Tag Archives: thrash

Overkill/Vader/One Machine – Sound Control, Manchester, 6th April 2016.

Posted by Fraggle on

Thank Lemmy for consistency… Yes, I am fully aware that the saying is thank God, but if films have taught me one thing, it is that Lemmy IS God, so yeah!

 

Anyway, back to the review… Very few bands these days can keep the same intensity and approach as they have done when they first started out these days, it is a natural fact that all things will deteriorate over time. Thankfully it seems that East Coast Thrash veterans Overkill seem to be immune to the effects of time with each year that passes. Their sound has remained as intense as always and this was proved by 2014’s White Devil Armory which stands up there along with Years Of Decay in terms of classic Overkill releases.

Joining Overkill are Polish metal titans Vader who have a relentless approach to delivering full on, high quality death metal and One Machine who are comprised of musicians who have featured at some point in Testament, Forbidden, Savage Messiah, Nevermore, Endeavour and Biomechanical. Given the quality on this line up, it looks to be a fairly promising, fast paced evening where heads will be banging and spinning and bodies will be moving.

Initially the doors were supposed to open up at 6 and the first band, One Machine taking to the stage shortly after that, but for some reason, gig things happened and everything got shunted back a little which meant the evening was spent wondering whether I could catch the full Overkill set or not due to last train home and the like..

Eventually, the ball was rolling and the night had begun. One Machine were first up and after the initial exotic sounding intro sample, we were treated to some raw, classic styled thrash. Clean vocals were the mainstay, delivered by a real powerhouse of a vocalist and there were some slips into more rawer and harsher sounding territory, but it was a welcome approach. The instrumental component of the band was solid – a fully cohesive, precise and heavy unit which delivered the goods magnificently – the rhythm section was thunderously heavy whilst the guitars were full on in their approach to riffs and soloing. Tracks like “New Motive Power” were thunderous in their delivery, packing a real raw slice of thrash based aggression into their delivery whilst the closing track “Summoning Of The Soul” could be likened to a thrash version of the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner with its epic story telling feel, long length and slightly nautical themed delivery at times. Real melodic and heavy, it had a real atmospheric delivery and it acted as a great advertisement for the band. It’s a shame their set had to be cut due to the timing mishaps but these guys are one to watch in the future!

Vader were up next and after some sound tech issues initially, things finally got underway. Now, don’t get me wrong, I appreciate Vader as a real force in the death metal scene. The way they deliver both in the studio and on stage in terms of the musical quality is fantastic but (you knew this was coming…) seeing them live just does nothing for me. I can’t quite see the spark which other death metal bands usually have with me, but it still doesn’t stop me appreciating it. Technically sound and intense, delivering their trademark crushing musical attack, the fourpiece hit hard with tracks like “Dark Age” and “Come See My Sacrifice” but despite a good portion of the crowd really getting into it and the rest nodding along, all I could keep thinking was ‘square Peg, Round Hole’ for their place on the line up.

Finally, we got to the main point of the night, Overkill!

With the dramatic and tension building “XDM” leading into the relentlessly heavy “Armorist”, the crowd went wild and were in full voice. Bodies were flying and the riffs were flowing as Bobby and the boys were in full swing. Following up quickly was the classic, “Rotten To The Core” and the thunderously powerful “Electric Rattlesnake” and from there on, it just went on like any Overkill show. Bobby worked the crowd the way he always does and the rest of the guys brought the music. “Nice Day For A Funeral” got even more crowd participation and somewhere in the midst of the chaos as I was hurling myself around, I managed to go up and over the rail, getting a fist bump from Bobby in the process which pretty much validated my whole reason for buying tickets for the gig! The groove laden delivery of “Thanks For Nothin’ ” tore the venue a new one and things just kept going great, even if they had to cut two songs from their set due to the timing issues.

Bringing a close to the night, the triple blow of “Ironbound”, “Elimination” and the Subhuman’s cover and arguably Overkill’s trademark song, “Fuck You” capped off a fantastic evening and left Sound Control in pretty much the same state Overkill left it last time they swung by for a night – bodies battered, broken, drenched in sweat and screaming Fuck You at each other. As always, it was a top night and a fantastic thrash party and one can only wonder what it would have been like had the band got the full time allowance.

