ALBUM REVIEW: MOTORHEAD - UNDER COVER

MOTORHEAD
UNDER COVER
Silver Lining Music
Hard Rock, Speed Metal, NWOBHM.
Listening Format: CD



One criticism that is often thrown Motorhead's way is that all their albums sound exactly the same... Well not this time! I mean it does still have that unmistakable Motorhead sound, production style, and Lemmy's iconic vocals, but it is very refreshing to hear them take on some different sounds and styles to the norm. This compilation collects covers that have mostly appeared elsewhere in their discogaphy, so die hard fans might not have any surprises in store. Most of the tracks have been recorded after the 2000s, but 'Sympathy For the Devil', and a cover of Bowie's 'Heroes' come from the final recording sessions in 2015 before Lemmy's sad passing.

Motorhead are honouring their heroes and influences here, covering artists such as Sex Pistols, Rainbow, Rolling Stones, Ted Nugent, Ramones and more. Compared to the classic 70s Motorhead sound, things are a lot more laid back on this album. That raging, noisy blur of speed that makes iconic tracks like 'Ace of Spades' or 'Motorhead' isn't quite heard on here. 'Cat Scratch Fever' and 'Rockaway Beach' are surprisingly tame for Motorhead. Even when they tackle some of the faster songs like 'God Save the Queen', they don't manage to match the ferocity of The Sex Pistols original. 'Heroes' is an intriguing rendition, almost going for this stadium rock sound, but there is something absolutely wonderful about hearing Lemmy taking on Bowie. On 'Starstruck', Lemmy must have realised that his vocal range isn't anywhere near capable of matching Ronnie James Dio's voice, so Biff Byford from their fellow peers Saxon takes on the high notes on this one. They really stumble through this track, but in a very entertaining way. Metallica have often praised Motorhead as a big influence and even released the 'Motorheadache' EP covering their songs, so it is ace that Motorhead came full circle, covering 'Whiplash' by Metallica, and this is one of the better cuts on the album too.

This Motorhead covers album is kind of like watching the film Birdemic. It's so bad that it's good! None of these covers manage to outdo the originals, but it is so fascinating to hear them Motorheadize some classic Rock songs! 'Under Cover' is kind of terrible, yet utterly enjoyable! 6/10.

ALBUM REVIEW: MELVINS - A WALK WITH LOVE & DEATH

MELVINS
A WALK WITH LOVE & DEATH
Ipecac Recordings.
Doom Metal, Sludge Metal, Hard Rock, Sound Collage, Original Score.
Listening Format: Digital.











Melvins have been incredibly prolific in the last few years. Two albums in 2013 (one was a cover album), two albums in 2014 (one was King Buzzo's solo album), two albums in 2016... Offshoot project Crystal Fairy have already released a quality album earlier this year too! At this point, Melvins announcing a double album seems like some kind of threat! 'A Walk With Love & Death' very much presents both sides of the Melvins coin in one release. The 'Death' disc is that classic Melvin's Sludge Rock sound. Whilst the 'Love' disc is a return to the experimental side of Melvins that made 'Electroretard' and collaborated with Lustmord. Truly a release for the die hard Melvins connoisseur!


DEATH

It's probably safe to say that Melvins have softened up their sound a little bit this decade *takes cover from a pelting of rotten fruit*. But seriously, Melvins' recent output has been closer to a Hard Rock sound, even if there are still some classy doomy riffs on show. King Buzzo hasn't quite given us a ferocious scream or a haggard, crushing deathblow of a riff that abuses stereo speakers lately, such as displayed on their seminal 1993 album 'Houdini'. But what Melvins' have done well is to keep releasing interesting stuff. Their run of albums on Ipecac hasn't always been gold, but have been full of varying sounds, line-up changes and lots of collaborative efforts. Considering they are releasing material at a yearly rate, their creative flow certainly hasn't diminished.

The 'Death' disc of this double album is such a fun and breezy listen. I wouldn't quite consider it Metal, although stand out 'Euthanasia' has a slow and heavy riff that could slay a woolly mammoth. Sounding like classic 90s Melvins (this song has been knocking around live sets for a long time now). But most of this album is much more in the Rock terrirory. Standout track 'Sober-dellic' has a Blues Rock stomp to it that seems to be challenging 70s ZZ-Top. Lead single 'What's Wrong With You?' beautifully channels their 90s Grunge/Sub Pop roots. This track sounds like the Beach Boys, Nirvana and Bubblegum Pop all mixed into a blender. The vocal harmonies sound so immediate and ear grabbing on this track. The vocal harmonies shine really well on the crunchy riff rocker 'Flaming Creature' too, another huge track. Ultimately the 'Death' disc is just so much fun. Melvins' have been trying to create more immediate, catchy and fun songs for a few years now and it sounds like they are getting better and better at it. They still totally inject them with that Melvins quirk and sense of humour. 


LOVE

On the tails side of the coin we have the 'Love' disc. It's been a while since the more controversial and experimental side of Melvins has been let loose but here we have it. 'Love' is an original score for a short film directed by Jesse Nieminen, also called A Walk With Love & Death. I've not seen the film yet, but judging from the score I imagine it to be a very surreal, arty collage film perhaps? The 'Love' disc is not a film score in the traditional sense. It is basically a series of noisy sound collages with field recordings, spoken word samples (presumably from the film) and little to no structure. Each track noodles about seemingly randomly, with the occasional pulsing electronics, banging drums, scatty guitars. All the tracks here sound like they are completely improvised in the studio and sound very lo-fi and barely mixed or mastered. It definitely harkens back to their 1994 sound collage album 'Prick'. 

