Martin delivers some solid Power Metal vocal lines inspired by the unique voice of Michael Kiske while Imrich enhances the overall musicality with his keyboards, followed by Forgotten Heroes and its true fighting vibe and rhythm. The lyrics are an ode to all our heroes in life (“In the night dark and cold / It was a sight to behold / When the final battle came / They were covered in blood / Lost in the enemy flood / But they still felt no pain”), with the final guitar solo by Filip truly representing what those words are saying.

There’s no way you will not enjoy Wanna Love My Girl, an awesome 70’s rock ballad with resonant keyboard notes, where Martin puts his heart and soul into singing it and deserves our recognition for such a good performance, as well as the Hard Rock party Burning Eyes, where once again the combination of riffs, keyboards and beats works really well. In addition, you will love how the music “rises” until its sing-along chorus (“Burning eyes / When you look in the mirror / And feel like you’re gonna cry / Just set the light / As it comes through the window / The chance is zero / But it may happen tonight”). Not only the title-track Here Comes The Pain focuses on traditional Heavy Metal with more modern elements such as harsher backing vocals, but it’s also time for drummer Branislav to have a whole lot of fun due to its faster rhythm, followed by the pure Heavy Metal found in So Far Away: inspired by the unparalleled music by Iron Maiden and Helloween, this song showcases great performances by Martin and Branislav, with highlights to the thunderous bass lines by Vladislav. Every single time I listen to a song like this I remember why I love metal music so much.

Broken Rain_Photo by Marius Sachtikus PhotographyWhen Broken Rain blend the metallic sounding by Judas Priest with the groovy music by Deep Purple in some sort of tribute to the power of Rock N’ Roll music, the result is I Want To Play Rock, where although the whole band seems very cohesive and energized, it’s Imrich who ends up stealing the show with his keyboards. The following track, Tonight, is a semi-ballad that sounds like it was recorded for a cigarette TV commercial, reminding me of the best tunes by Van Halen with Sammy Haggar on vocals, while Prisoners In The Wasteland is another fun and direct song full of energy, keeping the album at a high level even after “so many” songs.

Finally, Martin relies on some high-pitched screams to kick off Strong, an average song which is a little below the rest of the album in terms of quality (but that should sound better if played in front of a live audience), before the album closes with the self-titled bonus Broken Rain, and let me tell you this is an incredible Rock N’ Roll tune with a killer performance by Imrich. This song can be played on any rock n’ roll radio station in the world without a shadow of a doubt, and people will just love it.

In order to feel more of the high-quality sonic “pain” inflicted by Broken Rain, go check their Twitter account and their Bandzone.cz page, listen to a nice preview of Here Comes The Pain at their SoundCloud page, and obviously purchase the album  (available as a CD or a digital download) at their official webstore. If you are a heavy music lover, make yourself ready because here come Broken Rain and their feast of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock.

Best moments of the album: Burn The Witch, Wanna Love My Girl, So Far Away and Broken Rain.

Worst moments of the album: Seize The Fire and Strong.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Burn The Witch 5:24
2. Seize The Fire 5:14
3. Forgotten Heroes 5:51
4. Wanna Love My Girl 5:18
5. Burning Eyes 5:48
6. Here Comes The Pain 5:29
7. So Far Away 4:33
8. I Want To Play Rock 3:48
9. Tonight 4:50
10. Prisoners In The Wasteland 5:05
11. Strong 4:22

Bonus track
12.Broken Rain 3:34

Band members
Martin Rybár – lead vocals
Filip Prašovský – guitars, backing vocals
Vladislav Gális – bass, backing vocals
Imrich Šimig – keyboards, guitars
Branislav Končír – drums

Concert Review – Volbeat (General Motors Centre, Oshawa, ON, 05/12/2015)

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Awesome bands playing awesome music don’t always translate into an awesome experience.

OPENING ACTS: Crobot and Anthrax

volbeat_na2015I have to start this review by grunting some really unpleasant words about the whole organization of what was supposed to be a great event at the General Motors Centre in Oshawa, Ontario on the night of May 12. First of all, whoever thought Oshawa was a better city for Volbeat and Anthrax to play instead of Toronto made a huge mistake, and I’m not complaining about the distance to Oshawa, as a 1 or 2-hour drive is nothing to worry about. The huge issue was the lack of information and the complete nonsense regarding the sales of the general admission (floor) tickets. I swear to Ronnie James Dio that I tried to purchase those tickets a hundred times online and all I could get were some stupid seats far from the stage. I thought it was going to be a sold out event because of that, but guess what? The floor was not even half full, nor were the seats closer to the stage, which makes me wonder if scalpers had all the remaining tickets for the floor area, or if the venue system is a lame piece of garbage worse than Windows Millenium Edition.

Not only that, the price for the floor or the seats was the exact same shit, so why couldn’t they allow some people that wanted to access the floor area (who most probably had the same issue I had buying their tickets) to actually change their seats for the floor if the price was not a single penny off? That also caused lots of minor incidents between fans and the organization, some even involving physical interactions. Well, that’s what happens when amateurs avid for some easy money try to organize a mini-festival that shouldn’t be held at a venue like that. Shame on you, whoever had the “brilliant” idea of taking such awesome bands as Volbeat and Anthrax to a shithole like that, weakening the performance of the bands to the point it looked like a lackluster and uninspired concert.

The guys in charge of opening the night were American Rock band CROBOT, from Pottsville, Pennsylvania. I’ll be honest with you, this is definitely not my type of music, but the band tried as much as they could to stimulate a very passive crowd, especially the nonstop frontman Brandon Yeagley and the “crazy-frog-legs” bassist Jake Figueroa. If you love Psychedelic Rock, go after their music: they’re very talented musicians who have the energy of the 70’s ingrown inside their spirit and are more than capable of delivering that energy through each of their songs.

