ALBUM REVIEW: Age of Taurus, "The Colony Slain"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 18/05/2018

Label: Rise Above Records

Age of Taurus still have the hunger and riffs to compete with the very best of the genre and the very British delivery elevates them far above their American counterparts 

“The Colony Slain” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. From the Hills to the Halls
2. Taken to the Tower
3. The Trial of Blackwynn Chaise
4. In Dreams We Die
5. The Lost Garrison
6. Beyond the Westward Path
7. For Treason We Rise
8. The Walls Have Ears
9. To Seal a Mountain
10. As Ice Into Blood
11. The Colony Slain

The Review:

Age of Taurus return with their second full length release, some five years after “Desperate Souls of Tortured time”. The Londoner's appetite hasn't dimmed, even if line-up changes have seen metal stalwart Alastair Riddell depart the ranks and the bassist Richard Bruce also leave. The band still deliver doom; no fuss, no branching out- just a very traditional British metal/doom sound.

After a mood setting intro, “Taken to the Tower” brings a surprising turn of speed and the familiarly mournful sounds of Toby W Wright's vocals. The NWOBHM influences are still firmly present here as are the much more downbeat doom stylings- “The Trial of Blackwynn Chaise” being a solid example of the latter.

There is a lot of reverb in the mix this time around, maybe even too much in places, but the quality riffs and arrangements are still easy enough to hear. Amongst the more rocking material, traditional doom can be found (“The Lost Garrison”) and once again, the lyrics and themes are historical, mythical and magical. By the time of “For Treason We Rise”, the album's pattern is fairly firmly established; slow doom intros often abound, faster riffage and galloping rhythms often replace it and the atmosphere is one of melancholy.

Truthfully, there is nothing new here and certainly nothing that you won't have heard, but that is not to say that the delivery is convincing and the performances absolutely committed. Yes, Wytch Hazel are doing this type of stuff with more subtlety- but Age of Taurus are just as effective as on their debut and take on the mantel of bands like Witchfinder General (probably their closest older brother) with deftness and aplomb.

For doom rock in 2018, look no further than this album. “The Walls Have Ears” and “To Seal A Mountain” are solid proof that Age of Taurus still have the hunger and riffs to compete with the very best of the genre and the very British delivery elevates them far above American counterparts trading on occult themes and something to do with biker gang films from the 60's.

The title track closes proceedings with three and a half minutes of convincing NWOBHM flavoured doom- much like the tracks that preceded it. There is much to recommend here and if you like the style of either of the bands mentioned above you cannot go wrong by getting hold of this. Doom on compatriots.

“The Colony Slain” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats – “Vol. 1” (Reissue)

By: Ernesto Aguilar


Album Type: Full length

Date Released:13/10/2017

Label: Rise Above Records

Imperfect though it may be, "Vol. 1" is a fascinating introduction to Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats' bold vision

 

"Vol. 1” CD//DD//LP track listing

1. Crystal Spiders

2. Witches Garden

3. Dead Eyes of London

4. Lonely and Strange

5. Vampire Circus

6. Do What Your Love Tells You

7. I Don’t Know

8. Wind Up Toys

The Review:

Psychedelic band Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats has gained somewhat of a cult status over the years. However, it is the best kind of cult status imaginable. The group has at once achieved notoriety while not gaining a level of household name currency. Such presence is a sweet spot for musicians: people know you, but not their moms, and not being played at the mall is absolutely not for lack of skills. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats' style of stoner rock with old-school heavy metal burnish has flashes of panache that bands like Electric Wizard have in abundance. Over its releases, the Kevin Starrs-fronted group has supplemented that with pulpy themes in its music and as such their music is truly fun to listen to, and the band's music has received well-deserved acclaim for it.

If you have been following Uncle Acid over its young career – from 2011's “Blood Lust”, 2013’s “Mind Control” or “The Night Creeper”, the 2015 entry – chances are the group hooked you with its fuzzed out freaky tales that always came across as more Dusk to Dawn than Leatherface. It is a catchy and creative mix that draws comparisons to some of the genre's all-stars, not to mention progressive acts like Pink Floyd. Among the stories that have circulated was how the celebrated band's story began on a 2010 debut, which originally made the rounds via CD-R. However, that recording has been elusive to most fans, save Youtube downloads and live shows. That is, until its longtime label, Rise Above Records, stepped in to reissue the out-of-print first recording.

With "Vol. 1," fans of Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats finally get a glimpse at the band's formative work. Perhaps it is no surprise that it is not the best the crew has performed, but it is among the most original.