Still, Overkill came to Shred, In Union we were standing and afterwards, we all felt Rotten to the Core!

(Fraggle)

 *Sadly, I was unable to get any pictures or footage from this gig. If anyone who attended has pictures they would like to share, I will give you credit and put them in here*

Exodus, Lost Society, Deified (O2 Academy, Liverpool, 3rd March 2016)

Posted by Fraggle on

Liverpool is very hit and miss when it comes to gigs. It’s metal scene cries out for action but when the action comes, those who are most vocal about it are reluctant to show up and support it. Massive attendances only seem to be for higher profile bands, thus starving the underground scene which despite the lack of opportunities in its home, is still thriving somehow… But for how long?

With the fall of Facemelting Entertainment due to gig apathy, Deathwave Promotions have stepped up to the mark to try and breathe life into a dying scene which is plagued by indifference, an inflated sense of self entitlement from a percentage of the punters and the council destroying the musical heritage of the city, one venue at a time.

But enough of the ranting, like many people, I find Thrash metal a great outlet for blowing off some steam, and when two thrash bands and one thrashy groove band are all on one bill, you know its going to be wild!

Opening the stage were Merseyside 2015 Metal To The Masses winners Deified. Before they even came on, the venue was filling up nicely, giving the local based band a damn good crowd to warm up and maybe to get some new fans from. Granted, before they came on, the venue was pitch black, almost as if someone hadn’t paid the ‘leccy bill with the only lighting coming from the stage, but when the five piece appeared, the lights came on a little and we could see. What we saw was a well oiled groove metal unit with a real thrashy edge to their sound. Rumbling feedback gave way to a pounding heavy groove with some real harsh and venomously delivered vocals. Tight as fuck with the relentless groove, the band sounded fantastic. Thunderous low end, a fantastic drummer and the energy of the crowd made for a perfect combination and when they played “Wetwork”, the crowd lapped it up. Sounding like a more thrash orientated Lamb Of God, Deified pounded away at the crowd who were begging for more groove and in this small venue, they sounded even bigger than they already did. Closing with “Ascend”, which ironically went down well (see what I did there ha!), the crowd loved every second of their punishing assault and the heartfelt thanks of the band for the turnout and participation really spurred everyone on. These guys are one to watch out for!

Following this up was Finish thrash fourpiece Lost Society who have just released their third album “Braindead”. Normally, you would associate Finland and the bands it often spawns  being of the doomier, blackened, symphonic or power metal varieties, but these turbo charged metalheads are thrash through and through which makes for a pleasant change. Full of energy from the off, you cannot deny they love being on stage. Old school sounds laid waste to the O2 and it was beautiful to witness.

Air raid siren vocals, frantic paced riffs and some serious speed really put the European representation on this tour down as a firm favorite of the crowd, and with the energy of the frontman, bouncing across the stage, hyping the crowd up even more who in turn drove him to be even more energetic was brilliant. Granted, they weren’t all about playing fast as fuck because they could. “Hollow Eyes” hit like a sledgehammer with a real powerful sound and solid steady thrash groove whilst “Terror” kicked things back up a few gears and really upped the pace of the evening once more whilst “I Am The Antidote” had the mandatory crowd participation sections which the majority of thrash acts utilise with the empowering ‘Oi! Oi!’ section with fists pounding rhythmically in the air. These guys were fantastic from start to finish and they really got everyone ready for Exodus.

Now, 31 years in Thrash is a pretty long time and let’s face it, line up changes will happen in this time and the guitarist shaped elephant in the room was of course the big issue for many (Personally, for me it was the fact that Dukes still hadn’t returned to vocal duties but Zetro was sufficient to say the least!).

Exodus took to the stage and it was pretty much like the last time I saw them indoors. In June 2015, they played Manchester Academy 3, a small room in the middle of a heatwave. March 3rd 2016, they played Liverpool O2 Academy 2, a small room but in the middle of a cold snap. Either way, extreme temperatures and thrash were involved but the cold matter little as the bay area veterans came out.