I honestly really struggled to sit through this disc. It just... It's not good. The sound of Melvins messing around with instruments in their rehearsal room with no rhyme or reason might appeal to a small quota of Noise fans or Melvins die hards, but in reality, this is not enjoyable to listen to. It sounds like the band churned it out in an afternoon and barely looked back on it. It also has absolutely no connection to the impressive 'Death' disc in terms of sound, style or thematic content. I did not take away anything memorable or enjoyable from this disc, and I quickly want to forget I ever heard it.


CONCLUSION

These two albums really deserved to be released separately because they don't have any logical connection to each other. 'Death' is one of the best Melvins releases of this decade, and 'Love' might be the worst thing they have ever put out. If 'Love' had just been billed as a "bonus disc" I could have let it slide. But this package is not only being marketed as a double album, but priced as such too. And sadly, as much as I enjoyed the 'Death' disc, it isn't worth shelling out that extra buck (although the album packaging is superb). The 'Love' disc is something you will not want to listen to more than once... Ever! I'm going to leave this at a 6/10 (but in reality think of it as an 8/10 & a 2/10)

*Note: At least it lives up to the title. Feels like they got the 'Love' & 'Death' titles the wrong way around though?

ALBUM REVIEW: CKY - THE PHOENIX

CKY
THE PHOENIX
e-one Music.
Alternative Metal, Alternative Rock.
Listening Format: CD & Digital













If you are like me and you were a teenager at the start of the 2000s then you will probably have a soft spot for CKY. Back then, MTV was still worth watching, extreme sports were cooler than a good meme, and the show Jackass was must watch television. So those who enjoyed watching men eating their own puke and falling off skateboards will undoubtedly hold CKY's first two albums dearly. Even to this day, 'Volume 1' and 'Infiltrate. Destroy. Rebuild.' are brilliant staple-pieces of American early 00s Alternative Rock/Metal. I can still look back fondly with rose-tinted glasses on songs as classy as '96 Quite Bitter Beings', 'Sara's Mask', 'Disengage the Simulator', 'Flesh Into Gear' and 'Escape From Hellview', and think back to where the most stressful time in my life was cringing as the Jackass crew hurt themselves for my viewing pleasure. 

For some reason though, by the time CKY's 2005 album 'An Answer Can Be Found' rolled along, my music and viewing pleasures had changed drastically. This and their subsequent album (2009's 'Carver City') didn't even enter my radar. Even at the time I don't remember hearing one song from them or being aware of their existence. Just as the interest in Jackass declined by the end of the decade, so did the interest in anything resembling Nu-Metal. Things are different in 2017 though. Nostalgia is a powerful entity. It's a year where the SNES is available on shelves again, there is a new Blade Runner, Star Wars AND Alien film... Even fucking Jumanji is getting a reboot! FUCKING JUMANJI!!! So you know, might as well give the new CKY album a listen. WHY THE FUCK NOT!?

It's worth noting that band founder, lead vocalist and contributing songwriter Deron Miller has left the band. Chad Ginsburg has not only stepped in to take over lead vocals but also produced the album... And OH...DEAR...LORD. I'm not even kidding, his vocal performance on this album sounds like your mate who always drinks way too much, stumbles about, slurs all his words and eventually collapses in front of the toilet. Deron Miller had a pretty versatile voice that was able to do awesome shouty vocals, as well as clean vocals that had a strong sense of melodicism. He would also use the dynamics of his voice to bring shades of dark and light to their songs. Well all that has gone out of the window. Chad Ginsburg is not cut out for the lead vocal role. His voice is incredibly one dimensional, and his deep, low pitched drawl seems to awkwardly try and tackle a higher range that just sounds like nails on a chalkboard. He flat out murders all of the songs here. His voice just seems to keep warbling uncontrollably, like he was genuinely hammered in that recording booth. But it would be unfair to single out his vocals, as the entire remnants of CKY really seem to struggle all over this record.

The best example is heard in the lead single, 'Days of Self Destruction'. It actually kicks off with a decent riff that sounds reminiscent of vintage CKY, but about 10 seconds in it is ruined by Chad's awful vocal. The song stumbles through a generic verse/chorus/verse phase and then in a spot where Deron Miller would probably have added an interesting change in gear, instead the band close off the song with A MINUTE AND A HALF of obnoxious guitar soloing. I'm not even kidding it feels like it is the first time CKY have ever attempted to play guitar solos! In the music video, Mastodon's Brent Hinds even appears to be teaching the band members how to play, which is an amusing touch. The truth is, this entire album is absolutely littered with these eyebrow raising guitar solos that serve no purpose other than to pad out a lack of song structure and ideas. 'Days of Self Destruction' ends as the title brilliantly prophesizes, with a wankfest of completely unmemorable, passionless and horribly mixed guitar dross until the song ends on an awkward fade out, like the sound engineer had said 'Nope... Not on my watch!" Seriously, this isn't a Frank Zappa album, this isn't an Yngwie Malmsteen album... What were you thinking??? 'Head For a Breakdown' is also plagued with horribly mixed and flat sounding guitar licks and solos when Ginsburg isn't barfing over the track, piercing the brain with their horribleness. Even the guitars sound like they are vomiting... Perhaps even worse is there are some Poppier numbers on this album that actually sound like they are trying to sound like Fall Out Boy... Recent Fall Out Boy (which is far worse). Opening track 'Replaceable' has this awful upbeat dance friendly stomp that just does not fit the CKY sound at all.

