#308: SLABDRAGGER - RISE OF THE DAWNCRUSHER

2016
Doom/Sludge Metal
Holy Roar Records

 

 

 

Slabdragger have played plenty of gigs in recent years, yet somehow it has taken them 5 years to follow up their fantastic debut LP "Regress". But considering the complexity of their music, I don't really blame them. First Slabdragger took us to the peak of the highest, holiest mountain, and now they have taken us on a trip to outer space, into the not too distant future, where a giant space station threatens to plow through the earth's core! Not only does the comic book style gatefold sleeve reflect this, but the crushing brutality across this entire hour length behemoth will have you picturing colossal drills smashing through your house and into your brain!

 

"Rise of the Dawncrusher" consists of 5 epic tracks. Aside from the 5 minute "breather" "Evacuate!", the tracks here average the 10-15 minute mark. The record opens with a riff worthy of Sleep, balancing just the right amount of Blues, Psychedelia and Stoner vibes. A solid opening, that straight away expresses just how well produced this album is. For a three piece their sound is absolutely massive, taking the supreme heaviness of acts like Conan, and somehow adding even more depth to the mix. The bass of Yusuf Tary is absolutely flattening, and he accomplishes so many different sounds across the whole album. The whole trio bring such a complete, versatile and wild performance. The first two tracks on the album are relatively accessible. Whilst not re-inventing the rulebook or anything, they are extremely solid and heavy as hell tracks that will hook you in straight away. "Evacuate!", being the only short track on the album, is fast and thrashy. Whilst not sacrificing any of the heaviness, it is the only real breathing space on the album (if that counts). But be warned, from track 3, "Shrine of Debauchery" onwards, the album really opens up. Suddenly "Rise of the Dawncrusher" goes from being a solid Stoner Metal album, to an absolutely epic and complex juggernaut.

 

Usually I turn to Holy Roar Records when I want to hear some of the best Mathcore and Post Hardcore going, with acts such as Svalbard, Employed to Serve and Rolo Tomassi being some of their finest signings, so it could seem like Slabdragger might be aside from that audience, but the last half of this record is seriously complex and full of jagged riffs, with so many twists and turns, and surprises around every corner. This is the cornerstone of any great Holy Roar release. Like any great album, it is one where you will hear something new with each listen. The lengthier songs in particular take time to get to know intimately, and with so many great riffs and ideas on show, you will want to take the time to revisit them. This is a record that has a lot of repeat listening quality, so expect to come back to it throughout the year and still find new surprises. "Dawncrusher Rising" has to be my pick of the bunch. This trio just pour everything into this song and it will knock you sideways. I love the way the two vocalists take on different roles throughout the record, but during the crescendo finale of this song, the two come together to scream "DAWNCRUSHER RISE" and it is absolutely ear splitting. You wouldn't believe it takes just three people to make such a massive and well rounded sound, and their breathtaking live shows prove it is certainly no fluke or studio trickery. Slabdragger come at you raw, yet use the expanse of the studio to deliver a meaty, 3 course meal of destruction. Though "Dawncrusher" can be overwhelming in one sitting,this apocalyptic avalanche is likely to keep me entertained throughout the year as I am already excited to return to it. I think Slabdragger have made an even bolder statement here than on their fine debut, and this will be one of the Sludge albums to beat in 2016. 8/10.

#307: BARBARIAN HERMIT - DEMO MMXVI

2016

Sludge Metal

Self Released

I first saw Barbarian Hermit about a year ago on a bill with BongCauldron and Pist at the tiny Kraak Gallery in Manchester. At the time they didn't strike me as the most original sounding band, or the most confident performers, but they still put on a great show with a desert stricken Kyuss kind of sound. Since then I must have seen them perform another 5 or 6 times, and the growth this band has taken is absolutely astonishing. In a relatively short time, they've gone from being the opening slot band to being headliners, before my very eyes. When you see them perform in their hometown Manchester now, you've got to fight your way to the front of the stage if you want to catch a glimpse, as I witnessed first hand at the MMC Weekender that took place this January at Rebellion Bar; a new hotspot and centre point for the Manchester Metal Collective, a scene that is bursting at the seems with not only talent, but a true sense of community. It feels weird to think that Barbarian Hermit are relative newcomers to this scene, because it feels like they are the ones in command now!