No fucks given and no prisoners taken, it was a maelstrom of chaos from the off with bodies flying left and right. Wild, classic sounding and raw as hell, the guys delivered exactly what everyone wanted. Jumping from their classic works to the most recent releases without a single beat missed, the old and the new went down exactly the same – flawlessly delivered. The lack of Gary was addressed on stage again but by now, no one really cares anymore, we get he’s going to pick Slayer over Exodus nine times out of ten and the way Exodus have simply carried on proves that one man doesn’t define a band with the legacy that the Bay Area titans have.

“A Lesson In Violence” was dedicated to Lemmy after they addressed how this was a fantastic night that they were having and after paying compliments of the highest order to Lost Society, they paid their own respects to the generation which came before them. Other favorites like “Blacklist”, “War Is My Shepherd” and the seldom played “Vlad The Impaler” were well received and the ending double shot of “Toxic Waltz” and “Strike Of The Beast” which signalled the obligatory build up wall of death spot closed the set, allowing the newer generation, the millennial metal kids to see just what the previous guard had to show them and it was a true lesson in violence.

 

By the end of it, there were few down in the action zone who weren’t going to be feeling it in the morning. For a wet and cold Wednesday night, the metal scene of Liverpool rallied and came out in force to attend a gig which this city should be capable of attracting but the same old will happen – people will moan that there is nothing on and the average gig attendance will drop back to 30-60 people tops. Still, negativity aside on that point, this was a fantastic night, a tremendous turn out and it did offer hope for those who love the live scene in Liverpool and maybe the efforts of Andy, the mastermind behind DeathWave Promotions who managed to get this gig going will be recognized and rewarded as the scene pull together to support each other once again.

Not wanting to sidetrack this any further, it was a phenomenal night and I highly recommend all three bands.

(Fraggle)

Baphomet’s Blood – “In Satan We Trust” (Iron Bonehead)

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Italian dark thrashers Baphomet’s blood take the primal and grim ambience and atmosphere of black metal and the occult and mix it with the early thrash styled approach of the early 80’s to create a real fast paced and evil sounding record. Aptly titled, “In Satan We Trust”, every track has a name drop or reference to El Diablo himself/herself/itself, whether it be samples from horror films or screaming out his name, it’s very evil and that’s always a fun thing.

From the 2 and a half minute sample based opening of the album’s first track, “Command Of The Inverted Cross” to the final bars of “Eleg”, a Farao cover, it’s a fast paced, stripped back, simplistic and predictable approach, mixed with plenty of dark themes and ill intent. Powerful drums and basslines pin the pace down and allow the wild and untamed guitars to do their thing. Buzzing away like a swarm of angry locusts dosed up on Methamphetamine, the twin guitar assault with the Venom-meets-Motorhead styled vocal delivery, the speedy Satan praising thrash onslaught pulls no punches. With that classic 80’s sound and some lightning quick and blistering solo’s, it is a full on assault.

“In Satan We Trust” brings some Merciful Fate styled sounds to the table with the hybrid bastard offspring of heavy metal and thrash metal, packed with plenty of speed and plenty of bite, but instead of the piercing wails for vocals, it’s the raw and sleazy shouts , complete with a guitar solo trade off spot which goes down well. “Hellbreaker” is frantic paced from the get go, hitting speeds which veteran windmillers like Corpsegrinder would have trouble keeping up with at times and the vocals are even wilder. After this, the remaining tracks all follow the same formula and structure near enough – fast, wild, shouted vocals, solo’s played at rapid pace and plenty of powerful rhythms.

“Infernal Overdrive” breaks this mold slightly, being the most intense track of the album. Starting off dramatically, it builds before it peaks and explodes into a thunderous sounding and venomously delivered slice of no bullshit thrash. Pounding drums, powerful and booming basslines with tight and precise lead fills and licks which have a building feel, ramping the intensity up even more, it really gets going and as expected, the wild and maelstrom of chaos which comes in the form of the solo is fantastic.

Overall, “In Satan We Trust” is a solid album. It isn’t shit, but it doesn’t excel or shine out either compared to its contemporaries which were released in the thrash scene this year. All it is, is no nonsense speed-thrash metal with some darkness, primal anger and shameless Satan supporting with a real 80’s feel to it. It’s worth a listen, especially for the diehard thrashers out there, but as for everyone else, you’ll either like it, or tire of it quickly. To the point, no fucking about, Baphomet’s Blood trust in Satan, and that trust has been repaid with some fast as fuck riff wizardry!

(6/10 Fraggle)

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Night Viper – “Night Viper” (Svart)

Posted by Fraggle on

Before I get into this album, I want to say the following:

Svart are a fantastic label. You should check out their roster and some of the releases. From classic rock infused metal to full on dark atmospheric doom and the more mystical qualities of stoner doom, there are some cracking releases on the Scandinavian label and if you do one thing, make this a purchase from it in 2015!

Now back to the review…

 

night-viper-cd

Night Viper are a five piece classic sounding heavy metal band based out of Gothenburg, Sweeden who include in their ranks, musicians who have played in Miasmal, The Order Of Israfael, Church of Misery, Guerilla, Radiation and Firebird. Formed in 2014, the five piece are set to unleash their debut album, the self titled release “Night Viper” on Svart and given the interest and buzz about this band, this is one album which surely excites.

Opening up with the title track, “Night Viper”, the classic rock meets classic metal feel hits right away. With its high octane rhythm consisting of well structured chords and riffs to a solid drum beat with some flair filled bass licks added for good measure, it kicks in with that attitude and snarl you’d expect from the early NWOBHM bands like Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. The female vocals were not expected at all, and the clean delivery of them with plenty of weight and power behind them is sublime. With a real rocking feel and rawness to it, this opening track sinks fangs in and injects the classic metal venom into you, putting you completely under its spell. Blistering guitar work is strewn across the song, from crafty little fills to a wild but melodic solo which even has some harmony and trade off sections in it for good measure and all of this together creates a fantastic opening track.

“The Hammer” follows on with more of a harder sound to it. With more beef in the sound, its low end rumbles like a chopper, making sure everything around knows where it is. With that metal attitude oozing from it and the passionate vocal delivery which brings back the feeling of the first three Iron Maiden albums but with less punk snarl and more vocal control, it just hits you right on the head. Catchy hook laden riffs provide a fantastic backdrop for headbanging and the semi-thrash like soloing just adds that kick at the right time to really up the tempo.

“Curse Of A Thousand Deaths” is this album’s ‘epic’, clocking in at seven and a half minutes. Opening up with a sinister atmosphere setting progression of guitars laden with chorus and reverb playing a dark sounding arrangement, it really sets the scene for what promises to be an enticing sonic experience. The softly delivered vocals, almost like a ghostly whisper but full of haunting melody seep out from the melody, giving one of those raise the hairs on the back of your neck moments. As it slowly progresses, growing in volume and atmosphere, the anticipation builds and builds as the melodies become more intricate and cleverly arranged to the point where you’re just expecting an all mighty wall of noise to smash into you and leave you lying there in its wake. That wall doesn’t exactly come crashing down, but after four minutes, the fast paced metal seems to seep through the dense atmosphere of the song and inject some life into it with a fast paced section. With the solid vocal delivery and soaring feel riffs, it has an epic feel to it and the payoff is wonderful, especially the lead guitar section… Simply fantastic!

“Run For Cover” has a slight thrashy vibe to it. Bringing in the classic palm muted gallop, it charges ahead at a good energetic pace which encourages headbanging. The vocals are delivered faster and with more attitude behind them and in the chorus there is a slight hint of balls to them as they come off really powerful. With the fantastic riffs and wah-laden shredtastic solo, it is a classic 80’s metal track if there ever was one and it wouldn’t have sounded out of place on an album like “Killers” or “British Steel”. With some great fist in the air feel and rawness to it, it blends the heavy metal wildness and classic metal sound to maximum effect and that wild second solo sandwiched between some more gritty delivered vocals with sneering attitude behind them really nails it!

“Warrior Woman” follows on and this is another seven minute epic of a track. With a dramatic building harmony lead over some spoken word samples and war like drums, it grows in volume, creating another atmosphere before the big bass slide brings in a colossal sounding slow paced monstrous sound. Pounding riffs at an almost doomy pace really ramp up the loudness factor of the album and by the two thirty mark, it finally kicks in. Faster drums and hook laden guitar riffs drive the song on. As with the previous tracks, the well articulated and clean vocal delivery really comes through and holds its own. With the right mix of attitude and balls to it, the vocals really bring the track to life with some real metal flavour and those riffs are just great. Simple and effective, it is minimal input with maximum effect. The guitar and bass harmony section right before the raw sounding solo is great and when that solo comes in, it’s so simple it works brilliantly, allowing you to enjoy the solid rhythm work underneath whilst still finding your hands working up and down that air guitar’s fretboard. The post-solo breakdown is bass and vocal driven and it really builds the mood once more so when the guitars come in, the power really rings out in the vocals and wow… It’s fucking fantastic when it kicks in for the final run down with some big classic sounding Maiden chord work.

“Faces In The Mirror” brings back the more thrash/speed metal approach with a rapid guitar riff over a fast paced heavy groove. Vocally sharp and laced with great riffs and tricky fills, it really brings the action back to life after the previous track slowed it down by just the right amount. With a great headbang worthy pulse, it simply captures the attention and keeps hold of it, bringing tremendous energy to it and that shreding solo with some pounding riffs underneath hits the spot. Getting wilder as it goes on, the solo leads into a complicated sounding fast riff section where the guitars and bass harmonise with each other to great effect before the final chorus really brings it home. Short but with a great impact. “Never Be Enslaved” sounds like something out of the Iron Maiden back catalogue. Any moment now in the intro I’m expecting a “SCREAM FOR ME…..” shout ala Bruce Dickinson. The fantastic harmony lead and chordal approach from the bass with gradual drum build up really pumps the song up and when it explodes to life with that classic Maiden approach, it just sounds great. A sublime solo with a great bass groove underneath it nails the mood and the verse has the right pace to keep the energy going. Vocally its delivered great with the melodic voicing’s acting as an instrument in their own right, giving the chunky sounding riffs some flavour but when the chorus kicks in, it has that big moment feel. Powerful vocals, a rich bass tone which comes from an intricate bassline and some well phrased chords work to maximum effect. The break before the solo has a heavy kick to it and when the solo comes in, the rhythm is full on galloping power under a slick and technically sound dual guitar solo which hits the right balance between flair and structure. The harmony which follows again builds the mood, building the feel for a big sounding ending which really wraps it up nicely.

“The Dagger In Hand” kicks off with a bassline which has buckets of groove to it and a sweet sound. Steady drums and growing feedback slip into a heavy, chunky sounding riff fest with some tight vocal work which has some great power behind it and the simplicity of the chorus, those stabbed chords which pound away work great. Returning to the bassline and feedback, the second verse follows the same path as the first. It’s a classic metal track at just the right pace to headbang or drink and nod in approval to with plenty of scope for some fantastic sing along moments in the live setting. The twin guitar solo harmonies come in again over that pulsing bass riff and as the guitars work their way up the neck, it gets more intricate, growing more and more complicated with each passing phrase in the sequence and the end pay off – a furious sounding wild short solo which explodes to life before shifting into the chorus with no fuss in the slightest and it wraps things up nicely for the album closer. “The Wolverine” brings a close to proceedings with a rapid bass drum and guitar riff heavy intro which goes into that classic NWOBHM feel for one last time. With faster vocals, subtle but effective riff changes and tricky harmony fills, it just oozes heavy metal goodness. With a storming chorus it gets heavier and the dynamics, rolling the second guitar and bass in and out to give it an extra kick before the verse is a great touch. It ‘s just a solid track and like every track before it, it has that classic sound but played with a more modern feel, keeping both the great sound and appeal to it. For the final time we head into a slick sounding dual guitar solo run over a steady rhythm and as the two guitars trade off against each other, it gets faster and explodes into a great harmony ending before that classic metal riff comes in for the final chorus which draws a close to the album, ending in the most rock and roll way possible – the wild flailing round on instruments to give a chaotic and dramatic end to what has been a thoroughly enjoyable album!

On the whole, Night Viper is an astounding debut. It’s the kind of release which makes you sit up and take notice. It takes the classic, much loved NWOBHM style approach and sound and injects some modern kick into it, making the band sound like they belonged there in the early 80’s, on the road alongside Maiden, Priest, Saxon, Diamond Head and the other greats of 1980-’84. This is essential listening for all metal fans! You cannot miss out on this album. It is an all round solid with no weak moments whatsoever.

For me, this is a serious contender for Album of the Year.

(10/10 Fraggle)

 

Release date: December 4th