'The Phoenix' has 8 songs and only lasts 30 minutes, and manages to say absolutely nothing worthwhile in the process. Generic riffs, awful vocals, and some of the worst excuses for guitar solos I have ever heard. The songs lack any dynamics or strong hooks. Most of the choruses just end up repeating whatever the title is over and over. The mix is horrible, with the lead guitar lines in particular having this really piercing tone that claws at the inside of my ears, and the vocals are completely the opposite pitch to the guitars, often sounding off key, sloppy and unintelligible. There is such a consistent lack of spark or imagination across this whole album, that I don't even know why they bothered to go and record these songs in the first place. Awful attempts at Pop crossovers, half assed performances, songs only memorable for how laughably moronic they are... I feel like Deron Miller must have got the last laugh, because he successfully managed to escape from hellview before the bomb dropped! You know when you look at an album's track titles and it seems to be telling the story for you... 'Replaceable', 'Days of Self Destruction', 'Head For a Breakdown', 'Wiping Off the Dead'... Yeah... It will take something really special to prevent this from being the worst album of 2017. Maybe I'll go check out that new Linkin Park album everyone is raving about... 2/10.

ALBUM REVIEW: CIRCLE - TERMINAL

CIRCLE
TERMINAL
Southern Lord.
Progressive Rock, Psychedelia, Krautrock.
Listening Format: Digital















Usually I like to research an artist before I review them, or I will already have a clear understanding of an artist's back catalogue beforehand, but I'm making an exception for Circle. I was recently recommended them with only the description of "Finnish madness", and it was enough to raise my intrigue. This new record also happens to be released on the highly reputable Southern Lord label, so I knew I had to give it a spin. It turns out that Circle have been going since the early 90s and have put out well over 20 albums on various obscure labels, all of varying styles and subgenres. So even if I wanted to research their back catalogue in preparation for this review, I wouldn't have time or even know where to start!

Upon diving into 'Terminal', I was grabbed by them immediately. They kick off with the longest track on the album that has a bit of a jam band feel to it. Circle burst into life with a fantastic opening riff, with a Garage Rock guitar feel. There is plenty of fuzz and distortion, delivering a crunchy guitar sound. Their vocalist soon kicks in, unleashing a truly animalistic roar that really took me off guard. But Circle are always mixing up their vocal styles, with strange operatic vocals emerging halfway through the song, sounding somewhere between Iron Maiden and Magma! There are also these strange whispering and chanting vocals that add a creepy feel reminiscent of Goblin's 'Suspiria' theme. The track as a whole has a very 70s feel to it, with plenty of guitar and keyboard noodling sections, but the proggy track is held together well with an eerie atmosphere and off kilter twists and turns. The title track is another huge standout, propelling the band into a much more minimalist and repetitive groove this time around. The Krautrock influences come through here, with a really catchy psyched out riff that sounds like Moon Duo. Following a complex, proggy opus with a simple riff rocker actually seems to pay off really well, giving some needed breathing space in the record, as well as getting those heads a bangin'! 'Imperiumi' is another huge highlight on the album where the bombast of the vocals really takes over. The operatic vocals are in full force, and the way they intertwine with the almost jazzy riffs is superb and will get stuck in your head. Such an unsubtle and fun song.

'Terminal' as a whole sounds perfectly nostalgic. I can hear so many sprinkles of great late 60s/early 70s Rock and Metal. There are little bits of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, The Doors, The Stooges and Can all over this record. Circle's genius lays in providing truly belting and meaty riffs and grooves that can keep a listener nodding along for a whole track, and then using those solid riffs as a leaping point to add in wild and unpredictable crazy quirks along the way. In particular, the vocals on this album add so much wonder, mystery and even a bit of drama and humour here and there. Circle are clearly a highly competent band and even though their discography is vast, they play with so much passion and urgency throughout this record, which is really one of the things that impresses me most. Circle come across as a band that aren't short on ideas and are discovering new grounds, even this far into their journey! 8/10.

ALBUM REVIEW: SOLSTAFIR - BERDREYMINN

SOLSTAFIR
BERDREYMINN
Post Rock, Hard Rock, Progressive Rock.
Seasons of Mist.
Listening Format: CD & Digital.














Solstafir are an Icelandic Rock band who have been active for over 20 years but only put out their first full length in 2002. Originally conceived as a Black Metal band, Solstafir have always created very atmospheric and melancholic music. Over the course of six full length albums, their music has really changed up a lot and continued to evolve to the point where they can barely be labelled a Metal band these days. 'Berdreyminn' is their sixth full length release and it's not an easy album to pigeonhole (which I like), with elements of Post Rock, Hard Rock and Prog.

The album opens with a kind of Ennio Morricone Spaghetti Western inspired intro before (and I kid you not) launching into a main riff that sounds like classic Muse (honestly it really does)! Once this track gets going though, it becomes really interesting with a triumphant feel, stomping drums and these soaring yelling vocals. Second track 'Isafold' has this unashamed 70s Rock stomp that sounds like classic ZZ Top. This thing even has what sounds like a slap bass interlude and cheesy guitar licks. I have to say I'm loving this track, although the vocals are mixed a little too high and sometimes when Tyrggvason goes slightly off pitch it is a bit unpleasant on the ears. The album takes an even stronger leap forward with a song that has a completely different tone. 'Hula' is Solstafir coming out in their true form. It sounds dark, mysterious, brooding and epic as you would probably expect. There are some absolutely beautiful touches of strings and female backing vocals on this track, and the clean lead vocals are far more muted and lowered in the mix compared to the yelling vocals on the first two tracks. This is easily the strongest track on the album that could be described as a Post Rock or atmospheric Rock song, for lack of a better term.