"Crystal Spiders" begins the album, and it is filled with the energetic guitar work and the sticky rhythms you know of Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats. The back story to "Vol. 1" is that it is truly a do-it-yourself endeavor. It was reportedly self-recorded. This hardscrabble tale proves readily apparent as you tune in for the duration. A little too much volume and some loose production are evident. With "Witches Garden," the vocals are a bit more washed out by the rest of the arrangement than usual. However, it, just as with the next song "Dead Eyes of London," is a priceless look at a performer building a sound it is today loved for making. Its cornerstones – that classic rock 'n' roll feel, a lyricism that weaves a mystical tale into the music – are gestating on its debut. On "Lonely and Strange," the bass and drums take a more prominent role, just like they do in later releases and are a hallmark of this vibe. Imperfect though it may be, "Vol. 1" is a fascinating introduction to Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats' bold vision.

Starrs has been quoted as saying he wanted to oversee remixing and ensuring the new record met the standard he expected for fans. He does an admirable job in touching up the base material. "Do What Your Love Tells You" in the original telling, available online, gets its retro doom amped up on "Vol. 1." Similarly, the closer, "Wind Up Toys," is markedly improved from the original.

If you are a fan and caught "Vol. 1" online, the reissue is a treat you will not want to miss. And if you are curious about this burgeoning UK phenomenon, "Vol. 1" may help you understand how it all began.

"Vol. 1"will be available herefrom 13/10/2017

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: With The Dead - "Love From With The Dead"

By: Charlie Butler

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 22/09/2017

Label: Rise Above Records

The opening quartet of tracks here offers up a relentless onslaught of earth-shaking doom. Tim Bagshaw is on fine form, unleashing an endless stream of mammoth riffs and lead guitar that channel the hazy evil of his finest moments in Ramesses.  Lee Dorrian’s half spoken, half roared vocals work well in amongst the carnage and are a breath of fresh air in the modern doom landscape.

“Love From With The Dead” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). Isolation

2). Egyptian Tomb

3). Reincarnation of Yesterday

4). Cocaine Phantoms

5). Watching the Ward Goes By

6). Anemia

7). CV1

The Review:

The future of With The Dead seemed bleak following the sudden dismissal of Mark Greening shortly after the release of their debut. New LP “Love From With The Dead” shows there is plenty of life left within these undead servants of the riff.

It’s noticeable even from the bowel-churning opening notes of “Isolation” that “Love From With The Dead” is a different proposition from the band’s debut. Fortunately there is no change on the punishing heaviness front, but the strange atmosphere of their first album has been supplanted by a more conventional production and sound that befits the development of With The Deadfrom a studio project to a full live band. 

The opening quartet of tracks here offers up a relentless onslaught of earth-shaking doom. Tim Bagshaw is on fine form, unleashing an endless stream of mammoth riffs and lead guitar that channel the hazy evil of his finest moments in Ramesses, particularly during the epic churn of “Egyptian Tomb”. Lee Dorrian’s half spoken, half roared vocals work well in amongst the carnage and are a breath of fresh air in the modern doom landscape. The new rhythm section of Leo Smee and Alex Thomasdo a grand job of laying down an unshakeable foundation of low-end filth. 

With The Dead could probably draw upon an infinite well of sludged-up ragers like “Reincarnation Of Yesterday” and “Anemia” but it’s the deviations from the script that lead to the album’s finest moments. “Watching The Ward Go By” is a haunting and crushing dirge built around a single, desolate chord sequence. It emerges from a fog of eerie faraway sounds as a hushed, funereal hymn with Lee Dorrian’s spoken intonations heightening the dread. Around the mid-point the track erupts into a distorted nightmare that wrings maximum torment from the glorious monotony.

The best is saved for last in the form of the monstrous 17 minute “CV1”. It begins in familiar territory with lumbering riffs acting as a perfect foil to Dorrian’s impassioned rant about the sad decline of his home of Coventry. Around the mid-point the band lock into a minimal droning groove that the band hammer into oblivion. This acts as the backdrop for swirling psychedelic sounds and a rising tide of harsh electronic squall that finds With The Dead moving into a higher dimension of dark, mind-expanding noise.

“Love From With The Dead” could probably do with trimming some of its mammoth sixty minute plus duration to maximise impact but this is a minor complaint. This is a massive offering from With The Dead that demonstrates the band are still a force to be reckoned with in terms of heaviness and hints at a weirder future ahead.  

“Love From With The Dead” is available here

Band info: facebook

ALBUM REVIEW: Beastmaker - "Inside The Skull"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length

Date Released: 19/05/2017

Label: Rise Above Records

 

It's impressive that, only a year and a bit after their debut, Beastmaker have taken their sound and improved upon it with sharper song writing and an impressive grasp of what makes music of the trad doom genre tick.