And on that same page of thought, "Demo MMXVI" is the very first release by Barbarian Hermit. And I absolutely fail to believe it... Why? Because... Just listen to it! DAMN! Even some of the greatest Metal bands out there like Kyuss, Crowbar and EyeHateGod who have inspired the Hermits could listen to this and think "Fuck, our first demo was nowhere near as great as this!" You only need to spend about a minute of opening track "Mermaid" to see where I'm coming from. For a first demo, the recording quality, the mix is just spot on. These guys have a hell of a sound going on! But what shrines through the most is how clear Barbarian Hermit's vision is. Over these 6 incredible songs you will hear some of the most CRUSHING, FLATTENING and APOCALYPTIC riffs!!! Just stick on "Burn the Fire" if you don't believe me!

There are so many fantastic moments on every song of this EP. The first time you hear the guys properly kick into full force on "Mermaid" is one of those holy shit, chills down your spine moments, as they have such a rich and thick sound that will blow your balls (or ovaries) off! The finale of "Tigerhorse" in particular is exquisite, with vocalist Si delivering a truly knockout performance. You'll probably end up screaming along as you listen, and then end up being forcibly removed from the library!

"Burn the Fire" will make you shit your pants! I'm not quite sure how exactly one burns the fire, but this song is the number 1 cause of the furniture in my house being smashed to pieces! This song has been my metal anthem of the year so far, I've broke the speed limit to it in my car, it's kept me awake in bed even when I've got to be up for work at 9am, and I've even gone poops with it blasting out of my I-phone, which gave me a new appreciation for the title! This song gets me every time and my neck will never forgive me! It boasts one of the catchiest and tastiest riffs I've ever heard, starting with Chris Wood's rumbling fuzz bass and kicking in about 1 bar before you expect it to, and then changing your life forever! Monumental is an understatement! 

"BxExAx" is another massive favourite, whose opening lyrics make me think of hellbent killer robots turning on their human masters in some futurist dystopian nightmare. The main verse riff sounds a bit like the breakdown riff from "Raining Blood" slowed down and thrown into a sludgy pit! This song is so cold and brutally heavy that it even makes me think of bands like Godflesh and Meshuggah, who embrace this mechanical, Sci-Fi, Nostromo kind of feel to their music. "Widowmaker" is a truly epic riff monster that has been punctuated by an awesome music video (also check out "Burn the Fire"'s green screen gone haywire video). Whilst "Alma" manages to show their versatility, switching from rawkus pounding Thrash worthy of early Sepultura, before out of nowhere switching into the sweetest Doom riff. I've seen people's necks snap into pieces when they perform this live! "Alma" is lovingly named after The Alma Inn in Bolton, one of the other focal points of the astonishing North West Metal scene.

The fact that this demo comes on a CD-R in a minimalist paper sleeve with the band's logo on is almost insulting, because this album length 40 minute behemoth is so good that I feel like it should be on the shelves of HMV, selling at £9.99 with the full on digipak and booklet treatment, optional gatefold vinyl edition, perhaps with some sweet Dominic Sohor artwork! This isn't a demo! This is the REAL FUCKING DEAL!!! But perhaps I shouldn't be insulted, because a true hermit will soldier on in their journey without the need for the glitz. Or perhaps Barbarian's next release is going to be so good it blows this stuff out of the water (which would be an extreme challenge indeed). All 5 band members have poured their heart and soul into these 6 songs and you can feel it. Such tight playing, such ferocious vocals, the fuzz of the bass, the harmonising riffs throughout "Mermaid", this band feel like they have been perfecting their sound for over a decade and are playing at their peak!!!