As the album starts to venture into its second half things keep changing up from there. In fact 'Naros' has a very dynamic change just within the same song. It begins as slow and ghostly as 'Hula' before it, but around the half way mark suddenly bursts into a colourful array of Punky power chord lead guitars and brilliant sounding yelling vocals. Although I can't understand the lyrics (presumably in Icelandic), I can still hear so much passion in the vocals, so whatever he is shouting about, I can tell he really means it. Another strong album highlight, but mostly just the second half of this track.

As the album continues its journey, it seems to keep switching back and forth between simplistic and energetic Hard Rock, and melancholic and very dramatic songs. 'Dyrafjordur' near the end of the album piles on the strings and hammering piano arpeggios to create a song that could easily soundtrack a main character's last dying breath at the climax of a hard hitting drama. If you compare this track to the ZZ Top stomp of 'Isafold' earlier in the album, it is hard to believe these two songs can possibly coexist on the same record! I guess this is the album's biggest strength and biggest weakness at the same time. 'Berdreyminn' is a vastly eclectic album with a wide musical pallet. Sometimes it sounds simplistic and catchy as hell, sometimes it sounds very complex, layered and serious. Rarely is the album boring because Solstafir pull off all their ambitions well, with solid, heartfelt performances, and detailed, nostalgic production. But tonally this record is all over the place. I think if you do pretend it is a soundtrack, then it makes more sense. Soundtracks are allowed to be all over the place. Listening all the way through there are mostly very bold and engaging moments all over this record. But there are also some irksome parts too, whether it is a guitar lead or yelped vocal sounding a bit too cheesy and over the top, or a change in the album's mood and pacing being too drastic a shift. As a whole though, I'm really enjoying this record. It is certainly a unique and thoroughly engaging experience, and it doesn't really sound like anything else I've heard this year, which is very refreshing indeed. 7/10.

LIVE REVIEW: THUNDER AT HMV MANCHESTER

Artists that perform at HMV stores tend to be new and upcoming acts. The likes of Sam Smith, James Bay and Shura have all performed to die hard fans before blowing up. But occasionally a legendary band from back in the day will get a chance to perform in an intimate setting, and today British hard rockers Thunder took up the chance in support of their latest album 'Rip It Up'!

Thunder were sadly one man down, with Luke Morley suffering from the flu (or perhaps an implied hangover as his bandmates joked) but the rest of the band performed a stripped down acoustic set. Opening with new song 'The Enemy Inside', the HMV shopfloor was filled with twanging acoustic guitars, a punchy bass sound and frontman Danny Bowes' soaring bluesy wails, backed up with lovely vocal harmonies. Just two songs in, Thunder surprised the crowd with a rendition of their classic hit single 'Back Street Symphony', which had the fans singing and clapping along. The band added in funny stop/start sections after each chorus, teasing the crowd into roaring laughter. Thunder continued to explore their back catalogue, with acoustic renditions of 'The Rain' (from 'Wonder Days') and another old fan favourite 'River of Pain' which was perhaps the best and most heartfelt offering this evening. They left us with the upbeat title track of their new album, 'Rip It Up'.

Die hard Thunder fans must have been in awe this evening, being able to see an iconic band perform a rare acoustic set in such an intimate setting. Fans were also able to meet the band afterwards and get their albums signed. Thunder belted through a classy set of classics and new songs, strumming away at their acoustic guitars. In particularly Danny Bowes' vocals were in fine form, singing loud and sustaining some incredible notes. But what struck most about Thunder was how funny they were! They had the crowd in stitches with their tongue in cheek humour and really connected with the fans with their silly inbetween song banter. They came across as such genuine and lovely people, delivering one of the most memorable live shows that HMV Manchester has ever witnessed. 

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February 16th 2017 @ HMV Manchester. 

Photography by Rich Smith of Digital Bath.

#336: TEN FOOT WIZARD / NOMAD + SUPPORT - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

Two of Manchester's finest Metal bands Ten Foot Wizard and Nomad decided to embark on a mini UK tour together, kicking off the heaviness in their hometown Manchester. The two managed to pack out Manchester's new home of Metal, Rebellion, on a Tuesday evening of all days!

REGULUS

Opening a fine evening of Metal was Sheffield based quartet Regulus, in what was their first ever show in Manchester. Their Stoner Rock sound was definitely more than welcome to Manchester, but with Stoner, Doom and Sludge having such a resurgence in the North West, it can be difficult for other bands to come visit and make an impact. Regulus certainly had no shortage of belting Stoner riffs laced with gravelly vocals and touches of psyche guitar and wah. Regulus are more than happy to launch into Psychedelic Blues guitar soloing sections that show their finesse as performers with a fun chemistry on stage. A brand new song raised the energy of the crowd with fist pumping riffs and "Last Die Young" (I think that was the title?) had a strong Queens of the Stone Age feel to it. The band closed with a new single "Big Business", hinting towards a forthcoming album. Regulus played with very strong enthusiasm and have some great riffs to their name. I felt like they covered all the basics of the genre very well, but I didn't quite hear that extra special something to make me lose my shit like the other bands provided tonight. 7/10.