“Inside The Skull” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1. Evil One

2. Heaven To Hell

3. Now Howls The Beast

4. Of Gods Creation

5. Give Me A Sign

6 Nature Of The Damned

7. Psychic Visions

8. Inside The Skull

9. Night Bird

10. Sick Sick Demon

The Review:

One year after “Lusus Naturae”, California's Beastmakerreturn for more retro true doom. This time around, they have improved on all elements present on their debut. Mixing Pentagram, Sabbath, Danzigand a healthy dose of classic horror appreciation the band have struck on a winning formula.

Once again, the sound is raw and live sounding; the bass clanks, the drums pound and clatter and the vocals are a pleasing mixture of melodic and sinister. Right off the bat, you know what the record will be like: riffs, hooks and macabre atmosphere aplenty. “Evil One” sounds as the title implies (great solo too), “Heaven To Hell”is menacing and weighty in equal measure.

The album highlight for me is “Now Howls The Beast”, replete with werewolf atmospherics and a riff that Victor Griffin himself would be very proud of! It's impressive that, only a year and a bit after their debut, Beastmakerhave taken their sound and improved upon it with sharper song writing and an impressive grasp of what makes music of the trad doom genre tick.

On a general level, there is nothing to pin-point as a misstep on this album; it's uniformly heavy, sharply written and really quite catchy in places. No twenty minute drone work outs here: this is doom rock in the vein of all acts mentioned above. To make a lazy comparison, this is perhaps an American equivalent (by dint of geography, but not in total sound) of Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats. The two bands plough a similar furrow and will appeal to a similar set of fans, I suspect.

Whether it be the plodding drama of “Nature of The Damned” or the swing of “Psychic Visions”, the power trio work as a tight unit and keep things stripped down and raw- exactly as it should be. With the title track promising nine eternities in doom and the riffs making good on that promise, the album goes into the closing straight very strongly. Taking a nod from Sabbath by not going overboard on album length has allowed the band to turn in a very strong set of focused songs- all nicely uniform in terms of sound and content.

The short, sharp and sinister “Sick Sick Demon” is a very strong finish to a very strong album. If you have any interest in Sabbath and/or Pentagram, then this album will be for you. It's gritty, great and even gruesome in parts. Their satanic majesties have returned.

“Inside The Skull” is available here



FFO: Black Sabbath, Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats, Pentagram, Orchid

Band info: facebook|| bandcamp

INTERVIEW: "Nine Eternities In Doom" - An Interview with Trevor Church from Beastmaker.

By: Steve Wilson

Fresno California’s Beastmakerdelivered one of the standout stoner/doom albums of 2016 with their debut “Lusus Naturae”. Their second album is out soon, to be followed by an extensive tour. Steve Wilson spoke to their founding member, singer/guitarist Trevor Church about his musical influences and plans for the band’s future. 

SL:You’ve just recorded a new album. What can fans expect when it’s released?

Horror and Doom. There is some Hitchcock inspiration and we’ve got some guest musicians on this album namely Johanna from Lucifer and Nate from Salem’s Pot. We wanted to continue where we left off on our debut writing dark riffs and lyrics of terror. I put some time into writing my guitars solos on this one. Our debut it was just improv solos. So, there are some subtle changes. Most importantly it’s heavy and filled with horror!

SL:Your debut album was released last year (“Lusus Naturae” - out on Rise Above Records). I’ve been lucky enough to hear an early version of the new one. It sounds a little more polished than its predecessor. Have you gone with the same studio, or do you like to try somewhere new each time you record?

We have built a studio at my house and that is where we do everything. Andy does all the mixing and mastering. I write all the music and engineer the record. We have an incredible dynamic together. We both pride ourselves in going through the learning curves and coming out on top. Coming from a place like Fresno there really aren’t any places I’d take Beastmaker to record an album. It’s costly to travel to record an album and we have no time limit. We can work as long as we feel we need too, getting the best result we can.

SL: “Lusus Naturae” and the accompanying 7” vinyl (“You Must Sin”) have artwork by Branca Studio. They have also designed merch for the band. How did you get together with them?

Branca Studio contacted me a little after the release of our demo. It really has been an amazing partnership. Sometimes in life things just click. It was fate that we crossed paths. I think he is the best graphic artist in the business. I don’t even have to give him direction. He just knows what’s up! You can’t buy that kind of friendship man. 

SL:You recently toured the UKand Europe in support of the first record. How did you find it? Was there anything you’d do differently on the next tour? 