Setlist
1. The Legend of the Spaceborne Killer
2. Skull of Geronimo
3. Night of the Sacrifice
4. La Mano de Lucifer
5. Nowhere To Hide
6. The Necromancer
7. Chupacabra
8. Fly on the Wall

Band members
Brandon Yeagley – lead vocals, harmonica
|Bishop – guitar, vocals
Jake Figueroa – bass
Paul Figueroa – drums

IMG_0280When you see a guy with a huge Anthax tattoo on his arm AND wearing an Anthrax T-shirt watching an ANTHRAX concert so passively, barely moving to the point I almost called the paramedics to check if he was still breathing, you know there’s something very wrong going on. The “humongous” space between my seat and the front one was killing me, as well as the somnolence of one of the worst crowds I’ve ever seen in my life. However, even with all those issues, Anthrax kicked ass once again, of course, thanks to their flawlessly executed frantic Thrash Metal. I just wish I could be together with some real fans who were having a good time when they were caught in the rare but exciting mosh pits on the floor area. Well, if people are capable of standing still while Joey, Scott & Co. play masterpieces like Caught in a Mosh, Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t and the best song of the night in my opinion, the heavy and furious I Am the Law, they should rethink paying 50 bucks for a ticket and almost 9 bucks for a beer. Damn, and people keep complaining they do not have money. Stay home and watch a DVD, right?

Setlist
1. Worship
2. Caught in a Mosh
3. Got the Time (Joe Jackson cover)
4. Madhouse
5. Antisocial (Trust cover)
6. Fight ‘Em ‘Til You Can’t
7. Soror Irrumator
8. Hymn 1
9. In the End

Encore:
10. I Am the Law
11. Indians

Band members
Joey Belladonna – lead vocals
Jonathan Donais – lead guitar
Scott Ian – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Frank Bello – bass guitar, backing vocals
Charlie Benante – drums, percussion

VOLBEAT

IMG_0300Every single word used above for describing the Anthrax concert can be replicated to Danish Heavy/Hard Rock band VOLBEAT. I cannot believe I witnessed one of the best heavy bands of the modern era playing tons of awesome songs to a crowd that looked like they were at the funeral of their grandmothers. Except for random groups and couples that were truly enjoying the electrifying music by Volbeat, the rest of the “fans” were falling asleep and some even left the venue BEFORE the band played half of their setlist. Again, I don’t care it was on a Tuesday night and you had to work on the next morning, why don’t you just save some money and stay home watching a DVD if you thought it was getting late? At least I was able to move to a better location, as more than half of the seats were empty just like the floor area, and could stand up and dance with my lady to classic such as A New Day, Danny & Lucy (11 pm), Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood and The Mirror and the Ripper.

IMG_0304The badass kids that went on stage during 16 Dollars and banged their heads like most adults at the venue couldn’t do were a breath of fresh air amidst the audience’s stagnant attitude, but the incidents during one of my top Volbeat songs, The Garden’s Tale, with a woman having to be carried out of the arena due to her stupid behaviour (including hitting the poor security guys many times), could pretty much summarized my feeling during the entire night. Not even when Volbeat played part of a brand new still-nameless song of their upcoming new album, which by the way sounded superb, the fans reacted properly. I guess even the band felt the same way, with Michael Poulsen and Rob Caggiano making a lot of mistakes during many songs like if they were “who cares, this audience is shit anyway.”

When Volbeat returns to Canada, let’s pray to the Metal Gods that they come to Toronto instead of Oshawa, and to a much better venue with a professional organization, so that I can purchase my floor tickets and really feel the heat of the music by those rockers. Sorry, Oshawa people, nothing against you. The problem is that you had your chance to show those amazing bands you’re worth their visit, but you screw it up pretty bad. Next time, come to Toronto and you’ll see how you should behave when Anthrax and Volbeat are kicking ass on stage.

Setlist
1. Hallelujah Goat
2. A New Day
3. Dead but Rising
4. Lola Montez
5. Danny & Lucy (11 pm)
6. Sad Man’s Tongue
7. The Nameless One
8. Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood
9. Ecotone
10. The Human Instrument
11. The Garden’s Tale
12. Heaven nor Hell / A Warrior’s Call
13. Doc Holliday
14. The Mirror and the Ripper
15. 16 Dollars

Encore:
16. Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza
17. The Hangman’s Body Count
18. The Lonesome Rider
19. Fallen
20. Still Counting

Band members
Michael Poulsen – vocals, guitar
Rob Caggiano – guitar
Anders Kjølholm – bass
Jon Larsen – drums

Album Review – Rockstar Frame / Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia (2015)

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This distinguished Italian mafia is here to stay with only one objective in mind: spreading their rousing Rock N’ Roll music all over the world.

Rating4

RSF_RNR MafiaInspired by the rock music his family played him while he was in a coma after falling from a cliff years ago, which by the way he believes helped bring him back, drummer Max Klein formed Rock N’ Roll/Hard Rock band Rockastar Frame in 2012 in Milan, Italy. Now, after many live performances and after winning several contests such as the national Rock on the Road in 2014, the band is ready to spread their electrifying music all across the world with their debut album, the excellent Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia.

Obviously, that wouldn’t have been possible without all the talent, hard work and passion for music that have accompanied each band member for years. For instance, frontwoman Faith Blurry recorded vocals for her first commercial on Italian TV when she was only 6; keyboardist Ace Wave holds a summa cum laude degree in classical piano from the Academy of Music, where bassist Andy Di Bella is also finishing up his electric bass studies; and band founder Max and guitarist Morris Steel have been professional session musicians for the past ten years. In other words, all that energy and willpower translates into pure top-notch Rock N’ Roll.

Do you want to know why Rock N’ Roll with piano and keyboards sounds so cool? The opening track, entitled Guilt, has the answer to that question. This is radio material, as catchy as it can be, with the rocking vocals by the red-haired diva Faith matching perfectly with the band’s music. She’s Hot also has all the ingredients to become another instant radio hit, sounding even more powerful than the opening track. Moreover, Ace and Max keep delivering some exciting notes and solos while Faith is totally on fire, and what to say about the song’s chorus? It’s undisputed sexy rock music.

After that kick-ass old school Rock N’ Roll start, the band shows their Alternative Rock side in Addictions, full of background effects and a more atmospheric rhythm thanks to the job done by Ace on keyboards, but quickly returning to their roots in the title-track Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia. Of course it’s not Deep Purple per se, and it’s not the band’s intention to be so, but this song has a strong Purple-ish vein that makes it truly gripping. It’s not only fast and groovy, but there’s also so much adrenaline in it I believe there might even be some mosh pits when this song is played live. In Song for You, it’s time to slow down and enjoy a nice Rock N’ Roll and Hard Rock ballad where Faith has another beautiful performance while Ace oce again nails it with his piano notes, followed by the heaviest of all songs, This Burning Song, a Hard Rock tune with stronger riffs. It’s a good example of how their “catchy-chorus machine” doesn’t seem to stop for a single second, being highly recommended for fans of straightforward rock music.

RSFWith hints of Blues and its provocative lyrics, the awesome tune Poison has the perfect name and rhythm to qualify it as a hot strip-tease theme, while Cherry Boobs might not be a bad song, but it’s below average, getting a little repetitive after a while. It’s still enjoyable and a good option for a TV ad that needs some rock music, though. The next track, Lie, which is also closer to Alternative Rock than old school Hard Rock, has a very cohesive and creative instrumental with the final guitar solo by Morris being really good, but unfortunately the same can’t be said about Years Gone,  a generic rock semi-ballad that’s too commercial (even if that’s what the band wanted with this song). It doesn’t really harm the overall quality of the album, but it’s just unnecessary filler in my opinion.

That minor “incident” is followed by a sequence of outstanding songs that put the album back on track, starting with RSF (the acronym for Rockstar Frame), a heavy tune with a nice melody and a crucial punch to make it stand out among so many good rock songs in the album. Then we have second song with elements found in the music by Deep Purple (especially in regards to the keyboards), I Don’t Give a Fuck, a very soulful song which old school lyrics fit Faith’s voice nicely; Twisted Double Nature, a modern rock music song that focuses on the passionate vocals by Faith, which ends up enhancing its final result; and finally the last regular track of the album, a fantastic piano ballad entitled Fairytale, where Faith steals the show with her strong but smooth voice. Besides, its lyrics go really well with the music, with kudos to Ace for another amazing performance on keyboards. And if you think 14 hymns of pure rock music are not enough, there’s also an excellent bonus track called Limitless for Life, strongly influenced by 80’s and 90’s Hard Rock.

I personally prefer the first half of the album as I’m more of a metalhead than a rocker, but it’s undeniable that the music by this one-of-a-kind Italian mafia is way above your average rock music (well, the album art says it all). You can check more of their music at their SoundCloud page, give a shout to them on their official Twitter, and of course purchase Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia at the Musicarchy Media webstore. If you feel you’re ready to join the Rockstar Frame mafia, don’t think twice and succumb to their action-packed rock music. You’re going to love it.

Best moments of the album: Guilt, She’s Hot, Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia, Poison and Fairytale.

Worst moments of the album: Cherry Boobs and Years Gone.

Released in 2015 Musicarchy Media

Track listing
1. Guilt 3:20
2. She’s Hot 3:24
3. Addictions 3:46
4. Rock ‘N’ Roll Mafia 3:52
5. Song for You 4:22
6. This Burning Song 3:22
7. Poison 3:26
8. Cherry Boobs 3:42
9. Lie 3:49
10. Years Gone 4:08
11. RSF 3:54
12. I Don’t Give a Fuck 3:34
13. Twisted Double Nature 4:03
14. Fairytale 3:22

Bonus track
15. Limitless for Life 4:16

Band members
Faith Blurry – vocals
Morris Steel – guitars
Andy Di Bella – bass
Ace Wave – keyboards
Max Klein – drums

Album Review – Faith No More / Sol Invictus (2015)

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It might have taken 18 long years for Mr. Mike Patton and his demented squad to release a new album, but the result is so good it was definitely worth the wait.

Rating4

FNM_frontAt long last, after 18 fuckin’ excruciating years, the demented squad composed by the gentlemen Mike Patton, Jon Hudson, Billy Gould, Roddy Bottum and Mike Bordin, “usually” known as American Alternative Metal/Rock band Faith No More, is back with another freakish experiment entitled Sol Invictus (Latin for “Unconquered Sun”), the seventh studio album in their revolutionary career. Without Faith No More there wouldn’t be Alternative Metal, Funk Metal, Nu Metal, Grunge, contemporary Hard Rock, and so on. And if you think what I’m saying is bullshit, how about what Corey Taylor, frontman of the biggest Alternative Metal group in the world, Slipknot, said after seeing Mike Patton and his crew performing the all-time classic “Epic” at the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards? “I was mesmerized by that. I never felt a moment like that until that moment. It completely turned me around.”, stated the iconic #8.

Perhaps the greatest question in everyone’s minds, after knowing the band was officially getting out of their state of “creative hibernation”, was that if they were going to be capable of releasing something as amazing as their previous albums, especially the masterpieces The Real Thing (1989), Angel Dust (1992) and King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime (1995). Well, although Sol Invictus doesn’t have any “A Small Victory”, “The Gentle Art of Making Enemies” or “Digging the Grave” among its songs, it’s still a well-set album with lots of thrilling moments, showcasing a band that doesn’t seem to have been on hiatus (not including their sporadic live performances and tours along all those 18 years) since their previous release, the also spectacular Album of the Year, from 1997.

The title-track, Sol Invictus, is just as weird as the album artwork, which means it’s perfect for opening their live performances. It’s short and melancholic, just like they’ve mastered doing through the years, and we all have to agree that with that piano intro and those whispering vocals you know somehow it’s Faith No More even if you’ve never heard anything about the band in your entire life. The same can be said about the awesome Superhero, a very melodic and alternative tune with interesting keyboard notes by Roddy Bottum, where after only two seconds you know it’s pure Faith No More. I guess there’s no need to mention how incredible Mr. Patton’s crazy screams and vocals are, but it’s valid to mention that the lyrics beautifully follow that vocal craziness (“Like an American drug / Makes a mean cock grow / …kill a priest / Makes a superman of glass”).

The next track, Sunny Side Up, sounds a lot like many songs from Album of the Year, with a stylish blend of Jazz, Blues, Rock N’ Roll and everything else. In other words, fans of the band will enjoy it for sure, while others will probably ask themselves “what the fuck is this?” Even if you don’t understand that song really well, you’ll relish Separation Anxiety and its stronger Rock N’ Roll vein. Mike Patton once again steals the show with his wicked voice and proves why he’s among the best and most versatile singers in the world. The only setback in this exciting tune is the drumming: I was expecting more from Mike Bordin, despite him doing a relatively decent job throughout the whole song.

FNMThe dark intro in Cone of Shame corroborates they really enjoy sounding bizarre, with its last part getting a lot more vibrant and intense, while Rise of the Fall offers the listener some elements from Reggae music and more audible guitar lines, as well as more rhythmic beats. Moreover, the crazy screams by Mike Patton end up adding a lot of electricity to a song that’s below average for a band like Faith No More. Following the lowest point of the album we have Black Friday, a song purely inspired by 80’s classic rock music which despite its lack of creativity has a good blend of semi-acoustic parts and heavier riffs and screams.

And just when you think Faith No More cannot get weirder, they come up with the stupendous Motherfucker, another perfect choice for opening their live concerts, where the focus is obviously on Mike Patton’s vocal lines and the song’s eerie lyrics (“Get the motherfucker on the phone, the phone…”), also including the best guitar solo of the entire album. Not only that, I doubt you won’t be singing this song everywhere, even at work with your boss by your side. Unless you don’t know shit about the band, you probably know how much they love songs with Portuguese or Spanish names (and sometimes lyrics), but unfortunately the boring Matador doesn’t get close at all to the marvelous classic “Caralho Voador”, for example. It’s just an average song with nothing new or outstanding, except for the strong bass lines by Billy Gould. And sounding like a B-side from King for a Day… Fool for a Lifetime, From the Dead gives a melancholic ending to Sol Invictus with the band’s trademark. It’s a good listen if you’re at home or in your car, but definitely not recommended for their live performances.

I wish there were a few more guitar solos by Jon Hudson and some faster beats by Mike Bordin in this or that song, as Sol Invictus sounds too calm for me in many of its moments, but at least we can loosen up knowing Faith No More are not “dinosaurs”. They are a more-than-alive group that still got it in them, and from now on (well, they’ve been doing this already) there are even more outstanding tunes in their lunatic arsenal to be masterfully played during their live concerts all around the world. And we’re all very thankful to the unparalleled Mr. Patton and his fellow mates for that, even if it took so many years for them to return.

Best moments of the album: Superhero, Separation Anxiety and Motherfucker.

Worst moments of the album: Rise of the Fall and Matador.

Released in 2015 Reclamation Records

Track listing
1. Sol Invictus 2:37
2. Superhero 5:15
3. Sunny Side Up 2:59
4. Separation Anxiety 3:44
5. Cone of Shame 4:40
6. Rise of the Fall 4:09
7. Black Friday 3:19
8. Motherfucker 3:33
9. Matador 6:08
10. From the Dead 3:06

Band members
Mike Patton – vocals
Jon Hudson – guitar
Billy Gould – bass guitar
Roddy Bottum – keyboards, vocals
Mike Bordin – drums

Album Review – Ovenizer / SWM (2015)

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A melodic and psychedelic journey through the realms of Death, Doom and Post-Metal by a weird and extremely competent band from Finland.

Rating5

Cover (front)There’s no specific meaning for the word “ovenizer” if you look it up in any dictionary, not even the informal ones, and trying to find an explanation to the music by Finnish band Ovenizer is also a tall order. If you don’t believe it can be that hard to label the music by a band, simply take a listen to SWM, the brand new album by this power trio from Tampere, Finland, and you’ll see why there are so many things in our world that are better off unknown or at least non-stereotyped.

Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s not fun to listen to the music by Ovenizer and perceive all the nuances from all types of rock and heavy music found in the album. According to the band members themselves, their style is “somewhat Doom-ish Post-Metal, with some Death Metal vibes on to it”. Whatever that’s supposed to mean, Ovenizer indeed deliver a very cohesive and creative Melodic Post-Metal music with huge doses of Doom Metal and psychedelia, making the final result very difficult to understand but at the same time very pleasant.

That musical fusion becomes already evident in the opening track, kindly entitled Standing On the Shoulders of Giant, where the listener is invited to a world full of Doom Metal riffs and beats with a strong 70’s Rock N’ Roll influence, with its rhythm being perfect for live performances. In addition to that, lead singer and guitarist Kvist does an excellent job on vocals, ranging from deep guttural to harsh rock music lines. And things get even more unusual in Satan’s Washing Machine, with its interesting psychedelic start before the heavy stuff comes bashing. You’ll find lots of elements from Folk Metal in this song, which is kind of expected from a Scandinavian band, and despite its “evil” name there’s so much melancholy in it I’m pretty sure it will sadden your heart a bit. Naturally, in order to properly complement this great tune there’s a simple but excellent chorus, and pay attention to the official video for this song where drummer Feather seems to be having a great time while smashing his drums on fire.

Promo pic 1S&M does not only sound like pungent North American Stoner Metal, but Ovenizer truly show us how to create the darkest imaginable atmosphere with acoustic passages and desperate screams, with the last part of the song offering the listener more of the band’s Doom side with highlights to the low-tuned riffs by Kvist. In the following tune, Paddling In the Sky, the band invites us to join them in a somber tribal journey, as if they want us all to go dance in the sky with them. Its rumbling riffs and pounding drums will rise some good evil inside you, right before it turns into some sort of Death/Black Metal feast, including some crazy blast beats to make things even better. With a strong Melodic Death Metal vibe, S.I.B. (Standard Issue Breathing) is a lot more instrumental than atmospheric, making it a good choice for their setlists, while Incubatory is exactly what you get when Ovenizer unite their doom-ish side with the melody and harmony found in classic rock. Furthermore, the bass lines by Phinx get richer and more vibrant, and pay attention to the fact that Kvist’s vocals are closer to Death Metal than to what the music itself proposes, creating an interesting paradox.

The last two ditties in SWM are Watch, with a sorrowful intro that grows until it becomes a great mix of Doom and Progressive Rock, with its lyrics translating the sadness of the song into words, and finally Don’t Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing, which albeit having a curious name it’s somehow true. It’s yet another interesting Doom Metal track about how regretful our lives can be, with its second part representing a man’s mental breakdown or maybe his downfall into madness.

In case you enjoyed the challenge of trying to label the weird music by Ovenizer, please go check their official YouTube channel and also go buy their music at their BandCamp page or at the Record Shop X webstore. As mentioned before, it’s an interesting melodic and psychedelic Death Doom Stoner Post-Metal extravaganza directly from the land of ice and snow, or anything else you want it to be.

Best moments of the album: Satan’s Washing Machine, Paddling In the Sky and Don’t Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing.

Worst moments of the album: Watch.

Released in 2015 Norwegian Pope Records

Track listing
1. Standing On the Shoulders of Giant 3:04
2. Satan’s Washing Machine 4:18
3. S&M 4:34
4. Paddling In the Sky 5:16
5. S.I.B. (Standard Issue Breathing) 3:22
6. Incubatory 3:28
7. Watch 3:38
8. Don’t Trust Me, I Know What I’m Doing 4:05

Band members
Kvist – guitar, vocals
Phinx – bass, backing vocals
Feather – drums, backing vocals

Album Review – Chip DiMonick / Uncaged EP (2015)

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1

Everybody break out and raise your fists and glasses to this electrifying mix of Hard Rock and Punk Metal.

Rating4

ChipDiMonick-Uncaged-CoverI’ve been receiving some feedback on the material added to The Headbanging Moose, saying this webzine is getting too “evil” with all the Death and Black Metal bands recently reviewed. As this is a very democratic webzine (and to avoid becoming “The Demonic Moose”), it’s time to soothe the mood a little with the top-notch Hard Rock by Pittsburgh-based band Chip DiMonick and their brand new party-all-the-time EP entitled Uncaged, the fifth release in their career. However, that doesn’t mean things are not going to get loud or nasty, so you better be ready to break out and enjoy the music by Chip Dimonick and his notorious crew.

Formed in 2005 and being voted “Best Punk Band” in the Iron City Rocks Pittsburgh Music Awards for the past three consecutive years, this Pennsylvanian quartet is back with two new members (DJ Carothers on lead guitar and Gregg Livengood on drums) and, of course, more of their Hard Rock/Punk Metal music, offering us all catchy tunes talking about love, hate and revenge, among other bitter topics. “Uncaged is all about breaking down the barriers that restrict who you are, whether imposed by yourself, society, or whomever”, said Chip DiMonick, founder of the band.

From the very first notes of the title-track, Uncaged, you can already get a sense of how interesting the mix of Hard Rock and Punk Rock in their music is. It’s gripping “pub” music, perfect to be played on any radio station, where Chip commands the festivities with the song’s sing-along chorus (“Hey, tonight we’re uncaged / You can’t hold us down / Hey, forever uncaged / Everybody break out”) while the rest of the band delivers solid Rock N’ Roll lines. And they keep rolling on with You Ain’t Punk, a message to their haters due to their aforementioned awards as “Best Punk Band” in Pittsburgh (“You ain’t punk, you ain’t punk, I bet you never saw the Misfits once…”). Talking about the music itself, it sounds like if Green Day (especially the riffs found in the classic “Welcome to Paradise”) met Motley Crüe: they managed to stay heavy even adding that specific Punk Rock sounding we’re used to listen on the radio, leaning towards fresh and exciting Punk Metal with highlights to the strong bass lines by Joe P.

ChipDiMonickPressPhotoThe band gets heavier and slower in That’s How Much I Hate You, a pure Rock N’ Roll tune thanks to DJ Carothers for his awesome guitar riffs and solo which would definitely be an excellent song for a strip-tease, despite its acid lyrics. Actually, I guess the lyrics would also be perfect for that special “presentation”, don’t you agree? Anyway, the following track, Lightning Bolt, is a smooth Hard Rock ballad that seems to have been crafted in the 80’s or 90’s so classic it is, with the great vocal performance by Chip adding the emotion the song demands. Girls will fall in love for this ballad, no doubt about that.

The last two songs in Uncaged are just as good and catchy as everything else, starting with Hand Grenade (check out the acoustic version HERE), another incredible radio-ready tune where all band members are throwing their “hand grenades” in the form of fast and heavy riffs in total sync with the drums by Gregg, boosted by huge doses of energy. Let me say that the fact it’s the heaviest of all songs has nothing to do with it being my favorite of all tracks. Or maybe yes? Well, the last track of all, Dig Deep, is yet again a melodic display of pure Hard Rock enhanced by hints of Rap Metal. And how not to feel inspired by these simple but very effective lyrics (“You gotta dig deep, you gotta have faith / Put all those doubts right in their place / When you’re dead and gone, you can finally sleep / But you’re alive right now so you gotta dig deep”)?

In a nutshell, pick any song from Uncaged, play it on the radio and you have an instant hit. As simple as that. And if you like what you see, go check their official Facebook page and also grab your copy of Uncaged on CD Baby, Amazon or iTunes. Let’s break out and raise our fists and glasses to the heartening music by this awesome American band.

Best moments of the album: Uncaged and Hand Grenade.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2015 Independent

Track listing
1. Uncaged 4:09
2. You Ain’t Punk 3:47
3. That’s How Much I Hate You 4:02
4. Lightning Bolt 3:39
5. Hand Grenade 3:04
6. Dig Deep 3:01

Band members
Chip DiMonick – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards
Joe P. – bass, backing vocals
DJ Carothers – lead guitar
Gregg Livengood – drums

Album Review – Scorpions / Return to Forever (2015)

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3

This rock may be rolling home after so many years of good service, but it still has A LOT to teach the world on how to make true Hard Rock.

Rating2

scorpions_return to forever50 years ago, in Germany, Rudolf Schenker, only 16 years old, decided to follow any school boy’s dream and formed a Rock N’ Roll band, the Scorpions. Schenker, alongside his band mates, put together awesome melodies and great lyrics, added a bunch of exciting backing vocals, touching powerful ballads, crazy guitar solos that made everyone want to be a rock star, and the formula for perfect Hard Rock was created. It turns out that half a century later, this magic formula still works and Scorpions are still one of the most important names of all times in Rock N’ Roll history.

Since Scorpions were formed, countless musicians have joined and left the band, but for the past 11 years the group has a strong line-up with Rudolf on lead guitar; Klaus Meine – who joined the band in 1969 and recorded every Scorpions’ album – on lead vocals; Matthias Jabs on rhythm guitar; James Kottak on drums; and Paweł Mąciwoda on bass guitar. In 2010, the band released Sting in the Tail, which was announced supposedly as the last album of their career. And we are glad they have changed their minds. In 2011 they were back to the studio to work on new material, and although 2014 was not an easy year for the band, with the arrest and period of rehab of Kottak, they rejoined forces to finish the album and the result is Return to Forever, a masterclass on how Hard Rock is supposed to be, released this year to mark the band’s 50th anniversary.

The album is available as a standard album, limited deluxe CD which contains four bonus songs, iTunes version with the same songs as the limited deluxe edition plus the song “Delirious”, double heavyweight vinyl and a limited edition collector’s box set. According to the band, the songs were written between the early 1980’s and 2014 and we can notice the changes and evolution of the musicality through the tracks. The album starts in a very thrilling way: the first song, Going On With A Bang, has a lot of influences of Blues but with a lot of Rock N’ Roll, and is one of the newest songs written for this album; then comes We Built This House, the first single for this album (check the video below). This song is very meaningful and tells the story of Scorpions, the ups and downs and everything they have learned along the way. This song is really touching and beautiful and has those classical backing vocals known on Scorpions work that make all of us, in the audience of their concerts, to sing it out loud together. Rock My Car is a very exciting song: written many years ago, it talks about driving fast on the famous German Autobahn highways. And this song carries all that high-speed feeling, with a breathtaking solo.

House Of Cards, the first ballad of the album, is very deep, exploring different levels of love, until it turns into hate and fades away. All For One is all about friendship and complicity the musicians find in each other to keep the band going on. The beginning of the next song, Rock ‘N’ Roll Band, sounds just like “I Can”, an old song by their German fellows of Helloween, but then the song gets its own shape and turns into a real Rock N’ Roll anthem. Klaus Meine wrote this song in the 1980’s and found the inspiration after visiting some clubs on Sunset Boulevard, in Los Angeles, so you can imagine the environment of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll he found back then.

Catch Your Luck And Play was originally written for the 1988 album Savage Amusement. Rudolf Schenker wrote a new chorus to this nice song, the kind all fans enjoy singing together with the band while clapping their hands tirelessly. Then we have Rollin’ Home, one of the best songs of the album, with great performances by all musicians – it is amazing to notice, for example, that after so many years Klaus’ voice has not changed a tone. But what is intriguing in this song is the message contained in it. It sounds like a good-bye, especially on the chorus (“Here we go! / This rock in rollin’ home”) that, again, has an amazing work on backing vocals. Hard Rockin’ The Place is another good example of Hard Rock, with an amazing riff.

scorpionsLight up your lighters, or your cell phones, because Eye Of The Storm is the perfect song for that and to calm down a little bit before more of their fast Rock N’ Roll. It was supposed to be released in Humanity: Hour I (2007), but did not fit to the album. It has a beautiful solo, maybe the strongest of this album. The Scracth sounds like those old Rock N’ Roll songs from the 1950’s – the highlights here are definitely the drums and the bass that bring a very unique groove to the song. Gypsy Life is a ballad like no other band can do, only Scorpions. It closes the standard version of the album in a very nice way and, again, reflects Scorpions’ life style, living year after year on the road.

For those who got the deluxe or iTunes versions, there are still some bonus tracks. The first is The World We Used To Know, which somehow does not fit well to the rest of the album, although it has good lyrics and backing vocals, but, not such a strong work on guitars. Dancing With The Moonlight, on the other hand, puts everybody to dance. When The Truth Is A Lie has great acoustic guitars alongside the electric guitars, and this combination gives a calm element but still keeps the song quite heavy. Who We Are basically puts together acoustic guitars, Klaus’ amazing voice and stunning backing vocals, and the result is another very deep ballad with the band’s trademark. Delirious closes the iTunes version in a great manner: another song wtih those riffs only a band like Scorpions can do.

It is quite easy to imagine most of those songs being played live and driving the crowd crazy. Is this the very last Scorpions album? We cannot tell. If so, we know we have in our hands a very intimate album, that take us closer to the lives of those iconic musicians. If not, and we hope it is not, we know we still have a lot to learn with those veterans of Rock N’ Roll. One thing we know for sure: they did their job very well throughout the years, leaving their names carved forever in the world of music.

Best moments of the album: Going Out With A Bang, We Built This House, Rock N’ Roll Band, Rollin’ Home and Gypsy Life.

Worst moments of the album: The World We Used to Know.

Released in 2015 Sony Music

Track listing
1. Going Out With A Bang 3:47
2. We Built This House 3:53
3. Rock My Car 3:20
4. House Of Cards 5:05
5. All For One 2:58
6. Rock ‘N’ Roll Band 3:54
7. Catch Your Luck And Play 3:33
8. Rollin’ Home 4:03
9. Hard Rockin’ The Place 4:06
10. Eye Of The Storm 4:27
11. The Scratch 3:41
12. Gypsy Life 4:51

Limited Edition/iTunes bonus tracks
13. The World We Used To Know 3:51
14. Dancing With The Moonlight 3:42
15. When The Truth Is A Lie 4:27
16. Who We Are 2:33

iTunes exclusive bonus track
17. Delirious 2:58

Band members
Klaus Meine – lead vocals
Matthias Jabs – lead guitars, rhythm guitars, acoustic guitars
Rudolf Schenker – rhythm guitars,lead guitars, backing vocals
Paweł Mąciwoda – bass guitar
James Kottak – drums, backing vocals

Album Review – The Agonist / Eye of Providence (2015)

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5

Veni, Vidi, Vicky.

Rating3

the agonist_eye of providenceAfter a really long and disquieting wait, and obviously after one of the most impactful changes in their entire career, Canadian Melodic Death Metal/Metalcore icons The Agonist finally return with a brand new album, the highly anticipated Eye of Providence, their fourth full-length studio album and, more important than that, the first with the stunning Vicky Psarakis on vocals. But were they able to deliver something as remarkable as their previous releases? Well, not only they nailed it, but Vicky also proves why she was the perfect choice to be the new frontwoman of one of the most influential bands in the recent history of Canadian metal.

With songs revolving around technology and how it affects modern society, as well as some other intimate topics, the whole album has a pleasant and smooth flow that allows the listener to thoroughly sense an interesting interconnection between all songs and, even more important than that, focusing less on melodic metal music and more on raw contemporary Heavy Metal and Rock N’ Roll than their previous albums. In addition, maybe due to the release of the album being delayed for a few months (it was originally scheduled to be released mid-2014), the band added a few extra songs to it, resulting in expressive 13 songs and over 58 minutes of music, around ten seconds longer than Prisoners, from 2012.

If you’re a longtime fan of this Montreal-based band and keep updated with everything they do you already know the opening track, Gates of Horn and Ivory, and you also know how awesome Vicky sounds. Besides, this song has extremely catchy lyrics that will stick deep in your mind for a long time (“With fire at my back / I will tame the waters / I will learn to swim / Fear is not my master”). Would that be a message from Vicky to the world, telling how she’s dauntlessly braving the rough waters of The Agonist? In My Witness, Your Victim, which by the way has a really entertaining and kind of disturbing official video, Vicky’s clean vocals are very solid and match perfectly with the music while her growls give it a fair dose of violence, with the final result sounding robust and gripping.

the agonistHow did they manage to blend Swedish Melodic Death Metal with North American Metalcore so beautifully like in the awesome Danse Macabre? Danny Marino and Pascal “Paco” Jobin deliver some thrilling guitar lines while Simon McKay keeps his beats totally in sync with them, and of course, Vicky’s vocals full of passion and feeling are outstanding in this song. I Endeavor reminds me a little of their classic song “Business Suits and Combat Boots”, especially its drumming and vocal lines, with highlights to the soulful guitar solo at the end of it; while Faceless Messenger is maybe one of their most “European” songs in terms of melody, and I would love to see them playing this song live. Vicky does such an amazing job during this track, ranging from light and smooth vocals to the harsh screams of an evil entity, it doesn’t even sound it’s the same person singing.

Although Perpetual Notion has a promising start, where an acoustic intro suddenly turns into melancholic and violent metal, the rest of it is nothing special, lacking more creativity and depth; while A Necessary Evil is an incredible display of “old school” The Agonist (well, not that old) with a very intense and solid sounding. The whole band is on fire during the entire song, with Simon and Vicky being the sergeants leading the squad. Then we have Architects Hallucinate, which sounds like filler compared to the others despite not being a bad song, and the mighty Disconnect Me, one of the fastest and heaviest of all tracks. It’s Metalcore at its finest, boosted by its futuristic lyrics (“Initiate the procedure to transform my body / Into a greater form to serve your gain / Access the brain to eliminate / The source that constrains us to be humane”) and some great riffs provided by Danny and Paco, while Vicky delivers the goods once again with a brilliant vocal performance.

But The Agonist are not finished yet, as there’s a lot more to come in Eye of Providence:  in The Perfect Embodiment we can see how wide Vicky’s vocal range is, convincing me (and probably all listeners) she can sing pretty much anything she wants to. In addition, it’s interesting to notice how the guitar lines seem to mimic Vicky’s vocals and vice-versa so connected they are. If A Gentle Disease gives us all a chance to see the band in an acoustic version, with Vicky using all the finesse in her clean vocals to help it become a true love ballad, the fiery Follow the Crossed Line, a song full of melody, rhythmic breaks and effective guitar solos, showcases some Black Metal-ish growls by Vicky, adding even more obscurity to it. And lastly, we can savour almost eight minutes of pure professionalism and emotion in As Above, So Below, with highlights to the passionate performance by Vicky who relies almost 100% on her clean vocals to give more life to the song.

I believe you’ll agree with me when I say the album art expresses everything the music in Eye of Providence is: futuristic, aggressive, organic and distressing, which is exactly what we all want to hear from a band so captivating as The Agonist. In regards to the length of the album, I’m more than happy with the fact there’s a lot of The Agonist in all shapes and sizes for us to absorb and enjoy in the following months and years in Eye of Providence until they release a new album again. And at long last, Danny might still be the one to lead the band’s musicality with his passionate guitar lines, but as already mentioned we must admit Vicky is the breath of fresh air the band needed so much. If I was asked to summarize her overall performance in just a couple of words, I would adapt the famous phrase used by Roman general Julius Caesar to inform the Senate of his victory in his war against Pharnaces II of Pontus at the Battle of Zela around 46 BC: “Veni, Vidi, Vicky”.

Best moments of the album: Gates of Horn and Ivory, Danse Macabre, A Necessary Evil and Disconnect Me.

Worst moments of the album: Perpetual Notion and Architects Hallucinate.

Released in 2015 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Gates of Horn and Ivory 3:25
2. My Witness, Your Victim 4:47
3. Danse Macabre 4:01
4. I Endeavor 4:08
5. Faceless Messenger 5:00
6. Perpetual Notion 4:34
7. A Necessary Evil 3:44
8. Architects Hallucinate 4:30
9. Disconnect Me 3:32
10. The Perfect Embodiment 5:13
11. A Gentle Disease 3:45
12. Follow the Crossed Line 4:11
13. As Above, So Below 7:57

Band members
Vicky Psarakis – vocals
Danny Marino – guitar
Pascal “Paco” Jobin – guitar
Chris Kells – bass
Simon McKay – drums

Album Review – Profane And The Sacred / Chapter 1 : A Long Time Coming (2015)

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1

The first chapter in the career of this British Stoner Metal band is more than promising: it’s a lesson in heavy and gripping music.

Rating3

p&s_08After listening to Chapter 1 : A Long Time Coming, the debut studio album by British Stoner Rock/Metal band Profane And The Sacred, there was only one question that came across my mind: how not to bang my head while enjoying a cold beer to the music triggered by those guys? Seriously, they’re not kidding when they describe their sound as “hard heavy gigantic grooves”, and they will certainly make you feel all that energy flowing through your ears directly into your body and soul with this album.

Formed in 2010 and based in London, UK, Profane And The Sacred were capable of combining the best you can find in bands such as Down, Crowbar, Black Sabbath, Karma to Burn and many other distinguished Rock N’ Roll groups in a compelling and robust way. As you will notice, all songs surpass the 5-minute barrier, but that doesn’t mean they’re too progressive, tedious or anything like that. Quite the contrary, each and every song has tons of interesting elements to offer the listener, strengthened by huge doses of professionalism and feeling, and therefore keeping you hooked on Chapter 1 : A Long Time Coming from start to finish.

In the opening track, Bench, we are already able to experience a puissant Stoner Rock atmosphere brought forth by the dark riffs by lead singer/guitarist Luke Alleeson and guitarist Rick Spooner, with highlights to the beautiful guitar solos at the end of the song. However, do not go too crazy with this excellent tune and save some of your energy for what’s about to come: Bleed That Stone is not only a lot more metallic than its predecessor (thanks in part to the intense beats by drummer Kieran Smith), with its last minute or so sounding like a “tribute” to Down and Crowbar so good it is, but also Luke’s voice fits the musicality flawlessly while bassist Rob Taylor smashes his four-string weapon, making the song even tougher and more enjoyable.

Photo 06-10-2014 19 18 51Moreover, if there’s one thing this band knows how to do is filling every single second of their music with solidity and depth. For instance, You Know adventures into even more Crowbar-ish lines, with Luke declaiming the song’s “cute” lyrics while the other band members keep kickin’ ass with their more-than-ruthless Sludge Metal; whereas Weather The Storm focuses on 100% old school Stoner Rock, with kudos to Rob for his melodic and soulful bass solo. An even higher level of dynamism is found in the amazing From The Top, the first single of the album, which is basically what all of us want to hear in Stoner Metal: badass drumming and low-tuned riffs accompanied by realistic and introspective lyrics.

Then we have All For None, which showcases another great performance by Rob and Kieran and some interesting shifts from faster beats to a much slower and sludgier rhythm (and vice-versa) without sounding mechanic or disconnected at all, followed by another good tune entitled Just A Little, where Luke complements the song’s vile riffs, breaks and variations with his unique vocal lines. Finally, one of the best tracks of the entire album, Words, which flirts with more traditional Heavy Metal, is so extraordinary I bet you’ll start air mimicking either the riffs, drums or at least start singing the lyrics with them. It’s a spectacular Rock N’ Roll/Stoner Metal anthem, with the fine tuning of both guitars being beyond splendid. There’s also a smooth instrumental track to close the album, A New Leaf, which invites you to close your eyes and relax to the sound of its acoustic guitars, as simple as that.

You can find more information about Profane And The Sacred on their official Facebook page, YouTube and Instagram, as well as purchase their music on Amazon, iTunes and Cargo Records. Chapter 1 : A Long Time Coming is an invaluable lesson in Stoner Metal, so to speak, and I cannot wait for more of their gripping music in a near future (maybe a “chapter 2” album) to make my beer even more delightful.

Best moments of the album: Bleed That Stone, From The Top and Words.

Worst moments of the album: A New Leaf.

Released in 2015 Cargo Records

Track listing
1. Bench 8:13
2. Bleed That Stone 5:42
3. You Know 7:24
4. Weather The Storm 7:25
5. From The Top 5:01
6. All For None 5:39
7. Just A Little 6:57
8. Words 7:24
9. A New Leaf 5:31

Band members
Luke Alleeson – vocals, guitars
Rick Spooner – guitars
Rob Taylor – bass guitar
Kieran Smith – drums