WORT

Fresh off a split EP with joint headliners Nomad, Wort made for a perfect choice of support. It's a shame we don't get to see Wort play too often, but frontman Mike Collins is also commited to playing bass in PIST. It's also a shame because Wort happen to be one of the heaviest and most brutal bands in Manchester right now! From the moment they kick off a show I'm blown away by just how vile and disgustingly heavy this trio's sound is! Every crushing wall of sludge felt like ugly spots oozing with pus on the haggard face of a rotting corpse! Wort punish you with a raw punch to the face of guttural ear splitting vocals and a barrage of pulsing low end Sludge riffs, punctuated with battering drums and clattering cymbals, with pinches of double bass thrown in to up the intensity. Mike's bass playing is fantastic, and he performs with so much anger and hatred in his vocals. You can see so much genuine passion in Wort's performance, but Mike especially seems to lose himself and transforms into something truly frightening! A lovely highlight near the end of the set saw Wort traverse from slow as hell Sludge straight into a lightning fast Grindcore section with blastbeats, reminding me of Goatsblood's cult classic "Drull". Once their performance was over I was left overwhelmed, like I'd had the wind knocked out of me. Wort truly hacked my balls off harder than that scene from Cannibal Holocaust! 9/10.

NOMAD

Manchester's riff abusers Nomad are always a great band to catch live because they know how to put on a high energy performance and they always invite the crowd to share that blistering energy. Tonight was no exception, and with a packed out Rebellion crowd before them, the atmosphere in the room was sensational. After a wall of feedbacking guitars, Nomad kicked into the NOLA Sludge worship of "Slaves of Mourning", one of their best songs. Guitarist Lewis Atkinson has really crafted a special sound that always delivers a full course banquet of meaty tones. Lewis and drummer Hayley tend to lose themselves in their performance, concentrating hard and delivering precision based performances. On the other hand, bassist John Carberry and vocalist Drian Nash move all over the stage and interact heavily with the audience. This balance seems to work well for the band. Nomad tried out a couple of new songs tonight that went down really well and I am excited to see where this band take us next. 

Nomad's signature is their love for lengthy songs. They only need 2 or 3 riffs per song to play with, but they are always mighty fine riffs that are drawn out and churn away, beating the audience into submission. Though Nomad's writing isn't as technical as some of their peers such as Boss Keloid and Barbarian Hermit, there is still something admiral about their style, always bringing a DIY kind of rawness to their music, that has a real nostalgia making you think of the earliest recordings of EyeHateGod and Down. Nomad closed the show brilliantly with a true epic behemoth that is "Corpse Dragger", with it's teasing stop/start riff, and another new song "Feral" left us on a more up tempo and accessible note to go out on. This was one of the finest performance's I've seen from Nomad yet and in particular Drian's throat shredding vocals were on top form tonight. This is how you kick off a tour! 8/10.

TEN FOOT WIZARD

Manchester's Ten Foot Wizard are one of those bands that I seem to enjoy more and more every time I see them play! They never fail to put a huge cheesy grin on my face. At their core, Ten Foot Wizard are a fun Stoner Rock quartet with funny lyrics in their songs. But dig a little deeper and you will find that this band are much more eclectic than you'd think!

The Wizard kicked off with some immensely fun Stoner riffs with plenty of groove. They have such a fun way of twisting and turning the rhythms of their songs that it would make Josh Homme proud! Their Metal is one that a crowd is more likely to dance to than mosh to, but when they want to they can certainly send a crowd headbanging with some crunchy Doom riffs that seem to come out of nowhere! Ten Foot Wizard frequently tug at the threads of other genres, whether it is Thrash Metal, Surf Rock or the cowbell stomp of "Through This World". Flourishes of Reggae tinged bounces and even "6 Feet Rising"'s Country hoedowns are no strangers to a Ten Foot Wizard show, and it is these little pinches that make them such an exciting and unpredictable live band. Stacking up such versatile sounds could make their sound too cluttered, but the result is far from it. Their music is delivered with such a big passion and confidence that they are able to lead the audience down any rabbithole they choose!

More highlights tonight were a brand new song ("Get Out of Your Mind"?) that was a real sexy bastard of a tune! But with the hilariously titled "King Shit of Fuck Mountain" the Wizard really proved just how good they are at composing. This epic Doomy song closes in a finale of finely tuned dual harmonised guitars that created beautiful tones and soundscapes. And of course no Ten Foot Wizard show would be complete without a finale of their legendary anthem "Covered In Tits". This is when the show turns into a full on party, and everyone in the crowd loses their shit and goes mad, just like the band on stage. It is impossible not to smile during this deranged song that invites megaphones, a theramin solo, and a mighty singalong chorus!

When you first hear Ten Foot Wizard they come across as a kind of goofy, comedy rock outfit. But the more I hear them the more impressed I get. They show a true love of all kinds of music and are able to draw seamlessly from other genres and implement them into their sound. They also happen to be some of the finest performers and a breath of fresh air in Manchester's Metal and Rock scene. In particular, vocalist and guitarist Gary Harkin has an exquisite vocal tone and such a warm charm and sense of humour, always chatting away with the crowd between songs. The whole band emit such a warm and lovely radiance on stage. Simply unmissable! 9/10.