Sure I can think of plenty of bands who Barbarian Hermit sound similar to and have taken inspiration from. You can hear bits of Down, Crowbar, Kyuss, EyeHateGod, Sabbath... Sure, whatever. But when you put this CD on... You forget that ANY other band exists. It is extremely different for a band to play a style of music that has been done to death and isn't by any means original, yet make it sound completely fresh, new, exciting and groundbreaking all at the same time. You can put this band on a bill full of other great Doom bands and they will come out on top! Barbarian Hermit have walked this tightrope, and almost came out of nowhere doing it. I don't think any of us who attended that Kraak gallery gig were at all ready for it! If you haven't heard this demo yet, then GET INVOLVED RIGHT NOW!!! This is one of the finest snapshots of the incredible Metal scene that is happening right now in Manchester! Get the CD, wear the T-shirt, see the live show and you'll never look back! 10/10.

#306: THE KILLERS

1964

Directed by Don Siegel

Neo-Noir, Crime, Thriller

The Killers is the second major film adaptation of Ernest Hemmingway's short story, following the critically acclaimed 1946 version which was a major player in the Film Noir movement. Whilst the former black and white film lurked in the smoke and the shadows, this adaptation is in full colour and is actually quite a vibrant looking film. It looks especially stunning in the Arrow Academy Blu-Ray edition that I watched it in, with a loving and warm restoration. It looked so sharp on my TV that I was convinced the beads of sweat on Lee Marvin's forehead were actually drips of water on my TV screen! The Killers has the acclaim of being the first made for TV movie ever made, though it was soon released in cinemas too because it was deemed too violent for TV broadcasting at the time.

Like the Film Noir adaptation before it, The Killers is built on groundbreaking use of flashbacks and scenes told out of chronological order. Something that eventually became Quentin Tarantino's signature style. Instead of revolving around a boxer like in the original film, the protagonist Johnny North is a racing driver in this one. The loose premise is roughly the same, but Don Siegel (director of Dirty Harry and Invasion of the Body Snatchers) had the freedom to change the details and make it his own. I felt that the 1946 version of The Killers started very well, but ended up losing me by the end. It relies too heavily on the flashbacks and got a little muddled along the way. I felt like this version of the Killers was not only more coherent, but better paced too. Aside from a few hit and miss romantic scenes, and dated driving scenes with a car in front of a projector screen, The Killers flows incredibly well and is held together by brilliant dialogue, great performances and interesting subplots. As long as you pay attention to who is telling each flashback and where in the timeline each one takes place, the film won't lose you.

The Killers has a stellar cast that plays like a greatest hits collection of the 60s, with Lee Marvin, John Cassavetes, Angie Dickinson and future president Ronald Reagan in his last screen role, the only time he played a villain. But to me the absolute standouts were John Cassavetes as the rebellious and relentless racer Johnny North, and Claude Atkins, his manager and mechanic trying to keep him grounded, putting in an emotionally heavy performance. Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager play the ice cool killers who go around interrogating many of the characters in order to find the money. They dazzle on screen, dressed in suits and sunglasses. Not only was the whole structure of the story a huge inspiration on Tarantino, but the two killers in this film could have been kindred fathers of any of the Reservoir Dogs. Both this and the 1946 Killers adaptation are both very much a snapshot of the time they were made and both hold great merit. Which one you prefer is down to personal preference, but for me I think this version of The Killers wins because of a cooler cast, more coherent plot and it's a pretty badass film all around! 8/10.

#305: FOR ALL MANKIND

1989

Directed by Al Reinert

Documentary

For All Mankind is a spectacular film made up entirely of stock and TV footage from the actual 1969 Apollo space mission to the moon. The film uses the album "Apollo" by Brian Eno (with Daniel Lanois and Roger Eno) as it's soundtrack and although the LP was released 6 years before this film, it made for a perfect choice of music to accompany it. The beauty of this film is that it manages to tell the story from mission control, to take off, to travelling, to landing, exploring the moon and coming back home again, but without having to use talking heads, reconstructions or anything over than the actual footage shot at the time. Think of it as more of a compilation of footage than a documentary, but it works very well. There is probably a lot of footage here that may not have been broadcast at the time, and of course some of the most famous footage is included, such as the astronauts walking the moon and Neil Armstrong's famous "This is one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" speech. Despite the fact that I do not believe they actually went to the moon (in fact the footage here just reinforced that feeling even more), I still thought the footage was very beautiful and moving, and there are some spectacular shots of outer space and the earth. Whether you think it was a hoax or not is a moot point, because For All Mankind still manages to take you on a journey to outer space. 8/10.

#304: STATION TO STATION

2015

Directed by Doug Aitken

Documentary, Music Film

Station to Station is a unique documentary film that includes 62 films into one, with each short film lasting just 1 minute in length. Each of these 62 films was made on (or near) a train travelling across the whole of America. Many of the segments feature musicians and artists performing on (or near) the train. There are some very recognisable faces including Thurston Moore, Jackson Browne, Cat Power, Savages, Dan Deacon and more. If you are into your music you will probably find something to enjoy from some of these segments, but because they each run at a minute long, that enjoyment might not last. Considering it is a film about a train, there is actually not a lot to do with trains or travel in this film. Whilst the concept of Station to Station is admirable, I didn't really understand the point of it. Why did they need to get a bunch of bands performing on a train travelling across America for the purposes of a documentary? I'm not sure, other than that it's pretty cool. Imagine if more train journeys were punctuated with Thurston Moore jamming "Schizophrenia" on his guitar?! Station to Station is very well filmed, but with 62 films coming together it is a highly mixed bag that is never going to enthral its audience all of the time, and when it does, you end up wishing it was more than just for a minute long. For a film about a train travelling across the whole of America, Station to Station sure is directionless. 5/10.

#303: BIRDEMIC: SHOCK & TERROR

2008

Directed by James Nguyen

Natural Horror, Thriller.

If you know me well or you have followed my reviews for a while, you'll know that I have a sick obsession when it comes to films that are so bad they are good, or "goofs" as I like to call them. I count cult classics such as The Room, Troll 2 and Undefeatable as some of the most entertaining films out there! Films that I can watch over and over again and appreciate more than the latest Oscar winner!

Having seen a few clips on YouTube and read about Birdemic: Shock & Terror, I knew that this film would be right up my street. Birdemic just received a UK Blu-Ray release and is actually being sold in shops, which is wonderful and frightening in equal measures! But I couldn't resist, and it is jam packed with special features too!

In case you don't know about Birdemic, it is considered to be one of the worst films ever made. It looks like a student made this film to submit for a college course, and even then I doubt they would have landed a passing grade! The film is basically a rip off of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds and sees a bunch of rogue birds attack people at a seaside US town for almost no explainable reason! But the film is most famous for it's extremely low quality. It looks like it could easily have been filmed on a cheap handheld camera or even an I-Phone, and the editing is incredibly basic, and could have easily been done in under a week on Windows Movie Maker. The acting is lower than Porno levels, and somehow the lead actor happens to be the worst of the lot, expressing absolutely no emotion or concern even during the most "tense" scenes. At least the leading lady is somewhat competent, but not enough to make a career out of acting. The editing is beyond terrible, the sound mixing is all over the place, with some scenes being battered by the sound of the wind, making the dialogue near inaudible. Scenes cut to the next one without any rhyme of rhythm and the infamous "special effects" look like 2 second looped gifs of birds have been copy and pasted onto the screen! Whenever you hear the heroes of the film shooting their guns at the birds, cheap stock sound effects are used and the toy prop guns don't even look real or like they are actually firing anything. The entire soundtrack is cheap and sounds like it has been picked from a stock library. Despite being made in 2008, Hitchcock's The Birds, that was made in 1963, looks far more accomplished in every technical aspect.

The actual plot of the film is very, very lopsided. The first half is very slow and uninteresting. We see our forgettable leading man go to work and succeed in a big sales pitch, and go on a date with the leading lady, winning her charms despite his inability to express an emotion or say anything interesting or charming. I guess the script says they like each other, so the audience just has to go with it! The film is padded out with inane scenes of the leading man playing basketball with his friend, and the leading lady securing a modelling contract. The only chuckles to be had during the first half of the film are the first few times you see the terrible acting and the abrupt editing, but even this soon becomes a bore. There is a pretty comical scene where they go on a date at a bar, and a singer is badly lip syncing to a cheesy R&B song. The scene goes on for like 5 minutes and goes nowhere!