Well, I would prefer to not break down multiple times in a rental next time around. We absolutely love touring the UKand Europe. The fans are amazing over there and it just makes it so worth the energy it takes to get on a plane. Hopefully this next time we have a driver. John and I drove and it was pretty interesting. Really it was an adventure. I got off the plane and next thing you know I’m driving on the other side of the friggin road going through roundabouts. We love that kind of thing though.

SL: Beastmaker are strongly influenced by horror movies, particularly those of Italian director Mario Bava (check out ‘Mask of Satan’ from the debut album). What are your favourites? Are there any obscure ones that have inspired Beastmaker songs that we should search out?  

I don’t know about obscure but the biggest influence when it comes to songwriting is “Tombs of the Blind Dead”. That is the epitome of what I’m trying to create musically. I like a lot of different movies from the 50’s to the 90’s. I like to create my own stories though as well.

SL:Moving on to musical influences now - what did you listen to growing up? What goes into the Beastmakersound beyond the obvious Black Sabbath influence?

I can’t speak for my band mates on this but for me it all began with skateboarding. My cousin Michael was 5 years older and listening to punk/metal. I was like 6 years old when I started listening to bands like The Misfits, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Motley Crue, Dead Kennedys, The Exploited, Sex Pistols, etc…Witchfinder General, and Danzig are really big influences for me musically. I feel connected to what they do and I try to recreate it with my own twist.

SL:For those that don’t know, you come from a musical family. Your dad, Bill Church, played bass in legendary ‘70’s rock band Montrose alongside Sammy Hagar, who would later replace David Lee Roth in Van Halen. Not too shabby! While this must have influenced you growing up, would you say that it has helped you as a musician (in terms of how to start a band and keep it going), or did it not make much difference?

My Dad is an amazing musician, so not to be inspired by him wouldn't make much sense. I had musical instruments all over the house my whole life. Originally my folks wanted me to be a drummer. I have many drummers in my family actually. My Mom’s cousin is Denny Carmassi also of Montrose and Heartto name a few. But, I didn’t like drums much and that’s when guitars started coming around.

Once again my Cousin Michael played guitar and taught me quite a bit. I can’t remember a time in my life where playing music didn’t exist. My cousin’s Brandon and Daniel were also musicians and we learned from each other. I actually really avoided my Dad’s music in my teenage years. I was really embarrassed of “I Can’t Drive 55”.

I was listening to a lot of different music in those days, mainly punk rock and Sammy Hagar to me was a mainstream thing. I always loved the Montrose record though. “Rock Candy” was the first song my Dad taught me to play on guitar. We went camping and I remember saying “hey shows me rock candy” and boom, ‘You Must Sin’ was created. Maybe some people will hear the influence.

SL: Last question! Thanks for taking the time to do this interview. What are your plans for Beastmaker in the coming year?

We’ve got our new album coming out in spring. The rest will unfold. We will be hitting the road for sure. With some new things for our live show.

Band info: facebook | bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell - "Keep It Greasy"

By: Richard Maw

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 14/10/2016
Label: Rise Above Records

“All in all, a great showing for these rockers- it does exactly as the album title promises.”

“Keep It Greasy” CD//DD//LP track listing:

1). U Got Wot I Need
2). Hairy Brain Pt. 2
3). Hawkline Monkster
4). Paid in Full
5). I'm Movin'
6). Potato Boy
7). Tired'n'wired
8). Wrong

The Review:

Straight outta Hastings, the excellently (and locally) monikered Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovelbring the old school rock n roll once again with this collection of eight tracks melding 70's tunesmithery with more psychedlic influences- as evidenced by many song lengths running well over the six minute mark. Opener “U Got Wot I Need” sets the raucous tone, while “Hairy Brain Part 2”opens the sound up to more expansive sounds via dynamics aplenty and tempo shifts.

The album continues along this line with out and out rocker followed by more expansive and expressive fair, guaranteeing that the record flows nicely and each track is distinguishable from the next. “Paid in Full” is a slow and bluesy workout with some nice audible bass work and a uniquely British sensibility. The interludes at the end of tracks/at the start of tracks are something you will have to hear for yourself and make up your mind about. Do they add anything? You decide.

Certainly, once “I'm Movin” gets going it is like The Whojamming with Leafhound. The best title award (for this or possibly any other album) goes to “Potato Boy” which is a rocker, but at a lower tempo, centred around a Hendrixy type of riff and low slung drumming. Great stuff. “Tired ‘n’ Wired” is a real foot stomper, slapping you around the face before the closing statement of “Wrong” brings the noise and dirt.

All in all, a great showing for these rockers- it does exactly as the album title promises.

“Keep It Greasy” is available here

Band info: facebook

FFO: Sir Lord Baltimore, Budgie, Witchcraft, Danava