May 17th 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester

#335: RIFF CONSPIRACY III - MARS RED SKY + SUPPORT - LIVE IN MANCHESTER

  Manchester's Metal scene has taken over the city this year, and on this beautiful Sunday, instead of watching the finale of the Premier League, I found myself attending this all day behemoth of Metal Mayhem, at Rebellion. Manchester sure does love it's all day shows, and at £13 on the door (£10 for early birds), this was an absolute bargain that saw some of the most talented Metal bands from the UK perform with French Psychedelic Metallers Mars Red Sky headlining the show!

BAD EARTH

Opening today's mammoth Metal feast was Bad Earth, a quartet representing Denbigh, North Wales. They kicked off the show with a powerful sound and meaty riffs that sat perfectly between Hard Rock and Stoner Metal. The gravelly vocals of Steve Coxon also added a Grunge influence in there. The resulting sound had equal nods towards Kyuss and Clutch as it did to the classic Zepp and Sabbath sound. Bad Earth was a good way to ease in the show and matched the vibes of the pleasant sunny weather. They had a mixture of slow, Doomy paced songs, and a few faster tempo ones with a hard hitting bass sound. In particular Bad Earth had a tight drummer with a great snare sound and some cool fills, whilst the guitars would sometimes add in psychedelic touches and wah solos. Vocalist Steve really gave it welly and the whole band poured passion into their craft. This was especially evident in their set highlight "Tough Luck", which their frontman said was about a breakdown of a relationship. Though their sound is one I've heard many times, Bad Earth performed really well and hit the sweet spot, kicking off today's epic show on a high. 8/10.
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SILVERCHILD

Following on nicely from openers Bad Earth, was Silverchild, a Hard Rock quartet from Stoke On Trent. The group had to come on earlier than scheduled after 1968 arrived late, but didn't let it phase them. Silverchild are fantastic entertainers who are known for their high energy shows and they certainly didn't disappoint today. They have expertly crafted a retro classic Rock sound, full of punchy and catchy Zeppelin influenced Bluesy riffs. Though Rebellion wasn't too well attended at this point, people started to gradually pour in to witness the storm that Silverchild were brewing. Songs such as "Black Cat" and "Red Desert" had a real stomp and swagger to them. In particular guitarist Vic Jepson is incredibly talented on her guitar, showing great restraint with her love for stop/start swaggering riffs. She also has the ability to rip into lengthy solos as the bassist and drummer jam away to her side. Silverchild's bassist and frontwoman are always moving about the stage and bring a constant unstoppable energy that always invited the crowd to get involved. Frontwoman Alex Hiley commands a special hold on the audience, Though her Bluesy wails and screeches aren't always pitch perfect, she delivers a huge passion and really loses herself in the music, which is really what matters. It's always good when a band plays a new song "The Dictator" and it turns out to be the best in their set. Though Silverchild aren't Metal per se, they are more than capable of mixing it up with the big heavy guns and they managed to bring a lot of fun and excitement to the show today. 8/10.
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1968

Cheshire based rockers 1968 arrived a little late to Manchester today, but I think they can be excused considering their clock is running 48 years too slow! These recent signings to Conan's Black Bow Records label delivered slow swampy riffs with a raw power. Their vocalist Jimi Ray has a Grungey, gravelley wailing tone that reminded me a lot of Chris Cornell. 1968 ripped right into it and carried on the high pacing set by Silverchild before them. My favourite song of theirs this afternoon was "King's Ashes" which knocked me sideways with a massive riff that hit me like a sledgehammer to the gut! The band performed a new song towards the end of their set that was a calmer toned instrumental jam that saw their vocalist leave the stage. I think it was perhaps the wrong gig to be trying out a work in progress song as the energy fell a little flat. Thankfully once their frontman came back they rebuilt the energy with a heavy Blues sound reminiscent of "BadMotorFinger" era Soundgarden. They closed a fantastic set with a brilliant cover of Sabbath's immortal "Into the Void", making them 1971. This confirmed the Soundgarden influence for me, since Cornell and crew did a great similar sounding version of this song. Regardless, they knocked it out of the park and the crowd were singing and headbanging along. 8/10.
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CORINTH

The show was already off to a fine start, but when Leeds Sludge merchants Corinth took the stage they noticeably took the heaviness up a gear! This quartet have just released a fantastic self-titled EP and are riding high off that momentum. They opened with a powerful escalating instrumental that gradually grew in weight, hitting us with thunderous riffs with so much bottom end. I completely lost my shit when they performed the leading track of their new EP, "Solar Blaze". This is one of their fastest tempo songs that opens with lightning harmonised guitars and a Thrashy backbone. Corinth absolutely delievered the brown (that's the local lingo) with their colossal barrage of slumberous sludge riffs and trade off growls from their bassist and guitarist. As heavy as they were though, their speciality for harmonised guitar parts added a real beauty and majestic scope to their sound. I always love it when Corinth visit Manchester and they are becoming serious contenders in the UK Metal scene. 9/10.
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SHRYKULL

Nottingham based duo Shrykull were one of my favourite surprises of the day. They began their set with a disgustingly nasty Sludge onslaught, belted out with just drums and a downtuned 7 string guitar. Both guys would provide huge guttural throat shredding vocals that clawed at the walls, usually trading off against each other. It would have been cool if they had found more times where their vocals came together in unison, but it was still powerful stuff nonetheless. Their drummer Kez absolutely battered his kit and they delivered a bowel churningly heavy opening track. To the surprise of everyone in the Rebellion crowd, after a couple of supreme slow numbers, they completely switched it up with a 10 second long killer PowerViolence song, complete with schizoid blastbeats and hyperspeed barking vocals [NOTE: Manchester needs more PowerViolence!] From here on, Shrykull played at a much faster pace, adding in elements of Thrash and most notably some Black Metal influences. They left us on an incredible finale that summoned the raw Black Metal of Darkthrone. They sent us out with an incredibly raw and fast song full of icy cold tremolo riffs and Kez's primal shrieks. For just 2 band members, Shrykull delivered a surprisingly diverse set taking in different Extreme Metal subgenres. The duo had a distinct lack of finesse in their playing, with a few slip-ups and sloppy moments, but this actually gave them a real charm. They had some funny banter with the crowd and looked like they were really enjoying themselves. True DIY Metal mayhem! 8/10.
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UNDER