About half way through, the film makes an incredible shift in tone completely out of nowhere. All of sudden the screen is filled with poorly animated birds, whose shits are capable of blowing up buildings below. The characters humourously try to fend off the birds with coathangers. The film does start to become more entertaining, funny and silly during the last half, but it is such a slog making it upto this point. Even though Tommy Wiseau's immortal cult classic The Room is nearly as bad in quality, and is also full of go nowhere scenes, that film has a hypnotic atmosphere to it that makes it captivating for the entire length. Mainly because of Tommy Wiseau's enigmatic screen presence. Birdemic doesn't have that quality though, it is just BAD. And really boring. The laughs are very few and far between. One of the few saving graces of the film is that it comically crams in as many pro-environmental messages as it possible can, and not subtly. We see background posters and even characters wearing shirts advertising Yoko Ono's "Imagine Peace" website. The reason for the birds attacking is blamed on global warming, with a random scene where a "scientist" talks on and on about the dangers of global warming. At least the director has some sort of moral code, but if only he had found a better way to make his points!

I kind of feel bad that this film had a cinema release and even a Blu-Ray release, because it offers everything that is terrible and amateurish in film making, but fails to be remotely entertaining and interesting for most of its duration. It's not a so bad it's funny kind of film, it's just bad and painfully dull. If you watch a 3 minute clip of the film on YouTube, then that is enough, don't fool yourself into thinking the full film must be full of comedy gold like I did, because it isn't! I've seen non-film makers post up YouTube videos that had a better sense of editing and basic film making than this film has. I can honestly say I have made videos of better quality than Birdemic, and I do not consider myself a film maker! The whole film seems like a cruel joke, and the Blu-Ray release just extends that bad taste even further! Avoid this one and watch The Room or Troll 2 instead! 1/10.

#302: IMPAVIDUS - IMPAVIDUS

2016

Melodic Death Metal

Self Released

This is the debut 4 track EP by Impavidus, a new Metal band from Manchester featuring band members who also perform with local bands My Wooden Pillow, Driven Apart and Forged In the Furnace of the Sun. Whispers of a Manchester based supergroup anyone?! This debut EP was recorded at Skyhammer Studio in Liverpool. This studio, owned by Chris Fielding of Doom titans Conan, is becoming a hotspot for British Extreme Metal bands, with Boss Keloid and Witchsorrow also recording there recently. And it looks like Skyhammer has given birth to another fantastic release!

The debut EP actually opens with my least favourite track (though by no means a doosey) "Heaven's Gate". Straight away you are treated to a catchy and powerful riff. Michelle performs some of her most extreme vocals yet in the verses, but the melodic chorus gives way to her equally excellent clean vocals. I know it's going to sound like a rather obvious comparison, but Impavidus really does remind me of Arch Enemy, and those screaming vocals are definitely reminiscent of Angela Gossow. The only reason this is my least favourite song on the EP is the "Die! Die! Die!" breakdown near the end feels like too much of a tired Metal Cliché and takes the song a bit too much into the cheese zone, but not enough for me to stop listening. Fortunately the EP just gets better from there. "Exculpate" begins with an awesome twiddly guitar part that runs through the song, "Black Mirror" has an awesome pounding bass twang and my favourite track is the finale of "Scourge", which has the fastest riffs and drumming. The drums on this track are particularly versatile, one that the Forged In the Furnace of the Sun fans will also dig.

Impavidus have a way of mixing brutal verses and softer melodic choruses really well, and in particular I love the contrast between Michelle's screaming and clean vocals. The transitions are seamless, and in particular I like that there is a slight pinch of psychedelia on the clean vocals. One of the things that stands out on the EP is how well produced it is. Considering it is the first recorded effort from this band, it is sublime. The guys in the band use backing vocals really well to add emphasis on the more brutal sections, and the guitars sound meaty and punishing. I can definitely hear a strong influence of 90s Gothenburg Melodic Death Metal. Whilst Impavidus may not have quite found an original sound yet, there is still something about them that sounds fresh and exciting on this EP. A fantastic first release that leaves me excited to see them play live! 8/10.