Stockport's Under are a true breath of fresh air in the UK Metal scene that often leave even me lost for words! By now Rebellion had filled out nicely and the drinks were flowing. Under kicked straight into one of their trademark jagged and off centre riffs. They tease the audience with odd time signatures that can easily send headbangers in the crowd to slam their head at the wrong moment and make fools of themselves! Their unpredictability and sinister playfulness always takes me off guard. One of Under's great trademarks is the way the unholy trinity will all perform harmonised vocals, as if the Beach Boys were trying to cover Swans! Matt Franklin has a wonderful scream to him and abstract lyricism, yet they can just switch into these lovely singing harmonies at any moment. Under premiered a short new song "Soup" that was actually surprisingly "normal" for them, with a bit of a Melvins-esque vibe. They left us with an epic one two punch of "Suicide By Cop", with the completely deranged chant of "Guns at the finish line" that sends shivers down my spine. They finished on a slightly lighter note with another new song that focused even deeper on harmonies, sounding like The Beatles' "White Album" had been dragged through mud and then played at the wrong speed. Their chant of "Hell is as good a place as anywhere" rang memorably across the Manchester crowd. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but this review is almost meaningless. Under are such an interesting and unique band that words practically fail to describe them accurately, so you simply MUST SEE THEM as soon as possible and have your mind blown away. They always deliver this creepy circus acid trip sound that leaves me feeling like I have been buried alive, with my slowly rotting flesh crawling with beetles and cockroaches as the evil Gnome lords etch out my name on the tombstone whilst I slowly drown in dirt! 9/10.
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OLD MAN LIZARD

Under are not an easy act to follow, but Old Man Lizard rose to the occassion, kicking straight in with a ballsy sound and frantic energy. This Suffolk trio delivered intriguing psyched out Stoner Metal with eerie chords and scatty off kilter rhythms. They managed to deliver a lot of groove and Stoner Metal aesthetics, but have a fun way of mixing it up by chucking in odd chords and jagged riffs to throw the audience off. One of their best tracks of the night began softly with a sweet swaying melody of clean guitars. This lengthy beast gradually grew in density and dynamics, slowly evolving into headbanging gold. But it was their final song "Sea of Witches" that really blew me away. To put it vaguely, it had one of THOSE riffs. You know the kind of belting riff that sounded like it had been hand-crafted by Lord Satan himself, and the infernal one doesn't just hand those riffs out to anyone! "Sea of Witches" was indeed one of the very best moments of the entire day and it was probably the one that caused me to pull a muscle in my neck! 8/10.
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SPACE WITCH

It's been a while since I've seen Space Witch live, but speaking to their vocalist and Electronic wizard Peter Callaghan, they've been keeping a low profile over the past year in order to record their forthcoming new album. Judging by what I saw tonight, this promises to be very exciting indeed. If I'm not mistaken, today was the first time I have seen them perform live vocals, beginning their set with eerie droning dissonance and haunting chanted wails. They soon kicked into a mental slow as fuck riff. The chanting bellow vocals gave a cavernous feel to their sound. One of Space Witch's signatures is their use of electronics (if you know me I am a big fan of Metal bands that merge electronics into their sound). Vocalist Peter has the ominous "drone box" by his side, with an array of pedals and a beautiful analogue synthesiser. In place of traditional vocals, he delivers piercing runs of Carpenter-esque spooky synths that add new dimensions to their sound. Behind this is an assault of some of the most crushing Neurosis-esque riffage that leaves you feeling pulverised into the ground. Space Witch were easily the heaviest band of the day, with their techy droning riffs punching away with mountains of bottom end sublevel bass, which definitely culminated in my splitting headache! When Space Witch performed I got so lost in their utter chaos that I actually forgot I was supposed to be reviewing their show. I probably drooled all over the floor as I couldn't take my eyes away from the sheer magnitude of what I was seeing! Space Witch are simply another one of those bands where I cannot find the right words to truly convey just how special and utterly brilliant they are. But if you are looking for one of the truest and heaviest bands in Britain today, this is it! Mind... Broken... 10/10.
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BOSS KELOID

If you have followed Frenchie's Reviews regularly or you are one of Manchester's Metal regulars, you'll know that I've already covered Boss Keloid many times now. But I promise I am not writing with bias! These guys really are just that good! Tonight Boss Keloid channelled the mentality of Leicester City, because this whole year they have been on an unstoppable high, with the release of their sophomore album "Herb Your Enthusiasm" gaining overwhelmingly positive reviews across the entire Metal media. After a hilarious warm up jam of Cypress Hill's "Ain't Going Out Like That" (complete with Alex Hurst's fine rapping vocals), Boss Keloid kicked into their highly anticipated set that saw every Metalhead in the building drop what they were doing for 30 blissful minutes. The Kellogs Factory noticeably mixed up their set today, opening with the song that usually closes their shows, "Axis of Green". This song is a rugged Metal banger full of jagged Tech riffs that recall Meshuggah. Alex's powerful and versatile "captain caveman" vocals sing of mountains with throat juggling that paints colours across their sound. Switching up their setlist payed dividends tonight, that noticeably allowed the band to deliver what I think was their highest energy set yet. In particular bassist Adam Swarbrick played all over the stage and had a massive presence, delivering crushing low end boulders of Sludge. The crowd helped the band harness that energy because the atmosphere inside Rebellion was absolutely electric. This was the only band on the bill that had a big chunk of the crowd mouthing along every lyric from every song, showing just how much "Herb Your Enthusiasm" has touched the Metal community. Their knockout anthem "Lung Mountain" delivered new realms of heaviness, with Paul "Uncle Crow" Swarbrick's winding guitar arpeggios blowing minds. Boss Keloid finished on their very first performance of the album's epic closing song "Hot Priest", beginning with wonderful jazzy drums from Ste Arands. This beautiful song added new found textures, recalling the spacey textures of Isis (no, not THAT Isis, GOD! What do you take me for!?). Guitarist Paul Swarbrick requested that I give them a 5/10 review for this show... But I just can't bring myself to do it! In fact I have to say that this was their very best performance to date and I think the band felt it too! Boss Keloid and the Rebellion stage are truly a match made in heaven! 10/10 mate!
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MARS RED SKY

Today's very special headliners were French Psychedelic Metallers Mars Red Sky! They may have took a long time to set up, but after Boss Keloid's triumphant set, we all needed some time to recover! Interestingly the band used a projector screen to create backing visuals (which I've never seen at Rebellion before, but unfortunately the lights were too bright so it didn't quite work). The Mars Red Sky trio opened with soft chanting vocals before launching into psyched out swampy riffage. All 3 band members perform lovely vocal harmonies that add a real touch of beauty and wonder to their music. This contrasted well with the elephantine riffs that this band were producing. Perhaps it was because I had a headache that could slay a walrus, but it sounded to me like someone had turned the fuzzy bass amp all the way up to 11, because every bass hit was seriously loud. I could feel the entire floor rumbling as the bass grooves pulsed through my body. In some ways this added to the trippiness of their sound. Mars Red Sky's songs envelop incredibly slowly and it takes some patience to see each song through to the end. Their songs are incredibly slow and teasingly build at a glacial pace. They do add in some psychedelic noodling and spacey ambience to help flesh out the mood of their songs. New song "Mindreader" was a true display of colossal heaviness, but it was one of their other new songs that I loved most, which had this sweet gentle sweeping melody and more of an Indie Rock kind of vibe. Mars Red Sky received an incredible response from the Rebellion crowd, and as thoroughly impressive as they were, at times it was almost too much for me to take! 8/10.
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ELEPHANT TREE

Elephant Tree are usually a Stoner Metal quartet from London, however one of their guitarists was unable to make the tour. I wouldn't have noticed either way though, because the trio played a knockout show. It was noticeable that Mars Red Sky's ridiculous bass heavy sound crept into their set, with so much low end that it threatened to dominate EVERYTHING! Elephant Tree's guitarist had a wail to his vocals that had a bit of a Layne Staley vibe that I really enjoyed. With every song they played they seemed to get heavier and heavier 'til it felt like my brain was going to shatter into pieces! Like a few bands ahead of them today, Elephant Tree's bassist and guitarist performed sweet harmonised vocals. I'm definitely enjoying the use of vocal harmonies in Metal these days! The band had some really funny banter with the crowd and truly slayed the Rebellion stage tonight. I definitely know where their strange name comes from now as their riffs were so heavy, it made me picture Elephants stepping on fallen trees and crushing them into the mud! They ended their set with a mighty cover of "Wild Thing" that usherd in the inevitable Rebellion stage invasion as most of the crowd joined them on stage! 9/10.
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SILVERCHILD - ENCORE

...Just when you thought it was over, promoter and Noiz puppet master Eytan organised for rockers Silverchild to play an impromptu closing set by popular demand from the crowd! This was one of those beautiful touches of magic that Eytan so often pulls out of the bag at his shows. Despite admittedly being really drunk, Silverchild humbly agreed to play to us once more, with an even bigger crowd than when they played earlier in the afternoon. They certainly gave it welly! Somehow they raised the energy even higher than their first show and the atmosphere in the room could not be contained. It only took one song before practically the entire Rebellion crowd bum rushed the stage and got up there with them. Huge props to Silverchild because I don't know how they managed to play so well with about 20 or more people all drunkenly rocking out around them. Even I was invited on stage myself and the view from the Rebellion stage is truly something wonderful! I'm just amazed they could even get through their whole set, but they did it with true grace and style. Silverchild really are one of the most fun live acts that have ever graced the Rebellion stage and I am so glad they got this opportunity to close the show. In an emotional finale, vocalist Alex Hiley shouted that it was the best day of her life, and for everyone who was there in that moment, life looked pretty damn awesome! 10/10.
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...And so closes another legendary chapter of Manchester's bludgeoning Metal scene, proving that this is THE city for live music! A huge thank you to Eytan and the Noiz crew. Their vision is taking constructing gigs into an art form in itself. The sound crew did a fantastic job at molesting my ears and the Rebellion staff are absolute troopers! I think this lineup and the quality of the bands has been the best that Rebellion has seen yet, and that is no easy task! Well done everyone!

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May 15th 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester