Fireside 2.1 (https://fireside.fm) The Metal Cell Podcast Blog https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:00:00 +0100 The Metal Cell Podcast Blog en-us Partholón - The Ocean Pours In https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/theoceanpoursin Tue, 16 Jul 2024 20:00:00 +0100 [email protected] ef602329-9612-40b1-b08e-925ffba225a3 Not every band can evolve and grow, while staying true to themselves. Change and diversity is essential in keeping things fresh and relevant. Partholón have found that delicate balance between being true to their roots and progressing at the right pace, and in the right direction. That over-used saying, “their sound is maturing” could be used here, but it would do the band a disservice. Partholón continue to steam forward, and to use another old saying, this is their best release yet! But it’s true! It took me three uninterrupted listens to Partholón's latest release, The Ocean Pours In, to finally get it! Bear with me for a minute, because there is justification for such a dangerous opening comment within the realms of reviewing! Nowadays music is so throwaway, and so undervalued, that people's attention span seems to be wavering when it comes to seeking new music. It’s so easy today to find an album, and literally skip through its contents within two minutes and make an ill-fated and uneducated decision to decide that the album is not for you. Great albums need time. A great album has so many elements to it that it simply cannot be deciphered on a glancing listen. Give an album time to grow and reveal itself, and the rewards are infinite

So, lets fast forward beyond those three uninterrupted musical experiences I mentioned earlier, and with a little background to the album from the band themselves, “The Ocean pours In is a cathartic journey of life imitating art. From the Mary Russell seafaring tragedy to the death of an ancient tradition, five songs, spanning 37 mins, explore the hearts and minds of those that have come and gone. Married with the legend of Partholón, the tracks explore local history, mythology, tragedy and truth”.

From the coarse guitars and near tribal drums of the opener, Skin Of The Beast, the atmosphere is sparse and unsettling. There is a lot of space in the sound, a near-naked vocal, that is initially void of those crushing post metal riffs you come to expect from Partholón, and it catches you cold! However, with retrospection on my earlier comment, it’s a stroke of genius, because once the heft comes hammering at your door, its impact is devastating. The rasp and punishing vocal of Daniel Howard scrawls at your skin, and when the chorus, if you can call it that, comes thundering in, there is a harmony and a melody that cements the track, and makes for an absolute beast of an opener, and probably one of the best tracks the band have written to date.

This is followed by Gathered In Circles, which has this menacing and brooding undercurrent beneath it, all set under a slow tempo trudge, with big, pulverizing riffs courtesy of James Grannell and Barry Murray, that literally beat you to a pulp.

Then comes Pillars, a vicious and bass-led brute of a track that sends shock waves through your body and hammers cracks through the walls. The intensity is instant, and once “We were born between pillars” is chanted with all that emotion and vehemence, the atmosphere is electric. Add some mind-bending lead solos that shoot fire and fury, and you have the perfect storm right here! The track ebbs and flows through tempos and moods with hymn-like serenades colliding with deathly war cries, making Pillars possibly the second best track that Partholón have created!

Light Chamber brings with it tragedy and torment. The pain and the intent bleeds off every whispered word, drifting weightless upon the deftest of percussions, which is a far cry from the punishment that Alan Setter normally dishes out! However, as the track grows, those metronomic drum patterns along with the guitars joining in unison, creates a hypnotic and trance-like atmosphere that sucks you in and takes hold, right to the death.

The concept of The Water Pours In is based in some part around The Mary Russell, a trading boat that set sail from the harbour of Cobh, Ireland, on 8 February 1828, carrying a cargo of mules bound for Barbados. When it returned to Cobh on 25 June 1828, the ship's captain had brutally murdered seven of his crewmen. The closing track on the album, We Swallow The Ocean brings with it a seafaring shanty and a deep sense of loss and foreboding, echoing that ill-fated voyage. With a collective vocal rendition lamenting the loss of its crew, this track shows another side to Partholón. I mentioned the word melody earlier, and it’s used shrewdly here again, playing a huge part in the track's storytelling and its melancholic atmosphere. Closing with an old spoken passage, Partholón bring closure to a truly memorable album.

Not every band can evolve and grow, while staying true to themselves. Change and diversity are essential in keeping things fresh and relevant. Partholón have found that delicate balance between being true to their roots and progressing at the right pace, and in the right direction. That over-used saying, “their sound is maturing” could be used here, but it would do the band a disservice. Partholón continue to steam forward, and to use another old saying, this is their best release yet! ...but this time it’s true!

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Enshroud – Mortal https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/mortal Wed, 19 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0100 [email protected] b93d9e50-c9eb-4369-9cd1-cac31850be2e Mortal is a kaleidoscope of raw energy in its purest form, adorned with visceral lamentations, and this great oceanic tsunami of compelling and melodic wizardry. Mortal is an album that weighs heavy and heartbroken by its subject matter, but musically, it will elevate the listener with some of the finest death, doom and melodic metal you will hear for a long time to come. Faceless, anonymous and cloaked in obscurity, Enshroud are a unique entity, a mystery and an anomaly within the realms of extreme music. A dark sense of disquiet, married with reserved excitation of this latest release has caused rumblings and reverberations throughout the metal community. To follow up Darkness Grips Us All with something equally as powerful was no mean feat but let me put all concerns to bed right here, right now……Mortal is a colossus. It’s a kaleidoscope of raw energy in its purest form, adorned with visceral lamentations, and this great oceanic tsunami of compelling and melodic wizardry. Mortal is an album that weighs heavy and heartbroken by its subject matter, but musically, it will elevate the listener with some of the finest death, doom and melodic metal you will hear for a long time to come.

Opening with Dust To Dust, Enshroud have nailed their colours to the mast in what they want to achieve with this album. Harmonic yet punishing, the atmosphere here is thick and overcast. The opening vocal delivery is harsh and dogged, but all of a sudden, the tone shifts, and we are graced with some glorious harmonies and dual vocals, all delivered above a mist of synthesised atmospherics. It’s not too often you can speak so openly about melody within extreme music, but here, Enshroud have mastered that tight rope, and have flawlessly balanced this musical contradiction.

Frailty has that Gojira inspired intro, that has you instantly locked in with its brutal and menacing riffs and its double kicked ferocity. Gravelled vocals bite and gnaw through every guitar shred, and ultimately lead you into what can only be described as a moment of overwhelming joy and ethereal splendour. The keening and pining that comes thundering though the speakers tie a knot in the pit of your stomach. Its forlorn, yet beautiful. Simply sublime.

This album, I’m told is written about the experiences that someone goes through with the loss of a loved one through terminal illness, an emotion and a hurt that many of us will have to experience in our lifetime. Enshroud were able to bring all that hurt and heartache and manifest something that is as heavy as fuck, but with just the right amount of celestial harmonies and melodies to make it feel personal. A Fate For No One exemplifies this to perfection. Soft, sullen guitars and weightless vocals open the track with gentle waves of synths washing over it all. As the track evolves however, the mood changes and the emotion reaches new heights, with spiralling guitars, crushing rhythm guitars and those soft sullen bass lines tying it all together.

There are eight tracks to consume you on Mortal, all equally as powerful as the next. Diversity is key here, and the ease at which Enshroud can metamorphosize themselves is a joy to listen to. Take the prog-inspired Safe in Forever for example. I don’t know where to begin describing this track! It has everything, and everything is in its right place. The tempo is engaging, the vocal harmonies are inspiring and the journey the music takes you on is transcendent.

Fallen time closes the album with a brooding and metronomic groove which in turn releases more of those gorgeous, translucent vocals we’ve been graced with earlier in the album. It’s never easy to choose a closing track on an album, because to me, it must leave a mark. It has to resonate, so much so, that you need to listen to that track on its own once more, and then replay the whole album again afterwards. And this track, my friends, is perfection. The emotion I felt listening to this final chapter of Mortal hit me hard. This is an aural blizzard of epic proportions, where the musicianship is mind-blowing, and the sentiment is both powerful and poignant. The hairs on the back of my neck stood in awe at this track, at the whole album really. Enshroud are special, and Mortal HAS to be in your collection. Available through Burning Metal Records.

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Coroza - As Within https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/aswithin Sat, 18 May 2024 01:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 2ad4901b-0513-4653-9278-76d9399f5018 All this stark and natural beauty must somehow make its way into our DNA, and in the case of a band like Coroza, well, they have breathed in all that energy and are now allowing it to seep out of every pore of their being. They have harnessed all that is monolithic and monumental within the extreme music spectrum and crafted an album that is both fearless and formidable. What gives so many Irish metal bands this natural ability to produce some of the heaviest, sludgiest and most impactful music out there today?
I sometimes wonder if it’s the untamed Atlantic Ocean that batters our coastline, the chiselled and rugged mountainscapes that cast great shadows over the landscape, or even the unbounded peat sodden terrain that sprawls across the countryside. All this stark and natural beauty must somehow seep its way into our DNA, and in the case of a band like Coroza, well, they seem to have consumed all that energy and are now allowing it to seep out of every pore of their being. They have harnessed all that is monolithic and monumental within the extreme music spectrum and crafted an album that is both fearless and formidable.

As Within is composed of five bruising and expansive tracks that literally crawl into your soul and travel through every part of your body, taking complete control of your senses. Right from the opener, Myrrh, the fire within the belly of the beast is unleashed with a swagger, a groove and a slickness about it, which oozes power and immediate respect. The riffs heave and the drums thunder forth with an almost 70’s Sabbath vibe, slow and ponderous yet full of malice and unease. Gravel-choked vocals add another layer and dimension to the track, with some impressive tempo changes and double kick bass drums. Dropping to an eerie, reverbed lone guitar adds to the air of trepidation and despair. A quality opening track.

Right from the off, Immersed doesn’t hold back with its blackened fury and blast beaten tirades, which cleverly dissolve into a “Rime Of The Ancient Mariner” styled breakdown. Sinister and chilling, it weaves and meanders through some unsettling, haunting vocals that seem to bounce off the cavern walls and cover you in a dark, heavy mist. When the track comes alive again however, one of the finest riffs adorn your eardrums. Beautifully distorted, deeply melodic, and vicious in its delivery, your head will sway, rock and be detached from its shoulders! And if all that wasn’t enough, some Mastodon-esque vocals bring the music down another darkened and familiar path, making this track is an absolute joy to listen to.

An instrumental piece, The Shifting Sands, shows yet another string to the Coroza bow, with the vibe and energy of the music taking a trippy, psychedelic twist, almost trance-like. Hallucinatory and almost Hindu-like duel guitaring, along with the smoothest of basslines make a welcome change in mood, and serves as the perfect entrée to the next track, Scorched Earth. This is another beast, with so many layers to it, so many nuances and surprises around every corner. Chugging riffs and more contrasting vocal styles really make Coroza stand out from the crowd.

The lads have really shown on this record how tight and in sync they are with one another. I won’t use the word polished to describe it, because there is a grit and an edge to their sound that gives it an unpolished feel to it. I think a better word would be ruggedly refined!

The closing track, and title track to the album, As Within has to be one of the finest Irish tracks I’ve heard in quite some time. The mood and the aura that’s radiated from this piece of music is sublime. Patient, precise and abound in melancholia, the music plods forcefully through that peat-sodden soil I mentioned earlier. Laden in all that is forlorn and forgotten, it traverses through a vocal masterclass and toys with so many tones, even incorporating a near- Gregorian chant to stir the senses! The harmonies are flawless and the Thin Lizzy duel guitars intertwine effortlessly. A fitting finale to an album that will see Coroza rise to the next level. Some more national gigs, and a wander across to the UK and beyond has to be on the cards to promote an album as good as this. Watch this space!

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Terror Syndrome – As Daylight Falls https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/asdaylightfalls Mon, 18 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000 [email protected] a382982a-3f9b-4d6e-8ba2-959ddbcee325 With a mix of synthwave, dark ambient rock and metal, Terror Syndrome has pirouetted its way onto the Irish metal scene with a sound that transports you through the cosmos and beyond with its dance-trodden beats and its vast, futuristic soundscapes, all of which balances itself seductively on a knife edge between what is metal and what is dance. With a mix of synthwave, dark ambient rock and metal, Terror Syndrome has pirouetted its way onto the Irish metal scene with a sound that transports you through the cosmos and beyond with its dance-trodden beats and its vast, futuristic soundscapes, all of which balances itself seductively on a knife edge between what is metal and what is dance. Throughout the last twenty plus years, we’ve seen dance music influence rock, and vice versa. Just think of bands like The Prodigy throughout the nineties and noughties, and maybe more recently bands like Rammstein, who lean heavily on synths, and in doing so have flirted with the mainstream. However you look at it, its nothing new……..but at the same time it is!!

Terror Syndrome is a solo project from county Cork, and for such a young artist, this latest album, As Daylight Falls sounds polished and well established. My knowledge of this darkwave, synthesised genre of music is limited, but I can always appreciate good music, irrespective of what form it takes. The opening track Creatures Of The night immediately sets the scene, layered in celestial synths and dance beats that have been teleported back from the eighties. Throw in an intergalactic guitar solo and a techno breakdown and what you have here is a kaleidoscope of colour and chaos that gets the adrenaline pumping and those Dr. Marten boots tapping!

The track Beyond, interestingly enough, reminds me of one of my favourite bands. Leech released For Better Or For Worse back in 2018, and at the time it was seen as being hugely experimental and a little avant-garde for its time, and for its genre. But it worked, and so does this track. Mid-tempo and layered with a rich wall of sound, the music expands and swells into an astral orchestra that has you travelling weightless through the galaxy, with no concept of time! A great track.

Taking a more metal stance is the high octane, air punching, head thrashing track, Paranormal Force. Very dancey at times but with enough grit and spit beneath it, the music shreds, and spirals through sweet seraphic solos, and crushing cosmic riffs! Then you have the title track, As Daylight Falls which incorporates all of the elements mentioned before, and harnesses all that energy, and funnels it through a patient piece of interstellar sorcery. Slow understated electronica layered with a sombre melody makes this track worthy of the title track.

With eleven tracks to travel through, there is plenty here to keep you soaring above the earth, however, if I was to be hyper critical, I would say that it’s maybe two tracks too long. Either way, its an impressive release, made even more impressive by the age of the artist! It bodes well for the future and if anything, it’s a stellar shot in the arm to the metal scene.

https://terrorsyndrome.bandcamp.com/album/as-daylight-falls

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Fraught - Transfixed on Dying Light https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/transfixed Sun, 18 Feb 2024 08:00:00 +0000 [email protected] a99ee736-f356-4dae-baf7-f66043d5604b Originally formed in 2018 under the band name Drought, Fraught sought to re-establish themselves in 2019, in order to avoid falling foul to the confusion of being misunderstood and mistaken with other bands that shared the same name. With a sound saturated beneath blackened sludge and further cemented in a visceral mist of doom and dolor, you can see how Fraught’s blueprint was long established thanks to their time in bands like Coldwar, Warpath, Mortichnia, Wound Upon Wound and Slave Zero.

Musically this latest album, Transfixed on Dying Light, is a kaleidoscope of all things black and grey. It’s spiteful vocal deliveries along with its black, blast beaten percussions lay a foundation of grit and gore, while shredded guitars and pummeling bass chords raise the stakes, manifesting their sound into a tsunami of torment and trauma. Death, doom and all things wretched await you on this journey through the gloom.

The opening track, The Hunt opens with these loose, distorted chords that reverb and slowly create an air of impending fear and fury, and right on cue, the floor beneath you caves in as a barrage of menace and mayhem is unleashed. Blast beats, melody driven riffs and rasping vocals batter you mercilessly, without respite. The intent and the sheer ferocity is palpable, as each bass-kick rabbit-punches your ribcage. And that savagery doesn’t let up there, as Crimson Trail’s bloodied path is trodden and torn asunder under a maelstrom of black metal menace. Bleak and sunless, those big chunky guitar chords get stretched and pulled in all directions, and a bass solo even gets in on the act to reaffirm the brutality beneath the music.

The tempos change on tracks like Indignities Of Decay & Sublimated Misanthropy to a more melancholic and downcast state of mind. Those funereal drums and wailing guitars plunder along in mourning and churn up the sodden earth beneath with the heaviest of riffs and a vocal growl that bleeds utter torment. The music literally digs its own grave, ploughing its way down through the dirt, six feet under.

The mist and the smog is thick and heavy on the title track, Transfixed on Dying Light, and for me the highlight, or should I say lowlight of the album! Snail paced, and meandering through the depths of despair, those My Dying Bride -esque vocals carry and echo through the thick dense air, while more of those thick bass lines rumble and rattle every bone in your body. This track gets right under your skin, it’s uncomfortable… it’s sinister…. it’s unsettling…..it’s a fucking beast!.

The album closes with Prey, a three-minute soundtrack to every nightmare you’ve had. Noisy, haunting and final. So, there you have it, Fraught have gotten inside your head, and Transfixed on Dying Light will not be an easy one to shake off. Quality from start to finish.

https://fraughtband.bandcamp.com/album/transfixed-on-dying-light

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Chemical Addiction – Backburner https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/backburner Sat, 18 Nov 2023 09:00:00 +0000 [email protected] b882b7ae-c43b-4c49-bf4c-6d65cb33c942 Right from the off Chemical Addiction have you hook, line and sinker with the grooviest of hooks and the coolest of vibes, which teleport you straight back to that seismic Seattle grunge scene which dominated the early nineties and beyond. Laced in cool vibrations and dripping in rhapsodic pleasures, this is music that will have your head swivelling and pirouetting to every beat and every chugging riff. Right from the off Chemical Addiction have you hook, line and sinker with the grooviest of hooks and the coolest of vibes, which teleport you straight back to that seismic Seattle grunge scene which dominated the early nineties and beyond. Laced in cool vibrations and dripping in rhapsodic pleasures, this is music that will have your head swivelling and pirouetting to every beat and every chugging riff.

Backburner is the latest EP from the Kilkenny alternative rockers, and what we have here is 4 monster tracks to get your teeth into, 4 tracks to help turn back time and reminisce of a generation that left its print on music as a whole. This is not to say that Chemical Addiction are some kind of tribute act to the likes of Soundgarden or Alice In Chains, far from it! They may harbour the heart and soul of that time, but the lads have brought a freshness and a sharpened edge with them for Backburner. The blueprint may have a Seattle stamp of approval on it, but what Chemical Addiction have done is elevate and accentuate their willingness to cross genres and bring in many nuances from other rock and metal styles.

The opener, Auto Nerve, to be fair is straight up grunge dynamite, with swirling guitars riffs and lightly rasped vocals courtesy of Dan Pearson and Benjamin Keating. The texture and vocal tone is bang on the money, and there’s no denying Dan’s influences here. Add to that, Benjamin’s backing vocals along with hook after hook, and a truly memorable melody-strewn solo towards the end of the track, Auto Nerve becomes both dynamic and hugely anthemic.

California Hillbilly Suicide plays off those nuances I mentioned earlier with some subtle thrash inspired riffs opening the track, and some clever chorus chanting to reaffirm that willingness to experiment. Small details, but bring them all together and you’re onto a winner. With sirens wailing and a sick bass line nailing everything down thanks to Moe Curtin, there’s plenty here to keep you entertained.

Infused in funk and bolted to the floor by the drumming of Daire Nolan, both Timewaster and Amsterdamaged weigh heavy in chunky guitars and powerful percussions. Even with that "Even Flow" air hanging over it, Timewaster still manages to incorporate a heftier edge to it and harnesses a more aggressive vibe than Pearl Jam would have. Amsterdamaged closes the EP with more of the goodness we have consumed by the previous tracks. With a chorus that will have audiences chanting and flying their fists into the Smokey air, this only whets the appetite for seeing Chemical Addiction in a live environment.

There are many grunge tribute bands out there plying their trade, and good luck to them all, but if you want to savour the grunge experience properly, why not absorb it through original music and from a band that are playing at a very high level. Backburner is a slab of alternative rock that will appeal to many tastes. It has a bite to it and an energy emanating from it, that’s downright infectious.

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The Grief – Crucible https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/crucible Fri, 20 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 5eb356a1-a99b-43a2-90d1-60c26927ae84 The Grief are yet another great Irish band tirelessly plying their trade, crafting brilliant and original compositions, but with a very dignified tip of the cap to all that has gone before it. A superb release. Listening to the opening lead swells of The Forging for the very first time was like receiving a deep and sun-soaked embrace from a dear, dear friend of old whom you hadn’t set eyes upon in years. There was that instant yearning to reconnect and reminisce on better times. There’s a fondness and a sincerity locked into that kind of encounter that can never be destroyed. Upon hearing this opening track, that connection was felt once again from a musical standpoint, and it transported me back to the glory days of some of the finest melody strewn doom metal that has ever graced these tender ears! We all remember bands like My Dying Bride, Anathema, Paradise Lost, Tiamat, Solstice, Cathedral , Katatonia, and as far back as Celtic Frost. Well, I’m delighted to see The Grief carry that torch, or that cross, depending on how you like to see it, and carry those melancholic and brow beaten slabs of epic doom metal to the next generation.

As already mentioned, the opener, The Forging is laced with these heart-breaking, tear-soaked guitars that lead the procession under a clattering of funereal paced percussions, all serenaded by Steve Quinn’s crisp, clean vocals, that dance and delight the airwaves as they soar and weep heavenwards. It’s a powerful track with a glorious chorus that hits a point where you couldn’t envisage the track ever reaching.

With nine tracks to mourn and lament upon, The Grief have really taken the next step in song writing and are delivering it with all the splendour and grandeur that this genre of music thrives upon. Always melodic and always striving forward with its emotionally charged atmospherics, Crucible is a minefield of clever chord progressions and subtle key changes that keep the music flowing and even though its structurally doom based, there’s many nuances buried deep within that keep you enthralled and locked in.

The vocal harmonies and dual guitaring of Paul Quinn and John Murphy in Icon Of All Hope for example, sounds so fresh and vibrant in a genre that drapes itself over all things forlorn, and you know something, it is a revelation to witness! Then you have the galloping and battle-sore riffs of The Architect that crush and flatten before spiralling into a Paradise Lost inspired chorus. To add to all that is being laid out before your eyes, you cannot overlook the mixing and mastering on display. It’s crisp and clean when needed and it can turn sour and soiled when called upon. The guitar tone is like velvet as they interlace and criss-cross each other.

The haunting title track, Crucible is yet another triumph with more lead guitars sparking off those downtrodden rhythm guitars and that deep, grovelling bass, courtesy of Kieran O Leary. The gloom and the sorrow echoed on this track is a beautiful thing when it’s played in tandem with the meatier sections, very My Dying Bride, and that must be a good thing surely!

Closing with A Cycle Broken, The Grief showcase all their strengths, with a tight and metronomically precise style that isn’t found too often in doom circles. Tempo changes, and the transitioning from heavy to soft flows seamlessly and again, the vocal ranges are a pillar of power yet again. The Grief are yet another great Irish band tirelessly plying their trade, crafting brilliant and original compositions, but with a very dignified tip of the cap to all that has gone before it. A superb release.

https://thegrief1.bandcamp.com/album/crucible

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Third Island – Burning https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/burning Wed, 04 Oct 2023 17:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 5272afca-c006-453a-8225-69779aaea597 The Irish metal scene harbours an abundance of talented bands, with many imposing their authority through a brutal and often sludgy style of metal that rises from our turf-sodden earth and swallows you whole, from the ground, upwards. It’s slow and it’s barely noticeable at times, but it does get to a point where you find yourself struggling to breathe, as those slow, all-consuming riffs, those pummelling bass lines and the malignant percussive force engulf every fibre of your being. This style of music is here to stifle and engulf the listener. It’s bleak and it’s harsh, but that’s the blackened beauty of it all. Bands like Raum Kingdom, Partholon, Slung From A Tree, and Grey Stag all offer up these sludgy and muddy passages in their sound, and now you can add Third Island to that list.

The Limerick trio of John Quill, Seamus Quaid & Scott Kemp are no strangers to the Irish metal scene, and have already released music under Third Island, and other projects besides. But what sets this new EP, Burning apart from earlier releases is the bleak atmosphere that seems to smother you right from the off. That stark, stoney guitar tone instantly grabs you by the throat on the opening track, Burning. Dampened vocals clash and contrast against harsh, guttural growls as the track plods its weary way through unfathomed chasms that echo dark, brooding riffs and thunderous drums. Its gloomy ether is both hypnotic and addictive and is a fantastic track to open proceedings.

More psychedelia and sullen, stoner vibes reverb off the following track, Like Gold, where that lead guitar hook charms and weaves its way through more of those hefty rhythm sections. The bass guitar stands front and centre throughout, with a middle eastern groove that courses through your veins and rumbles through your chest. Low Light on the other hand is more simplified in structure but still breeds terror and disquiet. Those chanting vocals that were evident on the earlier tracks really come to the fore, amidst a breakdown that has your head swaying from side to side as each snare and cymbal gets punished.

Bury The Sun closes the EP with its slow-paced grind and its narcotic tendencies, that lean heavy on those old Sabbath styled grooves. Vocals fill the visceral air with fear and trepidation as the track rumbles forward, before finally exploding into a cacophony of euphoric strobes and delirius psychedelia. Unexpected, but equally welcomed.

Burning has really shown how diverse and interesting sludge and doom metal can be. Get the basics right, play them well, then add your own personality to the mix, and you have music that warms the soul, no matter how black or bleak it may be. Third Island have it in spades.

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Haint - Terminally Evolved EP https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/evolved Sat, 16 Sep 2023 12:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 5e2ba3f5-414f-4bcc-a61b-9a1e8027b316 The winners of the 2022 Metal 2 The Masses have conjured up an EP that sees diversity and hard graft metamorphosize into a post metal/ grunge infused entity that thrives and flourishes upon each listen. Belfast post-doom/grunge metallers Haint are on the verge of releasing their debut EP, Terminally Evolved, and on first listen, this is an EP that has truly hit the ground running with its ferocious pace and its immense power. The Northern Irish trio have had to fight hard and had to dig deep within themselves to reach this point, and if there was ever a band that got to where they are today on merit, Haint hold all the aces. The winners of the 2022 Metal 2 The Masses have conjured up an EP that sees diversity and hard graft metamorphosize into a post metal/ grunge infused entity that thrives and flourishes upon each listen.

The opening track, Ares doesn’t hold back as it pulverizes the senses right from the get-go with an onslaught of gravel-choked vocals and brutally heavy riffs that blow the holes in the walls, before transitioning into a melodic and unyielding tirade that locks and loads without mercy. It’s catchy, it’s aggressive and it’s addictive, as it shapeshifts though many different shapes and patterns.

The atmosphere is turned on it head with the following track, Hal, with its Alice In Chains inspired harmonies and its heavy, down tuned rhythm guitars. Spoken words reverb through the clammer before a lush wall of noise assembles and carries you through a beautifully melodic passage that echoes ToolsSchism, both in delivery and structure. Screaming At The Storm continues with more clean, harmonized vocals and another solid slab of meaty melancholic meanderings that are occasionally sliced open with more of those rasping, visceral growls. Other than that, the track remains relatively calm and composed and is solid piece of work.

Everything I Lost stands out from the rest as it morphs through many different vocal styles. Each one is delivered with great power and intent, as you’d expect, but the way in which they all differ in tone and texture is a joy to listen to. Too many bands become stagnant and predictable with one constant tone, but Haint aren’t afraid to throw caution to the wind and flood the music with some brilliant, and often beautiful vocal acrobatics.

Closing with more Tool inspired atmospherics, Genius Loci brings more of Haints heft and fury along for one final swansong. It’s equally as good as everything that went before it and closes the EP with the greatest of convictions. To be honest, I still struggle to decipher what constitutes an album or an EP these days, I mean we have five tracks to drool over here, altogether weighing in at just under 30 minutes! Either way, Terminally Evolved is quality and is a statement of intent by the band. It’s early days in their journey, but the future is bright and given the support they deserve, we’ll be hearing a lot more from Haint.

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Necrokinesis - A Force Made Flesh https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/necro Thu, 03 Aug 2023 23:00:00 +0100 [email protected] a8085bb5-7cbb-4833-bd35-35a7b777c375 Hailing from the banks of the River Barrow, Adrian Foley writes and performs everything on the album, making Necrokinesis a DIY project that has all the nuclear power and all the potency needed to make the sound and sonic soundscape of this album monumental The resurgence of our most revered and respected thrash and death metal bands has in theory, its core values well intact, but often sounding a little jaded and forced. Not all, but some. So, for me, it’s brilliant to see new bands emerging with the soul and crux of their sound echoing all those bands that laid the foundations and built fortresses for us to worship for decades.

Necrokinesis is one such project that has been flying the flag of hate since 2020, and this week, has released their sophomore album, A Force Made Flesh. Hailing from the banks of the River Barrow, Adrian Foley is the man behind the project. Adrian writes and performs everything on the album, making Necrokinesis a DIY project that has all the nuclear power and all the potency needed to make the sound and sonic soundscape of this album monumental.

A Poisoned Mind wastes no time is laying siege with its traditional thrash fueled onslaught, full of high tempo percussions and razor-sharp riffs that cut through the track with ease. The energy and force of 80’s and 90’s come hurtling towards you, with all these little nuances and shadings adorning the track, and indeed the album. Lead solos, down tuned bass guitars and flourishes of unbridled fury make this a glorious journey down memory lane. Saying this, don’t think for a second that there isn’t something new or fresh on display here. Even though its roots travel deep, Necrokinesis is breeding new life into that thrash and death sound. The production is top drawer and the clean crisp transitions from big power chords to vicious shredded rhythm sections is seamless.

There are eight tracks on offer here, all bringing the helter skelter we crave. Tracks like The God You Kneel To, has that Sepultura guitar sound you heard on Dead Embryonic Cells ringing through it, but another layer of sound is added to the mix, a faint synthesized backdrop, which adds to the menace and drama. More finger flourishes along the fretboard and grim, visceral growls finish off this beast of a track.

Tracks like Atonement change things up a bit in terms of pace and power, bringing the tempo down a level or two, before the ferocious Skin Them Alive pummels the senses with its high-octane assault. Double kicked bass drums and blood curdling riffs pulverise and punish you without remorse. This is high speed death and thrash metal at its finest.

Another standout track for me is Long Cold Dark, which has all the horror and dread you find curdled up in tracks like Dead Skin Mask. Devoid of vocals, the track transcends from the depths beneath and spirals skywards on a tornado of swirling lead solos and thick deadpan rhythm sections. I am a sucker for instrumental music, so this track really hits the spot, and could have continued on for another two or three minutes easily.

The album closes with A Force Made Flesh, and like all that has gone before it, each element plays its part perfectly. It’s harsh and spiteful tirades intertwined with high tempo drums and shuddering riffs create the perfect storm. Call it thrash metal, death metal, or heavy metal, Necrokinesis have certainly filled a void that has been ignored for too long. It’s polished when it needs to be, and explosive when it wants to be. A stellar release.

https://necrokinesis.bandcamp.com/album/a-force-made-flesh

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THE CRAWLING – All Of This For Nothing https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/allofthis Sun, 16 Jul 2023 07:00:00 +0100 [email protected] ce90de43-8639-49b2-b634-47ab5d8aeb08 A beautifully bleak and brutal journey through the realms of grief and despair. With their sixth release shortly upon us, Lisburn’s disciples of doom and death, The Crawling are back with another blackened and brow beaten, beast of an album. All Of This For Nothing brings more of that forlorn gloom that has adorned all their previous work, but with this release the lads have really dug deeper that ever before, and have conjured up seven tracks of crushingly heavy but deeply melancholic doom metal that chronicles terrible tales of woe and disquiet. And we wouldn’t want it any other way! To quote guitarist/vocalist Andy Clarke’s brutal summation of existence…“Life is a journey through a bleak, cold, harsh reality that ends in a void of nothingness”… and All Of This For Nothing is the perfect soundtrack to that unforgiving philosophy". Enough said!

The first track on the album, March Of The Worm, immediately sounds the death march, as drums roll and rumble through the intro, laying the foundations for those shredded guitars to pierce the umbra and bring forth the ever familiar harsh and black-hearted vocals of Andy. Its slow-paced power and gut-wrenching delivery really sets the scene perfectly for what is to come.

Another Vulture brings more of that wretched goodness that you come to expect from top-tier doom & death metal. With the piercing chorus of Another Vulture, and the deeply melodic guitar tones that hang weightless of every word, this track brings me right back to the glory days of the 90’s doom legends Paradise Lost’s Gothic album. High praise indeed, but never a truer word spoken. Beneath the ferocity of those guitar riffs lie the gorging bass lines of Stuart Rainey which really carry the track right to the death.

The pre-released track, Thy Nazerene is another slab of cold hearted atmospheric doom, that wails and weeps through a sorrowful, yet emotionally stirring chorus of “Where is that boy who hides when he weeps?, where is that boy who’s lies I keep?” Utter vehemence, and utterly brilliant.

As I listen to this album, I cant help but feel that it gets stronger and more all-consuming, the deeper you fall into into it. Bound To The Negative’s slow, ponderous pace is downright infectious yet achingly bleak. The Paradise Lost influence is evident yet again on this track, with those haunting lead guitars and that crushing Beneath Broken Earth vibes. That rugged melody and menace found in the latter stages of the track give it another dimension that makes it one of the standout tracks on the album.

Leaving The Skin and A Light We Cannot See continue to carry the flame, with more devastating riffs, and not forgetting the colossal and thunderous percussions of Gary Beattie, that tie and bind this whole album together. From funereal paced crashes to near blast beaten fury, the drumming here is insane!

The Closing track, Sparrow, is a rework of their 2021 single and it’s a fitting way to close the album. More death than doom, it’s a tour de force, and a track that weaves and wanders through slow patient passages and punishing cement-heavy riffs. That closing riff leeches into your skull and carries you over the threshold, ending an album that sees The Crawling once again, release another beast of an album. Even the sublime artwork of Travis Smith only adds to the pain and isolation that’s found draped across every track on All Of This For Nothing. A beautifully bleak and brutal journey through the realms of grief and despair.

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Outsound – Megatherium https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/megatherium Thu, 08 Jun 2023 23:00:00 +0100 [email protected] f180647d-6f25-4465-a45a-97f1b554a860 Taking inspiration from the grunge, blues, and metal scenes, Outsound have amassed an album that bleeds invention, while reaping the respect of decades past. Megatherium is an album that’s progressive, innovative, and layered in endless melody and atmosphere. Adorned with the glorious artwork of Dabulga Design, Outsound are already on the road best travelled. Strikingly colourful and riddled with all Colin Bolger’s boundless creativity and artistic nuances, it stands to reason that their debut album was going to be an abundance of various genres and styles. Taking inspiration from the grunge, blues, and metal scenes, Outsound have amassed an album that bleeds invention, while reaping the respect of decades past. Megatherium is an album that’s progressive, innovative, and layered in endless melody and atmosphere. Here’s a deep dive into the album, in the hope it gives you a taster of what to expect.

I want to start this review with the title track, final track on the album, and the last single to be released, and that’s Megatherium. This track has it all in my opinion, so it's a good way to start this review. A sick bass line accompanies some solid grunge drenched riffs and a rhythmic melody that’s married brilliantly with some really rangey vocals that carry just enough grit to give the track a bit of bite. Varied tempo changes under crashing drums along with a soaring solo gives the track that old school rocker attitude, and a hook that buries itself deep into your subconscious.

The album is loaded with gread musical ideas, and tracks like Venereal Charm bring the funk and the fizz to proceedings with a solid riff and a real grunge driven groove that contrasts perfectly against those swirling dual guitars that sweep through the latter stages of the track. You then have a very different monster in the darker and more menacing Crème Brulee. There’s a shit load of attitude on display here, and a very welcoming nod to the mighty Alice In Chains, in particular, the vocal conviction of Layne Stanley, that haunts and inhabits the core of the track.

Outsound didn’t hold back on giving us quantity along with quality on Megatherium. Theres ten tracks to immerse yourself in, and each one displays its own identity and its own direction while always managing to lead you in some way down the beaten track of bands of old. It’s not easy to play a style of music that has influences from some of the biggest periods in rock music, yet somehow, they manage to bring their own brand and their own character to the table. Outsound have taken a pretty solid stab at this, and as debut albums go, this is immense.

Tracks like Hardcore Daisy really resonate with everything I mentioned above. It’s a patient, slow burner, that builds under a wave of singular guitars and an underlying bassline that really gets under your skin for all the right reasons. Psychedelic voices bring with them that raspy and well-polished vocal that really suits the ambience and feel of the music. Maybe it’s these ears, but this track has an underlying Queens Of The Stone Age quality that makes the vibe and mood of the track truly infectious and encore chant-worthy.

Freakshow is another highlight on the record, with it’s near nu-metal flavour, and those System Of A Down undercurrents from the Hypnotise/Mesmerize era that keep ebbing and flowing throughout the track. Harmonic, dual vocals give this piece of music great depth and emotion and really elevates the band to another level. It’s addictive and it hits hard. Outsound have really showcased their ability to hybridise genres and fuse together a sound that’s fresh, funky and a force to be reckoned with…. and they’re from Cork too like!

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LaVein – Fine Failure https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/finefailure Tue, 02 May 2023 23:00:00 +0100 [email protected] d809013c-c8ad-4a24-9159-6df7d337d365 LaVein have found their groove and have harnessed all the energy and discomfort that’s found in the hardcore scene and pebble dashed it with some penetrating metalcore nuances, giving them a bit of a USP that will see them get plenty of admirers in Ireland and further afield. Like a bubbling cauldron of concentrated acid, the hardcore/metalcore scene in Ireland is spitting and spewing out some seriously vicious talent in the form of bands like Worn Out and Bailer, to name just two. Well, Dublin’s LaVein can now join the list of names that have forcefully pushed their brutal and pummelling live energy right through the studio doors. Fine Failure is due for release on the 5th May and believe me when I tell you that this is a debut EP that kicks, punches, and batters.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Josh Sid Robinson, Fine Failure is six tracks of gritty, bloodthirsty malevolence that harbours a subtle but infectious melodic streak that flows and cleanses the senses. Right from the opening 54 second opener, We Know Who You Really Are, the clarity and immense power is clear to see. Gouging riffs, machine gun percussions and a blistering bass guitars collide and break ground for the following track Your Hate is Not Ours. The snarling and malignant vocals of Peter Cooney hit you square in the face, and you can literally feel ever spit and visceral tirade rain over you. The dirty, down-turned riffs of Conor Molloy and Jamie Coombs collapse to the floor and crawl over the angry bass lines of Rossa Molloy, generating a tsunami of raw power and intent.

Crash The Gates is a maelstrom of speed and disorder that’s relentless and unwavering. It pounds and punches without respite under the machine that is Lachlan Hill on drums. Lachlan’s angst follows right into the opening riffs of Memories Lost in a Wave, but oddly enough this track seems to bleed melody, and dare I use the word harmony, similar to what you hear in bands like In Flames, and others in that nordic melodic death mould.

Don't Go in the Water is the standout track for me, and one of the main reasons for this is Peter’s vocals. They are tested to the limit with those driving, high-end notes and their near-clean delivery, but the thing is, he fucking nails it! The title track Fine Failure brings the EP to a close and to be honest, it encompasses everything that was done right throughout this record. It's hardcore as hell, with just enough metallic polish to elevate it above the norm. LaVein have found their groove and have harnessed all the energy and discomfort that’s found in the hardcore scene and pebble dashed it with some penetrating metalcore nuances, giving them a bit of a USP that will see them get plenty of admirers in Ireland and further afield. A solid debut EP.

https://lavein.bandcamp.com/album/fine-failure

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Slung From A Tree – Voyage Into Cosmos https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/slung Thu, 06 Apr 2023 01:00:00 +0100 [email protected] c46796dc-a9a6-4e97-bf76-32bb5ea67b9b Seven tracks of crushing, down tempo fury comes rolling out of the speakers, with all the dirty distorted riffs and gravel torn screams you'd normally find loitering around the Kasbah stage, in Dolans! Anyone familiar with Slung From A Tree will have experienced a live band that literally obliterate and pulverize gig-goers with their dense, down tuned and smoke-soaked ferocity. Like sucking on exhaust fumes, their music enters you soul and suffocates the senses with its hallucinogenic, mind-altering diatribe. Not for the faint hearted!

So, the big question is can Slung From A Tree carry that intensity and psychedelic grit into the studio? Well, the answer is fuck yeah! Seven tracks of crushing, down tempo fury comes rolling out of the speakers, with all the dirty distorted riffs and gravel torn screams that you'd normally find loitering around the Kasbah stage, in Dolans !

Blazed And Confused tears the album open with a hurtling hook that’s smothered in some filthy vocals, that scour and grate off those deep, molasses-drenched riffs and explosive drums. Even as the tempo changes, and heads into overdrive, there’s still that visceral stench of sweat, groove and rhythm to the track. That’s quickly followed by Astral Gold, which is swimming in a sea in 70’s swagger, with those spiraling lead solos sitting heavy above a wall of stoner savagery.

Low Frequency Disturbance does exactly what it says on the tin. Low-tuned to the depths of hell, the track crawls and drags itself through punishing riffs and bone breaking percussions. It’s grimy and fuzzy and absolutely slays when the tempo swings 360 degrees! Noise Pollution is chock full of reverb and trippy interludes, that get eaten up by more of those ferocious vocals and those meandering groove fueled guitars.

Dim Of Wit and Untitled roll together and bring the funk and the reggae to the table as it blends genres and styles and devours them in a sea of Irish potency. There’s even a Pearl Jam & Pink Floyd-tinged finale gracing the latter end of the tracks, which, to be fair shows that Slung From A Tree are far more than just spit and sawdust stoners.

The album closes with the title track for the album, Voyage Into Cosmos, and for me, they have kept the best for last. Right here is where Slung From A Tree kick off the shackles and just go for it, improvising and jamming the shit out of it. The music just takes you somewhere else, far from this cursed earth and deep into the cosmos. Spaced out on a trip like no other, the groove and the melody suspends you in nothingness for a time… that is until the speakers get a shot of adrenaline and the body comes hurtling back to earth in a cacophony of noise, sludge and fury. What a trip!

Slung From A Tree have been hovering around the live scene for a while now, making a name for themselves, and deservedly so. It was the ultimate acid test to try replicate that sound in the studio, but there was no reason to panic, the boys have nailed it.

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Grey Stag – Call Of The Mountain https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/mountain Sat, 11 Mar 2023 14:00:00 +0000 [email protected] d5278a66-153f-4da6-9d9d-2872dab3e25f Call Of The Mountain closes with its own death march, the acoustic and deeply sullen Bas. Forlorn lamentations haunt and cascade over the music before getting lost in the ether, and disappearing into nothingness, ending an album that sees Grey Stag take a giant leap in terms of song writing and delivery. Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Aidan Cunningham, Call Of The Mountain is an outstanding piece of work, from start to finish. Grey Stag have truly dug their hooves in and have released a beast of an album. One of the many things to look forward to with a release from the mighty Grey Stag is that you will always find their vision cloaked and shielded beneath the Celtic intricacies of the naturally talented Colin Bolger of Dabulga Design. Both these behemoths have become synonymous with one another when it comes to music and art. Grey Stags raw and stony dark riffs and crushing percussions seem to interweave and rumble through each and every knot that Colin carves into paper, becoming an aural tapestry of groove and folklore, all underpinned by thickened sludge and relentless energy. Grey Stag unearths the imagination and power of our deep rooted celtic heritage and battle hardy bloodline, raising the bar for Irish metal here at home, and ultimately, further afield.

Call Of The Mountain is in essence a concept album, tracing the journey from birth to death, a pilgrimage every one of us mere mortals must inevitably face at some stage, one of the only true dead certs in life. We may not share the bludgeoning hardship that our ancestors had to endure during their lifetime, but there are similarities, and Grey Stag’s Call Of The Mountain traces this through a barrage of pulverising riffs, gloomy bass lines and thundering drums.

The opening track Breith, is a gentle and innocent acoustic piece which harbours that celtic tone and cadence, which gives it an old and ancient feel to it. However, when These Seas Are Deep comes powering into view on its skeleton ship of timber and nails, the mood is darkened with doom laden riffs and harsh, gravelled screams. The pace changes to a gallop with alternating vocal styles sweeping across those chunky riffs and that underpinned bass guitar. A real stomper of a track.

Along this journey you find many varied styles deeply rooted in Grey Stag's sound, ranging from those raucous stoner and psychedelic grooves of the 70’s, through to the more melodic, yet gritty tirades that bands like Mastodon or Baroness have mastered but sadly now forgotten. Tracks like the pre-released Steadfast Leviathan and the relentless Killing Monsters, with its near hallucinogenic breakdown, really showcases both those examples. Fierce, furious and downright dirty.

Shifting moods and atmosphere, No Stranger To Pain brings an acoustic interlude to the album, a moment to reflect and recharge after the deluge of power and heft that the first few tracks brought with them. Soft, sombre and dripping in melancholia, each cord weeps and cuts deep with ever string plucked. It’s new territory for Grey Stag but a welcome one. The contrast between dark and light gives this album a lot more depth and weight.

The mid-tempo intensity of Sunder and This Mountain Moves reaffirm Grey Stag's ability to shapeshift through many different styles and structures. The melodic riffs bring flashes of old school rock to the forefront with bands like Thin Lizzy and early Iron Maiden seeping through the instruments.

Call Of The Mountain closes with its own death march, the acoustic and deeply sullen Bas. Forlorn lamentations haunt and cascade over the music before getting lost in the ether, and disappearing into nothingness, ending an album that sees Grey Stag take a giant leap in terms of song writing and delivery. Recorded, Mixed and Mastered by Aidan Cunningham, Call Of The Mountain is an outstanding piece of work, from start to finish. Grey Stag have truly dug their hooves in and have released a beast of an album.

Band Link:
https://greystag.bandcamp.com/

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HELLRIPPER - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/warlocks Sat, 18 Feb 2023 02:00:00 +0000 [email protected] f92acc1b-536a-40db-a881-a17cec7336d0 Inspired by the landscape and legends of the Scottish Highlands, James explores the darker side of Scotland’s ancient history and folklore on this record, and what he has delivered is a blistering array of black, thrash and death metal that is a joy for the ages. It’s ruthless and it’s merciless, but that’s the way it needs to be, so buckle up and take a nightmare stroll through the bleak Scottish wilderness with Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags I firmly believe that you live through the music you grew up on, and you carry it with you in some shape or form, all the days of your life. So, with that in mind, anyone who spent their youth immersed and absorbed in the early days of the great thrash and death metal bands of the 80’s and 90’s will find a lot of common ground with James Mc Bain and his band Hellripper. Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags is his latest album, and has been released through the legendary Peaceville Records label. I mean, come on, the label alone is as iconic as any from those decades gone by, and it’s great to see them maintain their high standards when it comes to adding new music to their roster.

Inspired by the landscape and legends of the Scottish Highlands, James explores the darker side of Scotland’s ancient history and folklore on this record, and what he has delivered is a blistering array of black, thrash and death metal that is a joy for the ages. It’s ruthless and it’s merciless, but that’s the way it needs to be, so buckle up and take a nightmare stroll through the bleak Scottish wilderness with Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags

The Nuckelavee opens the album in a tirade of 80’s inspired riffs, tangled up in knots, smothered with savage shredding and pulverising drums. Showing claws as sharp as razor blades, the chorus hooks pierce the skin, unleashing a pain that is as melodic as it is intense. Gravel-choked vocals blister and spit out lyrics that plough through the melody, keeping the phrasing in near-tandem with the rhythm section, allowing space for those contorted lead solos to lay siege and almost race out of control with the sheer ferocity of the track. Never catching breath for a second, the melody and tempo takes on a black metal facade for the final two minutes of the track, leaving you in a twisted pile of body parts on the floor.

I, Deceiver holds within it, the magic and the mayhem of a filthy thrash onslaught combined with the speed and double bass battering of a black metal holocaust. So many influences race through my mind when listening to this track, ranging from bands like Amon Amarth to Mayhem. Its potency and compulsive tendencies make it one of my favourite tracks on the album. That’s followed by the brilliant title track, Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags, a passage of music that’s laced with early Amorphis and In Flames styled melodics that quickly transcend into some blood stirring folk influences that make you want to stand tall, chant aloud and take on the world single handedly!

Something I haven’t alluded to yet on this review is the brilliantly graphic and deeply profound lyrics that are littered throughout this album. Take for example a snapshot from the opening track, The Nuckelavee, “Carving a pestilent trail of the dead, Dripping with poison, a vision of dread, Rattling the heavens, let evil be known, Rising from abyssal waters below Beware the monster - Devil o’ the sea The Nuckelavee” - spine tingling stuff!

Speed, pandemonium and a sprinkling of some old school death metal disorder awaits you on Goat Vomit Nightmare. It’s a track that literally breathes fire and burns everything in its path. Even through those scorching solos and acoustic breakdowns, the power and the pageantry levitate at fever pitch, right down to the very last drumbeat. A little nod to the Slayer, Angel of Death intro scream adorns The Cursed Carrion Crown’s opening sequence, but that’s where the similarity ends as the music literally rips through black, speed and death metal arrangements with gusto.

The energy and intensity continues right through the remaining three tracks, The Hissing Marshes, Poison Womb, and the closing track, Mester Stoor Worm. From the rallying cries on Poison Wombs, with its Motorhead on steroids vibes, right through to ferociously violent Mester Stoor Worm, Hellripper encompasses everything within the extreme music spectrum, and deliver it with utter depravity and vehemence. All that’s left to say here is go grab a copy of Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags as soon as you can and succumb the legacy and the lore of these vast Scottish Highlands.

https://hellripper.bandcamp.com/album/warlocks-grim-withered-hags

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The Enigma Division – The Enigma Division https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/enigmadivision Sat, 04 Feb 2023 17:00:00 +0000 [email protected] c42c1da6-5ac3-4b07-9280-619c54beffab And just like one of nature’s great wonders, the aurora borealis, we end up with is a debut album that glows and metamorphosises into an array of shapes and colours, rebounding and resounding off invisible walls of textures and sounds. As rare as a total solar eclipse, there are very few occasions in heavy metal circles when an album literally crash-dives at supersonic speed from the stratosphere above, and blazes a trail through the earth’s atmosphere, falling under a hail of meteors and asteroids, and burying itself deep into Ireland’s very own emerald stained soil.

Well, this is exactly what has happened with The Enigma Division, a band who hail from Dublin and who have a nucleus that consists of Conor McGouran on guitars/keyboards, Ronan Burns on bass and Ben Wanders on drums. However, in order for them to complete this musical voyage of discovery through the cosmos, they have brought in many guest musicians to add to the sheer drama and infinite atmosphere that their vision required. And just like one of nature’s great wonders, the aurora borealis, we end up with is a debut album that glows and metamorphosises into an array of shapes and colours, rebounding and resounding off invisible walls of textures and sounds.

1977 opens the album like a sci-fi film score, with a deluge of synths and sounds, creating tension, drama and the perfect prologue to the album. Crisp, clean tech-metal riffs shred and scour their way through to the next track, The Escapist. Prog inspired rhythm guitars fuse with Ben’s clean, soaring vocals and between them they lift the track into a futuristic space odyssey. Sweeping lead solos mimic the magic of Megadeth’s Rust In Peace meanderings, all very clean and concise, and bang on the money. An all too brief scowl still manages to add another layer to the track, along with more harmonies and a finale that really does make you stand up and take notice.

The technical ability and talent of every musician on show here is abundantly clear right from the outset. Even the 80’s inspired Afterglow conjures up images of Stranger Things, but with a finely weighted set of balls hanging freely from it! Some flamboyant, over the top guitar doodling really brings the 80’s to life here, even down to the chorus which screams bright colours and permed hair!

Tracks like The Age Of Discovery bring some brilliant technical passages and more vocal acrobatics to the table, with its ridiculously good fret work, along with those pulsating drum patterns. Even some off-kilter keyboards don’t look out of place here, such is the futuristic and near scientific approach to the song writing. Then you have a track like Kaleidoscope, one of my favourites on the album, which brings a Muse vibe with it, even down to the vocals that echo Matt Bellamy’s stylistic approach to phrasing and delivery, it’s absolutely fantastic.

With seven tracks already under its belt, The Enigma Division still has the vision and ability to somehow summon an epic, twenty minute expedition through the galaxies, with an array of innovative and toe-curling riffs. The teeth are shown here more than anywhere else on the album, with some truly gritty riffs, that effortlessly blend and spiral into a glorious Pink Floyd passage that even gets a sprinkling of some blues and jazz, and why do that; well, why not?! Like any good Hollywood Sci-fi movie that’s worth its salt, the track finishes in a cacophony of sound and suspense, carefully mastering that perfectly weighted balance between what could be classed as a soundtrack, and what is defined as modern and progressive rock and metal.

The Enigma Division have certainly pulled out all the stops in allowing the inspiration for this space odyssey come to fruition, without sacrificing on any of the drama and pageantry. Failure to execute this properly would have been a crying shame. Thankfully, the lads have done everything in their power to allow this album reach those stratospheric heights and maintain them right through to the very last note. A triumph!
Link: https://theenigmadivision.bandcamp.com/album/the-enigma-division

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Raum Kingdom – Monarch https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/monarch Wed, 18 Jan 2023 01:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 07a85e02-8a18-48e5-b0b2-a3662224fc61 Monarch is soon to be unleashed and take my word for it, it’s an absolute beast of an album. The stars and the planets have aligned, and the sheer ferocity and magnitude of this album will cause the earth to rumble once more, summoning great earthquakes and tsunamis of sorrow and sludge When the forces of doom metal, post metal and sludge converge and collide at just the right time, it’s the equivalent of the earths tectonic plates moving and shifting, gouging chasms through one another and shattering the earth’s crust, leaving scars that will take an eternity to heal. Ireland’s very own Raum kingdom have that tectonic power in spades. The intensity and weight of their sound crushes and smothers without remorse, as we found out back in 2018 with the release of Everything and Nothing. They showcased their ruthless and malevolent side with a slab of post-driven doom metal that still rumbles deep beneath the earth’s surface, provoking hairline cracks that still splinter and grow beneath our feet.

Well, it maybe a new year, and as a race we may well be caught up in a battle to save the earth from dying long before its time, but with the release of Raum Kingdoms latest album, a lot of the work may well be in vein. Monarch is soon to be unleashed and take my word for it, it’s an absolute beast of an album. The stars and the planets have aligned, and the sheer ferocity and magnitude of this album will cause the earth to rumble once more, summoning great earthquakes and tsunamis of sorrow and sludge. These six tracks see Raum Kingdom carry on from where they left off, but with a more diverse and multifaceted approach.

Red Admiral wastes no time in rising from the earth, crushing us with violent riffs along with the menacing vocals of Dave Lee, which immediately invoke an air of despair and angst. However, some clean spoken words and melody-soaked vocals lament and cry under an acoustic interlude, getting lost in the ether, before being drawn back down to the gutter with more demonic meanderings and some soul crushing riffs courtesy of Andrew Colohan. An opening track that conjures up all the venom and might of dark, dirty, sludge-heavy metal.

The haunting and hard-hitting Hairstreak is a track the epitomizes the diversity I mentioned earlier. Beginning with a piano soaked intro, it falls heavy with horror and menace under those eerie and atmospheric vocals, before becoming consumed by the more punishing riffs and Mark Gilchrist’s harrowing drum patterns. Swallowtail adorns us with more clean singing which brings another layer of melody and softness to the usually bleak and harsh environment that Raum Kingdom often imprison you in. It’s refreshing and a little unexpected to hear so much of it in one track, but it works, such is its chant like charm and delivery. But this ability to sing was always lying beneath the fog when you think back to the vocal acrobatics that haunted the opening track Summon, from Everything And nothing.

From Comma’s acoustic guitar opening to the sonically distorted bass lines of Niall Gregory, this is another piledriver of a track. A behemoth in its own right, but with a celestial undercurrent that keeps it edgy and absorbing. Gate Keeper, on the other hand is a straight up battering ram of a track. Wicked rhythm guitars with swirling lead guitars interwoven through skyward vocals make it a juggernaut that keeps on growing and expanding right to the death.

Pieris closes the album with all the nuances and shadings that littered the album right from the start. Complex but very well rounded, it shapeshifts and transforms into many different beasts, bringing closure on an album that sees Raum Kingdom take another giant leap into the upper echelons of the sludge-drenched, post metal scene. Monarch is indeed just that, however, Raum Kingdom, well they stand tall as chieftains.

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Karpackonaut – Distant Sequence https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/distantsequence Mon, 02 Jan 2023 07:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 0dc77841-87fa-4734-9a61-4e668c70d792 Together since 2019 and hailing from Limerick, Karpackonaut have certainly stepped outside, and ticked the diversity box when it came to creating their own identity and signature sound. They play a style of music that’s snail-paced and ponderous at times, and which is weighed down by a psychedelic and stoner-cast anchor that’s hanging heavy around their necks. It’s sludgy, dirty and distorted and like any strong hallucinogen, it’s both addictive and compulsive. With their album being released in late November of 2022, Karpackonaut is a name that could very easily have been missed amidst the flurry of releases that were dropped during the end of the year. Thankfully we have someone like Danielle from The Metal Cell Forums who has all fingers and thumbs on the pulse, and in doing so, has unearthed this sludge-sodden gem. The Irish metal scene has never sounded so healthy, or as organic as it has been over the last couple of years in my opinion. Bands are thriving on diversity and originality and we are all now reaping the rewards for the giant leaps of faith that these bands have been taking.

Together since 2019 and hailing from Limerick, Karpackonaut have certainly stepped outside, and ticked the diversity box when it came to creating their own identity and signature sound. They play a style of music that’s snail-paced and ponderous at times, and which is weighed down by a psychedelic and stoner-cast anchor that’s hanging heavy around their necks. It’s sludgy, dirty and distorted and like any strong hallucinogen, it’s both addictive and compulsive.

Distance Sequence is their second release of 2022, and was recorded in various sessions across August/September of 2022. Free flowing and improvised right from the outset, this album is a juggernaut of a jam session, with no prep work, no retakes, just pure unadulterated off-the-cuff groove and grind. The opening track, Outwards Through Time wastes no time in giving us a taster of what these boys have in their arsenal. Big, chunky, meandering riffs and a space rock spirit that haunts the track, the music flows like molasses, slow and slumberous, with chants and screams laid out under the filthiest if bass lines.

The tribal vibes of Wordless I and the mind-altering undercurrents of Sigils show the experimental qualities and deftness these guys have beneath that stony sludge-driven metal. No two tracks sound the same, as the atmosphere and ambiance overarch on each track, triggering an aurora of light and shape that dances across the northern skies.

Things turn a lot more sludgy and muddy on Immaterial End with more down tuned guitars and a rumbling bass that reverbs from beneath your feet and rises to crack the sky. Varied vocal tones and textures layer the noise and give the music more bite and ferocity. Then you have the curtain closer, and title track Distant Sequence bringing another dimension to the Karpackonaut sound. Airy synths overlapping a melodic groove give the band that post-metal tag, as it trudges along under a lead guitar assault, spiralling and screaming freely without any set pattern, typifying the improvised stamp that verifies their style.

Off-the- cuff, unrehearsed music isn’t for everyone, but I think metal music can carry this kind of vibe. It’s raw in places, a little disjointed at times, but like any old historical building, it’s these little nuances and these minor imperfections that give it character and shitloads of attitude. Karpackonaut have character and shitloads of originality. Check it out!

https://karpackonaut.bandcamp.com/album/distant-sequence

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NOMADUS – Axis Primordial https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/axisprimordial Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 88cd8fd4-3048-48be-a725-69c053612265 Axis Primordial is a statement of intent. It’s a nine-track pilgrimage through blistering riffs and ferocious vocals. But it has something else, something that Nomadus have harnessed and expertly delivered on, and that’s diversity After pulverising us with single releases over the last couple of years or so, Nomadus have been carefully and steadily carving out a name for themselves within death and thrash metal circles. They have been putting in the graft and have been going about it the right way. There’s no easy ride in music these days, you must slog, fight, and battle your way out of the quicksand that has stifled and sunken many a promising band in the past. That is not going to happen to Nomadus.

Axis Primordial is their debut album, and on first listen it’s refreshing to hear that there’s already a maturity and a swagger about their sound. Steeped in 80’s and 90’s thrash metal, Nomadus have their roots well and truly established, but with this album, the Belfast boys have sprouted new branches that pull energy and light from other musical spectrums. There’s a slick groove and a progressive punch to their sound, that demonstrates the evolution of Nomadus, and metal music as a whole.

Opening with a track like Last Words Of Wisdom, the lads are out to show how far they have come in such a short space of time. Intricate passages, crushing riffs and memorable melodies are the foundations of the track. Snarling vocals that reverb and echo through the track adds to the sheer intensity and potency of their sound, not to mind the blinding lead solo that scurries and rifles over everything. Still thrashy and still vicious, it’s a lethal opener, and sets the scene for what’s to come.

Apex Breath’s soaring lead intro, followed by the very intentional Sepultura-phrased vocals are an absolute joy to hear. Murderous in tone, but with a harmonic edge to them, they elevate this track to another plateau. What follows is a barrage of thrash-infused brilliance that pummels and batters you just like those titans of the 80’s and 90’s did back in the day.

Instrumental tracks like Hadean are cleverly placed on the record to avoid any chance of monotony or malaise to set in, keeping everything fresh and diverse. It also acts as the perfect intro to The Ultimate Fuse, another track that has shown the evolution of Nomadus, with its patient and understated rhythm guitars, and a groove-slapped bass guitar that anchors it all together. More blistering vocals adorned with polyphonic undercurrents allow this slow burner of a track build and grow into a well-oiled and well-polished track.

Every track on this album is stellar and there’s no denying how accomplished and confident the boys are when they play together. The music is tight, the energy is palpable and the intensity reverbs through every power cord and percussive crash on this album. Even the closing track, The Passage continues its relentless journey through huge, chunky riffs and shredded rhythm swells, under the watchful eye of those soaring solos that blaze through atmosphere like a laser beam.

Axis Primordial is a statement of intent. It’s a nine-track pilgrimage through blistering riffs and ferocious vocals. But it has something else, something that Nomadus have harnessed and expertly delivered on, and that’s diversity. Thrash metal is the foundation and the nucleus of their sound, but within the rest of that cell membrane they have developed and dabbled with a more progressive sound and fused that with some groove inspired melodies, and you know what, it works!

Release Date - 25-11-2022

https://nomadus.bandcamp.com/album/axis-primordial-2

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God Alone – ETC https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/etc Sun, 13 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 76859131-2eca-477c-988b-60f6b077163f The dexterity they showed on their previous releases was like a warning shot fired high over Shandon Steeple. However, their latest album release, ETC, resembles a twenty-one-gun salute off the Old Head Of Kinsale! The echo from those rifles can be heard across the pond and beyond. So with that in mind, it’s about time we listen, embrace and bear witness to one of our finest underground bands break the mould.....when I say break, I mean shattering it to smithereens! WARNING:
Obsessive and highly addictive music. Proceed with caution. Failure to do so may trigger bouts of uncontrollable shape-throwing, frenzied screaming and mild schizophrenia.....you have been warned.

Believe the hype folks, God Alone are everything you’re hearing through the grapevine. Without question, these guys are some of the brightest and talented lads in the business, with a work ethic that is steadily paying dividends. Bands like God Alone are as scarce as hens teeth, and the reason I say that is because there are no boundaries or perimeters to their sound. The guys are young and enthusiastic, and have decades of music to study and seek inspiration from, and they are doing exactly that. Very few bands that I can think of can merge, blend and synthesize genres and styles with such ease and virtuosity. The dexterity they showed on their previous releases was like a warning shot fired high over Shandon Steeple. However, their latest album release, ETC, resembles a twenty-one gun salute off the Old Head Of Kinsale! The echo from those rifles can be heard across the pond and beyond. So, with that in mind, it’s about time we listen, embrace and bear witness to one of our finest underground bands break the mould.....when I say break, I mean shattering it to smithereens!

Tinfoil On The Walls opens the album with some unconventional percussions followed by plucky guitars and a spew of mathy rock and hardcore chants. Funky, Jazzy melodies and dare I even say ska-inspired grooves, seep their way through deathcore growls, pummeling bass guitars and shuddering riffs. The swagger and the confidence within themselves is evident as the tempo shifts and slides through indie inspired passages and non-conformant rants.

Tracks like Kung Fu Treachery harbour a darker soul than the others. Amidst its opening spanish guitars and post punk chants there’s an air of apprehension and impending doom. Erratic at times you might think, but on further listens you’ll find it’s as structured as it is disjointed. God Alone’s music is not for the faint hearted or for the verse, chorus, verse brigade. As Kung Fu Treachery rumbles through its varied patterns and tendencies, it closes in a vicious slurry of blast beats and shredded guitars, which will keep many a metal head happy.

The title track ETC attacks with a motley of metal as Ministry, And So I Watch You From Afar, Rob Zombie, The Clash and Suicidal Tendencies all fly their flags alongside the God Alone monogram. Then you have the post-metal apocalypse that is 15BM 1989 Honestly, I’m struggling to nail this bastard down! Unorthodox and down right eccentric, it’s a barrage of music and noise that will have your head spinning and rolling across the floor, mad stuff!

God Alone are not for everyone, I think thats fair to say and I’ll be honest, I sat quietly in the shadows of that group of people for a while. However, there will be a moment when the proverbial "switch" will finally go off in you head and you get that "Rain Man" moment, when all the nuances, tempos, and styles assemble together before your eyes like a 5000 piece jigsaw. It will all make sense. The conclusion I have come to is that God Alone are operating on a different scale to the rest of us, they’re always two steps ahead. They have the imagination and the foresight to keep evolving, and us mere mortals should simply follow.

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YURT – V-Upgrade To Obsolete https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/upgrade Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 111d91a1-35bf-43fe-926b-90f3494e159c The melody is there throughout, with the bass guitar acting as the backbone, giving the music its distinctive and outlandish shape and structure! Jazz influences meander and wander through the music like a free-flowing jamming session, all improvised and shot from the hip Paralyze opens the album with a bizarrely futuristic and synthesised intro that immediately conjures up images of the album’s artwork. However, once that bass guitar hits, the groove and rhythmical flow of Yurt is unleashed, and a kaleidoscopic, multi coloured melange of beats and tempos descend like a cyclone, hurtling riffs and progressive passages at you with relentless precision

Prepare to be bemused, gobsmacked, and astounded by Yurts forthcoming release. V-Upgrade To Obsolete is almost upon us, and damn what a trip it is! If time travel existed, then I’m pretty certain the time machine would be piping this album through its speakers. Yurt have somehow taken this journey already and have returned to tell the tale. It comes in the guise of V-Upgrade To Obsolete, and here's a break down of what to expect!

Paralyze opens the album with a bizarrely futuristic and synthesised intro that immediately conjures up images of the album’s artwork. However, once that bass guitar hits, the groove and rhythmical flow of Yurt is unleashed, and a kaleidoscopic, multi coloured melange of beats and tempos descend like a cyclone, hurtling riffs and progressive passages at you with relentless precision. The groove is electric, and the vocal chants add another dimension to near-retro arrangements! Coming in at just over 12 minutes, Paralyze spirals through so many musical styles, ranging from addictive System Of A Down sequences right through to those cool psychedelic vibrations of the 60’s and 70’s.

All that funk and flashiness is carried straight into the next two tracks, Upgrade To Obsolete and The Book Of Esophagus with their space-age synths and free-swinging pageantry, all doused with more 70’s flourishes and free lovin’ piano and keyboard grinding. The melody is there throughout both tracks, with the bass guitar acting as the backbone, giving the music its distinctive and outlandish shape and structure! Jazz influences meander and wander through the music like a free-flowing jamming session, all improvised and shot from the hip. Yurt have most certainly torn up the rule books and have let the blood and the creativity flow, with no agenda and no border fences holding them back.

Tracks like Breakfast In Aksum have a more straight forward psychedelic rock blueprint to them but it doesn’t stop Yurt sprinkling some fevered ad-hoc flourishes to it all, giving it a unique identity. Breaking from shredded riffs to hallucinatory keys, it’s an oddball of a track, but there lies its beauty!

My two favourite tracks on this album happen to be the last two, especially The Brand Evangelist, with its slow paced doomy undercurrents and its hugely harmonic vocals that chant and herald a rallying cry over the deep licks and riffs. Simple in structure, it’s awash with feeling and emotion, making it a very memorable passage of music. Mukbang on the other hand opens like an Iron Maiden classic, with its galloping rhythm section and again, that sweet, sweet bass guitar, that Steve Harris himself would tip his cap to! When I listened to this track for the first time, I had the most eccentric and bizarre vision of Jim Morrison and Serj Tankian standing together on stage with their respective bands, jamming and freaking out to a wall of psychedelic keys and off-beat riffs! Maybe it’s just me, but I can see The Doors influence deep within these guys sound, with modern day metal acts like System Of A down or even Cynic seeping into their heavier moments.

Whatever way you look at V - Upgrade To Obsolete, is unique, it’s refreshing and it will catapult Yurt into the throes of prog rocks modern day luminaries. There’s something new around every corner on this album, the tracks ebb and flow through decades, and at times rocket through the earth’s atmosphere, exploding into an iridescent display of magic and mayhem. This comes highly recommended, don’t miss out!

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Eternal Helcaraxe – Drown In Ash https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/eternalhelcaraxe Fri, 30 Sep 2022 14:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 9ad397c6-e8a3-4fa1-8f97-1854b57d4d9c Drown In Ash is a bleak and beautiful passage of music, where the band stand as pallbearers, bringing you through that final journey, with all the dignity and respect that their music bestows. It’s desolate and it’s forlorn but beneath those darkened cloaks, there's an uplifting and monumental slab of metal to be discovered Drown In Ash is a bleak and beautiful passage of music, where the band stand as pallbearers, bringing you through that final journey, with all the dignity and respect that their music bestows. It’s desolated and it’s forlorn but beneath those darkened cloaks, there's an uplifting and monumental slab of metal to be discovered

Each time Richie gives me an album to review I’m overwhelmed and blown away by the quality of the music. From funk to trash, death to black, I’ve been able to review and ultimately devour each album with ease, never struggling to embrace what I’m hearing, which in turn makes it all the easier to put it all into words!

This week I’ve been completely absorbed and aurally battered by Cavan’s very own Eternal Helcaraxe, and their forthcoming release Drown In Ash. Vicious blast beats, scowling vocals and blizzard-driven guitars whip up a frenzy of post-black atmospherics that manifest into a maelstrom of forlorn melancholia. This style of music resonates with every part of my being, from sullen moments of contemplation to soaring blackened highs, Eternal Helcaraxe have mastered and tailored the black metal genre by crossing imaginary boundaries of blackgaze, post-metal and even classical music to bring us an album that doesn't follow the pack but leads by example.

Withered Strands Of Existence opens the album with a solemn piano that laments the senses with its simple but sorrowful tone, only to be severed by an onslaught of a harrowing cry and a tirade of beautifully harmonic guitars and power-driven percussions. On first listen I couldn't help but make comparisons with St. Petersburg’s post-black titans TRNA and Show Me A Dinosaur, but also some of the modern-day black metal bands like White Ward or Gaerea, and some Primordial thrown in for good measure, all good company to be in by the way! Laced with blistering pace and hapless melodies, these guys can bring a track from 0 – 10 with ease. The underpinned riff remains throughout, hypnotic at times, but always fierce.

The title track Drowned In Ash gallops forth with great conviction through a barrage of shredded guitars and a wicked bass. Almost euphoric in places, the track can reach these moments of great celestial splendour through a haunting chant that carries through every riff and drumbeat. It must be up there come December as one of my favourite tracks of the year. Even Where Dead Things Roam Free must be considered, with its vicious tremolo riffs that erupt into a vocal onslaught of venom and bile. Even as the track changes pace and the vocals sing the words “I don't dwell in the darkness, the darkness dwells inside me. An abandoned library of forgotten words that meant something once”, everything is still high on intensity and drama.

None Of It Mattered is basically three minutes of stark, cold piano keys, but having said that it’s a welcome interlude and a clever move when you consider the highly charged pace of what has been before it. What it also does is give tracks like Ice Cold Winds and Cease a clean slate, a tabuls rasa so to speak, to allow them to begin another chapter in this black metal masterclass. Tormented black metal tongue lashings are joined by the deathly guttural growls on Cease, adding another dimension to this already multi-layered tour de force.

The epilogue to this journey comes in the shape of In Dark Woods And Dreams, and it maintains the relentless pace and power that adorned the rest of the album. Those melody driven riffs still ring fierce and potent, reminding of the hooks that Amon Amarth have mastered. Lyrics like “In dark woods and dreams, divorced from the heart, desolation a drowning solace, concealing sentimental venom” show the pain and torment that’s strewn across this track. Lush basslines and dreaded whispers break the track down to a canter, a mid-tempo slog, before unleashing hell one final time, and closing on a synthesised wave of relief and wonder, both in equal measure.

Eternal Helcaraxe may be pigeonholed as a black-metal outfit, but there are just so many other strings to their bow. They have incorporated so many musical styles into this album, and thankfully it has all kneaded together beautifully. Drown In Ash is a bleak and beautiful passage of music, where the band stand as pallbearers, bringing you through that final journey, with all the dignity and respect that their music bestows. It’s desolated and it’s forlorn but beneath those darkened cloaks, there's an uplifting and monumental slab of metal to be discovered.

https://eternalhelcaraxe.bandcamp.com/

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FORAOISÍ GAN INIÚCHADH – Isolation https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/unexploredforests Thu, 15 Sep 2022 09:00:00 +0100 [email protected] cb13c9f8-1ce7-4f00-8968-1c0b96fd87a3 Torrential post-black walls of noise with relentless blast-beaten percussions give this young musician from Co. Wexford a veil of gloom that will smother and drag you along a harrowing journey through the corridors of obscurity "Violent shreds and distant screams come at you like a black winter blizzard, harsh and grotesquely exciting. The music breaks into a doom-laden passage with more furious riffs and more of those guttural growls, soaked in a mid-tempo fog. A blistering introduction to the album and a sign of things to come"

Bleak, depressive and with a darkness that terrorises and torments, Foraoisí gan Iniúchadh, which translates to “Unexplored forests” is the creation of Tomás Hynes. Torrential post-black walls of noise with relentless blast-beaten percussions give this young musician from Co. Wexford a veil of gloom that will smother and drag you on a harrowing journey through the corridors of obscurity.

With a talent way ahead of his years, Tomás has crafted a stellar slab of atmospheric black metal that is as good as anything you will hear anywhere across the globe. I have spent the last few years falling helplessly into this genre of music, witnessing some of the bleakest and most harrowing solo projects around, and I have to say that Isolation sits very comfortably amidst all that mayhem. Vicious, melodic and all-consuming, this brand of depressive black metal can bring with it a unique and almost uplifting presence. This style of music resonates with my darker side; therefore Isolation is simply sublime.

Foraoisí gan Iniúchadh wastes no time in creating drama and suspense with the opening track Everything Turns To Black. Haunting breaths and screams, along with sinister synths and a barrage of blast beats tear the world asunder right from the off. Violent shreds and distant screams come at you like a black winter blizzard, harsh and grotesquely exciting. The music breaks into a doom-laden passage with more furious riffs and more of those guttural growls, soaked in a mid-tempo fog. A blistering introduction to the album and a sign of things to come.

See The Sun Rise, with its depressively black pace and its banshee howls bring another dimension to Tomas’s sound, all more measured but nonetheless chilling. Pink Mist follows this formula with that DSBM iciness, and its powerful crescendos of unrelenting pace and intensity.

Tracks like The Awakening are more akin to straight up black-metal, with its high tempo, fuzzy guitars and vocals. There are even some slow sombre riffs that you’d remember from the great old school death-metal bands thrown in for good measure along with some Gregorian chants to completely fuck with your head!

The Kingdom Will Die and The Souls Of The Damned bring with them a more forlorn and heart-breaking sound, with screams of desperation all tangled up in a barbed-wired ball of deeply melodic hooks and licks. These two tracks remind me of bands like Dodsrit and maybe even White Ward or Olhava. Its sullen atmospherics is its greatest gift.

Epilogue closes the album with a horror infused passage, glorifying all that’s great and melancholic in atmospheric black metal, wallowing in a sea of blackened synths that are good enough to grace any horror films closing scene. Tomás and his brainchild Foraoisí gan Iniúchadh is a must have for any of you who adorn all things dark and mystic. Isolation is the perfect soundtrack to the cold dark evenings that are gradually closing in and swallowing us up without mercy. A super release.

https://unexploredforests.bandcamp.com/album/isolation

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Skypilot – Simple Beasts https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/simplebeasts Mon, 22 Aug 2022 13:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 9bc3def4-e16d-4c06-a950-8f7e46bca088 The County Antrim trio have harnessed all their experience that has seen them live through so many musical trends and obsessions over the last two decades, but in doing so, the boys have hammered out and album that snatches and seizes on all the finer moments of the heavy music genre and given it a warm fuzzy glow that radiates and seeps from every instrument, and onto their album Simple Beasts The County Antrim trio have harnessed all their experience that has seen them live through so many musical trends and obsessions over the last two decades, but in doing so, the boys have hammered out an album that snatches and seizes on all the finer moments of the heavy music genre and given it a warm fuzzy glow that radiates and seeps from every instrument, and onto their album Simple Beasts

Twenty years in the business and with album number three just released, Skypilot have shown that they don’t just release music for the sake of it, but when they do, it will always be dripping in energy, enthusiasm and groove. The County Antrim trio have harnessed all their experience that has seen them live through so many musical trends and obsessions over the last two decades, but in doing so, the boys have hammered out and album that snatches and seizes on all the finer moments of the heavy music genre and given it a warm fuzzy glow that radiates and seeps from every instrument, and onto their album Simple Beasts.

The opener, Waffledust is this brooding, mid-tempo beast that drives through these low, fuzzy, stoner riffs which, in contrast, and are the perfect accompaniment to the clean, near rasping vocals that soften the sound without diluting any of the intensity. Foot tapping hooks under head-shaking lead guitars layer the track perfectly, giving Simple Beasts an identity and a structure that sets up the rest of the album.

Octofuzz takes the intensity up a notch with some seriously heavy, leaden riffs and steely drums before stripping it back down again, giving the vocals and that groove-soaked bass guitar their moment to shine. The vocal chorus penetrates and ploughs through some real dirty rhythm guitars, making Octofuzz a very catchy and memorable track. Even the title track Simple Beast, with its more laid back and nonchalant approach, is still smothered in that glorious fuzz that dominates the album. Through clean, plucked guitars and softly spoken lyrics the music meanders around “this simple beast” and powers the intent home with a near-certain, crowd-chanting finale.

As I mentioned earlier, these guys have time and experience in abundance, and it can be found embellishing every track on the album. Flourishes of prog-metal, grunge and old school heavy metal are to be found everywhere. Tracks like Klusterfun has this clever harmonic vocal arrangement that brings you down an Alice In Chains rabbit hole, only to have you burrowing back up through the slick bass lines of Jazz Klub and its sticky, but very tasty Pearl Jam licks.

8 in the face and Through the window bring more distorted, hazy riffs that wouldn’t look out of place on any TOOL album. When these guys bring it, their intense wall of sound suffocates and consumes through those stony-faced rumblings and the near metronomic might of the Skypilot percussions. Even little nuances such as those little scratches towards the end of Through the window all add to the experience and overall depth of this album.

The closing track, and if I’m not mistaken, the second single released from the album, Knifed on the beach really does sum up what Skypilot are all about. Harmonic vocals, heaving riffs, clambering drums and a bass guitar that has all the 70’s groove and flair you’d find on the streets of San Francisco, make this group of musicians a tour de force. I’m repeating myself again, but fuck it, it needs to be said. The Irish metal scene is thriving, bubbling away in a cauldron of talent, ferocity and intensity. Another landmark release and another album to add to your end of year “best of” list. A list that keeps on giving…and growing!

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Organ Blender – Teemu Khan https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/teemukhan Sun, 31 Jul 2022 21:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 9c632153-98e6-4f3b-9b7b-4ab8db8b1605 My first impression of Organ Blender’s Teemu Khan was one of a deranged and frenzied mind that has spun out of all control, hurtling through some kind of parallel universe which is aesthetically futuristic, but at the same time, suppressed in a 90’s bubble "The Galway trio have created a post-apocalyptic world where the soundtrack to life reeks of industrial and death metal but has somehow been injected with a new-wave, avant-garde antidote that has given it a life of its own. And it’s that cocktail of sorts that makes Organ Blender a hugely compelling and highly absorbing proposition"

Right, so where do I start here! As that old saying goes, first impressions last, and my first impression of Organ Blender’s Teemu Khan was one of a deranged and frenzied mind that has spun out of all control, hurtling through some kind of parallel universe which is aesthetically futuristic, but at the same time, suppressed in a 90’s bubble. The Galway trio have created a post-apocalyptic world where the soundtrack to life reeks of industrial and death metal but has somehow been injected with a new-wave, avant-garde antidote that has given it a life of its own. And it’s that cocktail of sorts that makes Organ Blender a hugely compelling and highly absorbing proposition.

Electronic sampling opens the first track Will It Blend, with its industrial drums and its gritty gravelled vocals. That vibe continues right into Bear Song, with its unmistakable “Godflesh meets Ministry” musical concoction that pounds and crashes through filthy riffs and blurring bass lines. Tracks like Station bring another, more menacing presence into the mix with its guttural bellows and black-metal screeches, that become transfused with spoken samples and industrial clammer.

Rob Zombie riffs give Captain Krunch an identity and a face, maybe the album cover depicts this dark foreboding character we see in the future, who knows! Vocals run in parallel with the rhythm guitars, giving the track a groove and a pattern that sucks you in and feeds off your soul with those nasty vocals, crushing blast beats and sci-fi riffs. Tracks like Blast Choir continues that high tempo tirade, again, triggering memories akin to Ministry’s TV2, with that lo-fi production and its furious delivery. You gotta hand it to Organ Blender here, Teemu Khan never rests on its laurels, always a step ahead, always keeping you on your toes with its varied structures and tempos. Each track brings something fresh, unorthodox, and brilliantly bizarre!

I couldn’t possibly review and break down all 14 tracks on this album but what I will say is that each track, although firmly rooted in death and industrial metal, brings an eccentric but well-balanced blend of all musical styles, and fabricates something special and downright sublime. From the urban sampling at the end of King to the alarming and frantic pace of Meltdown, every track brings ridiculous energy and potency, but always stamped with its own USP.

The Faith No more inspired intro of Mr. Cool brings a very different vibe with it. Its simplistic but ingenious use of synths is a release from the mayhem and craziness that has gone before it. Even the techno inspired Teemu Khan is awash with originality, with the atmospherics leaning heavily on the futuristic presence of the album artwork. The final three tracks of the album, Voice, Space Rave and The Nasty 90’s take their inspiration from the darkwave and ambient spectrum of the metal scene. Its sinister and unnerving edge brings the listener on one final journey, a nightmare, where white noise and voices fill your head, making you feel uneasy and unsure. It’s a perfect way to finish an album that you will struggle to comprehend or even understand, but that doesn’t matter. It resonates with the masochistic and sadistic side of us, that part of the brain that we tend to draw a veil over and keep under lock and key, until now!

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Strangers With Guns – All Pleasure Is Just Relief https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/allpleasure Fri, 15 Jul 2022 10:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 4cd3a22e-023c-4a23-b5b4-ec828754a885 This album has all the attitude and energy of three decades of music, all brought together and given that unique Strangers With Guns treatment Phuque is a sprint through the narrow laned streets of Dublin, soaked in attitude and power, providing the soundtrack to some kind of high-stake chase through the expanding concrete jungle. Its high intensity riffs and its gritty, urban vocals give the track an identity that’s uniquely Strangers With Guns

I have to say, I just love everything about Strangers With Gun’s sound. The raw energy and honesty that they conjure up in their music is sprawled right across their second full length album All Pleasure Is Just Relief. Their music always brings me back to simpler times, as a young fella hanging out around the streets with the lads, kicking around a football, listening to old school rock, punk and metal without a care in the world. Like the music back then, this album is heavy and manic at times, with savage beats and riffs bulging out of its over-inflated pigskin as it’s kicked and thumped off the urban, concrete walls, while those punk styled vocals and lyrics scrawl and spray-paint their tirades all over the graffiti leaden barriers. This album has all the attitude and energy of three decades of music, all brought together and given that unique Strangers With Guns treatment.

Phuque is a sprint through the narrow laned streets of Dublin, soaked in attitude and power, providing the soundtrack to some kind of high-stake chase through the expanding concrete jungle. Its high intensity riffs and its gritty, urban vocals give the track an identity that’s uniquely Strangers With Guns, taken straight from their hometown and the everyday life that most metropolitan cities hold within them. It’s a high-octane track that would summarise the band in one fowl swoop.

The next track, Dial It Back is another beast with its heavy rhythm guitars and rolling drums. Verbal chants dominate the track with their infectious Suicidal Tendencies shouts and thrash metal nuances. That infectious groove continues right into I Am Henry Rollins Now and as the track clearly states, it pays homage to the man himself with its angry and bitter diatribe. A steely bass breaks the track in half later on, all the time smothered in stoner solos that spiral from floor to ceiling like an impromptu exhibition piece.

So How Are You Feeling’s jamming groove and Not Your Day's nod to Gangsters Paradise show the bands willingness to sample, experiment and invent something fresh, that’s found hidden way outside the box. I think It’s that very thing that gives Strangers With Guns that endearing and magnetic pull. Tracks like Positive Vibes give you exactly that. It's music to replenish and charge the batteries to. Even the interlude That’s Kinda Nice is, well…. kinda nice! They say it how they see it!

The final two tracks on All Pleasure Is Just Relief come at you right out of leftfield. Perception has a Blur vibe no less, with its Coffee and TV melody raining through the choruses, and then you have Why and its dreamy psychedelic smoothness muddied up with some droning spoken words and dense metal breakdowns that again, to these ears, ring of Suicidal Tendencies, which has to be a good thing! The track and album closes on a simple strummed guitar that is the complete opposite of how it all started out on Phuque. That just shows you how diverse and imaginative Stranger With Guns have become. They’re growing and developing into exactly what they want to be, without following rules and labels. It’s refreshing, it’s infectious, and it’s Irish!

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ABADDON INCARNATE – The Wretched Sermon https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/abaddon Sat, 25 Jun 2022 12:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 71ad1ffa-0e3a-4ce7-be90-7b6a6e61159b It will still peel the flesh from your bones with its rusted and blunted blade, but dare I say it, there is a refinement about it, an unbuffed polish that has galvanized them and made them more foreboding than ever before "It’s aggressive and its relentless music, expelling caustic and sometimes acidic venom that soaks through your pores, leaving you in a state of numbed terror and hysteria. That’s exactly what grindcore and death metal music should do to you. Mission accomplished here"

These Irish tormentors have been around a very long time. I’m going right back to the nineties here, and y’know something, it’s testament to the dedication and skill that Abaddon Incarnate have amassed on their almost divine journey through the carnage and decimation of the grindcore and death metal landscape. It’s that doggedness and perseverance that has these guys still releasing their spiteful and ruthless brand of music that pulverises the listener without apology. The Wretched sermon is a thirteen-track album that transitions through varied metal styles, incorporating the speed and menace of thrash, while blending it with some deeply melodic and atmospheric undertones. It will still peel the flesh from your bones with its rusted and blunted blade, but dare I say it, there is a refinement about it, an unbuffed polish that has galvanised them and made them more foreboding than ever before.

Take for instance Rising Of The Lights, which wastes no time in showcasing Abaddon Incarnate’s intent with its skin shredding riffs and battered percussions. The tirade of Steve Maher enters beneath a torrent of skyward lead solos and a pummelling bass line. There is no let-up in this beast of a track, so much so that it drives flawlessly into the next track Veritas with its vitriolic and scathing onslaught, all consumed at the speed of light.

The tendency to lean on their death metal influences weigh heavy on tracks like Epic Desecration. The melody emanating from the guitar of Bill Whelan is a nod to the gods that dominated those nineties death metal days. Even tracks like Parasite reek of Sepultura’s Chaos AD which has been drowned in an acid bath, with some of Brutal Truths most hostile riffs and hooks thrown in for good measure.

It’s probably a little unfair to compare a band like Abaddon Incarnate with other bands of the same era, as they both shared the stage at that time, but still have their own identity. Sometimes you just have to make reference to certain bands or sounds that will potentially bring forth a new listener or fan to the Abaddon Incarnate lynch mob!

Into The Maelstrom…….holy shit, where do you start. The power and pace of this track is insane, whipping up a cyclone of near black metal ferocity and savagery, blast beaten to oblivion by the limbs of Olan Parkinson. Every beat and crash is plucked and picked in unison by the spider fingers of bassist Irene Siragusa, whose hands of steel show no mercy. This track is a favourite of mine from the album and has been played on repeat when life decides to take a dump and leave you frustrated. Music for the soul! A black soul at least!

Pre-released tracks like Shrine of Flesh and Silent Indifference only whet the appetite and give the scent of blood for what is to be unleashed to the masses in a few weeks’ time. The Wretched Sermon has everything you want from Abaddon Incarnate, but I believe they have somehow found another gear, an injection of pace and power, if that is even possible. Some bands age well, others don’t. In an age where music is becoming ever more disposable, Abaddon Incarnate have unleashed hell and raised the bar of extreme music once more with The Wretched Sermon. It’s aggressive and its relentless music, expelling caustic and sometimes acidic venom that soaks through your pores, leaving you in a state of numbed terror and hysteria. That’s exactly what grindcore and death metal music should do to you. Mission accomplished here.

https://abaddonincarnateband.bandcamp.com/

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Puresonic Outcasts – Endless Contemplation https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/puresonic Sat, 04 Jun 2022 12:00:00 +0100 [email protected] f40ceb0c-6f76-470f-a0ac-54b8eb0a8c30 "The riffs hang and reverb as the funereal drums plunder and power through the opening couple of minutes. This slow to mid-tempo arrangement is both hypnotic and narcotic, as another lead guitar soars psychedelically over the fuzzy and distorted noise"

Has the Irish metal scene ever been in a healthier position? I don’t think so. The stellar releases continue, week in, week out, but what’s even more striking is the quality and the innovation that adorns them. Bands are challenging themselves and are not afraid to take a gamble. With this in mind, I had a listen to Belfast’s Puresonic Outcasts, and y’know something, they epitomise everything I have just mentioned. Their latest EP, which was only released two weeks ago is a perfect example of a group of musicians that can fuse many styles, sounds and even decades together and come up with something quite new and very fresh. Harnessing seventies doom and psychedelia as the blueprint, Endless Contemplation is a must have for all metal heads.

The first track for instance, Humanoid, grooves and grinds through a funky riff that is joined by a smothered dual lead guitar that adds depth and menace to the track, until the melody swarms and asphyxiates. A deep gravelled vocal adds another layer to the track and before you know it, you’re hurtled into the throes of a Sepulchrally crafted, old-school monster of a track that pounds and pummels right to the bitter end.

Mudlarker follows, and this track changes gears with its doom-soaked atmosphere and its brooding bass guitar. The riffs hang and reverb as the funereal drums plunder and power through the opening couple of minutes. This slow to mid-tempo arrangement is both hypnotic and narcotic as another lead guitar soars psychedelically over the fuzzy and distorted noise. Slow motion head banging carries the listener right through to the end of this track, before paths change once more with the following piece of music.

Flashes of the nineties doom revival come in shape of a Paradise Lost styled melody on the third track Om. It may be slow paced, but it’s laced with harmonics and more stoner ambiances that sink their teeth in and don’t retreat. The trajectory changes somewhat once the vocals enter the equation, transporting you even further back into the evolution of doom and gloom with its Sabbath styled subcurrents and trippy, intoxicating groove. To add to that crazy headspace, the next track, Aural continues this mood-altering euphoria with its dreamy, silky guitars that float like a dense fog, embellishing that psychotropic trip even more as the pace picks up and the swagger overflows with glistening duel guitaring and hypnotic percussions.

Desceration and Politics of fear bring us back to the start of the EP with more Sepultura styled arrangements and more deep gritty vocals that nestle deep into the mix, never overpowering the insane riffs and drums that orchestrate the show. This maybe an EP but there is so much to absorb here with Endless Contemplation. It’s like a time machine that you have sat into, and while sampling some mind-altering hallucinogens, you’re blissfully transported through decades of musical gloom, that's laced with mind altering highs. This EP is a trip everyone should take.

Puresonic Outcasts have really set the bar high with this, and I’m confident there’s plenty more in them. If you crave old school death metal that is bursting at the seams with heavy stoner riffs and doom inspired phases, then this EP with satisfy the hunger. The EP has been available since 26-05-2022, so I suggest you hit their Bandcamp page and check them out.

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Senzar – Pyre Of Throes https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/senzar Wed, 11 May 2022 11:30:00 +0100 [email protected] 66966760-b6ec-4d09-bcdc-04be583121d0 "The melodies are both sweet and sour, all the time interweaving and changing patterns and tempos, eventually leeching onto your skin, and sucking on all that crimson lifeblood"

Senzar play a vicious style of metal that feeds off many styles, spiralling through ruthless, old-school death-metal riffs to the malevolence of a post-black blitzkrieg. This murderous and spiteful delivery wreaks havoc from the moment Pyre Of Throes opens. The album has eight giant tracks, each one delivered with measured ferocity and angst, with an intensity that keeps the album alive and all-consuming.

Aldebaran’s Shine digs deep into the spirit of the death-metal gods with the opening dialogue "Enchanting tone, a melody forlorn, Adrift in the music of the spheres. Ethereal song over tempest’s gale, seduced of the mesmerising of the ocean". This passage is menacingly followed by a gravelled and gritty vocal delivery married with heaving rhythm guitars and brutally beaten drums. It’s an intense opening few minutes, but you’ve got to love every minute of it.

Cosmogenesis opens with a blistering blast beat assault that gets smothered in hellish screams and thundering riffs. The melodies are both sweet and sour, all the time interweaving and changing patterns and tempos, eventually leeching onto your skin, and sucking on all that crimson lifeblood. This is quickly followed by Unforgiving Twilight which carries the torch for more old school death metal hooks and underlying melodies.

The Sadness Will Last Forever lays siege right from the off with its torrent of power and might, only to be lost in a dreamy psychedelic vacuum momentarily, until the track erupts once more with the deadliest of riffs and the most ruthless of bass lines. Zenith is a steady and more measured affair with a heavy cloud of doom suspended above the track, giving little room to breathe, allowing the gloom and melancholy to smother and engulf your senses. The bass playing on this track is the highlight for me, as it guides and leads the charge right to the end. Even on the following track Elegy Of The Fading Cello the bass guitar is front and centre, piling misery and hardship onto the listener. Lead guitars flash over cut-throat riffs and cold-blooded vocals all the way until the final words whisper "In this theatre ethereal walls resound of silence. The act… is over, the curtain… had come down". Another brilliant track.

A Black Hole Devouring A Star and Of Embers reiterate Senzar’s ability to fuse and incorporate various styles of heaviness into an album in order to keep it interesting and layered. The sheer heaviness and brutality of the band is carefully coupled with the track compositions and their blatant technical ability. Senzar aren’t new to the game, and have been around since 2018, when they released their self-titled debut. Pyre Of Throes is a positive step forward in terms of song writing and finding the right balance between moments of calm and all-out aural assaults! With some impressive merch also available on their Bandcamp page, these Dublin lads deserve some of your time and money. Senzar will be around for a while yet.

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The Crux - Time And Space https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/thecrux Sat, 16 Apr 2022 08:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 0ba292ce-4669-4610-bf92-30bfd1b2abc8 Time and Space opens with a heavyset, stoner-rock riff that grinds and ploughs through the lower end chords, all the time in sync with the drumming of Michal Bugajski. The groove and vibe off this track is dark and unnerving, with little nuances scattered across it, that bring me back to a time when pharaohs of Ancient Egypt ruled the world

The Crux have been around for a while now, well, since 2011, when they went under the name of Warcrux. Since then, they have been constantly developing their style of catchy melodies and heaving riffs, tweaking things as they went, but all the time improving and perfecting their sound. They will be releasing their latest EP Time And Space on the 22nd April and I was lucky enough to get a preview of it. Richie has given me the forum to scratch some thoughts down for you all to read, hopefully whetting the appetite for its impending release.

The Crux open this latest EP with a track entitled Being, which is also the pre-released track. Mid-tempo drum rolls, with an old school lead guitar swell courtesy of Neil Ward, brings this EP to life, feeding fuel to the injectors, and revving things up with more old school riffs. Now, I am one fussy man when it comes to vocals, and they can either suck me into a track or eject me from the cockpit equally as quick. But it must be said that the first few notes from James Boyd are right on point. The clean, crisp delivery, with just enough rasping undertones, fits their sound to a tee. I can’t help but be reminded of Hell Is For Heroes vocalist Justin Schlosburg when I hear James, such is his measured tone and delivery, while at the same time keeping it a little gritty and untamed. Clever sing-along choruses are interweaved through chugging metal riffs and big, bombastic thrash metal guitar solos, giving Being the power to transport you back the days of the true Monsters Of Rock. A stomping opener, with a hook that’s buried so deep under your skin, that you can feel it scrape the bone!

Time and Space opens with a heavyset, stoner-rock riff that grinds and ploughs through the lower end chords, all the time in sync with the drumming of Michal Bugajski. The groove and vibe off this track is dark and unnerving, with little nuances scattered across it, that bring me back to a time when pharaohs of Ancient Egypt ruled the world. Just as the stoner riffs intensify, and the bass chords of Russell Moore deepen, the vocals also take on a more morbid and malicious tone, to parallel themselves with the music. Midway through the track, the tempo changes, and an injection of soaring guitars and a rumbling bass guitar creates a vortex of metallic power and intensity, all the time galloping forward, layer upon layer, until it explodes once more in a sea of solos and thundering drums.

Cornered has me instantly thinking of fire and chaos in equal measure, and this is because of the Rammstein soaked chorus that’s bellowed from the throat of James and from the high-speed riffs that pay homage to the thrash gods of the nineties. It’s a ferocious piece of metal music that batters the listener and is sure to be a behemoth of a live track. It has everything you want wrapped up in four minutes of fury and ferocity. That energy and aggression continues into Your Misery Will Kill Us All, with its guttural vocals and death metal riffs. The finale is huge as the atmosphere is poison and drenched in layers of drums, bass and guitars, charging mercilessly to the end, churning up all that’s in its path.

The Crux have redefined and repositioned their stance in metal circles with Time and Space and have actually given themselves both time and space to perfect and master their sound and set their sights on a future that is overflowing with raw energy and unrestrained power. These Belfast boys have made a statement with this release, and I look forward to seeing them deliver this EP live. Enjoy!

https://thecrux.bandcamp.com/track/being

https://www.facebook.com/TheCruxBelfast/

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Svet Kant - Three Faces https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/svetkant Sat, 02 Apr 2022 12:00:00 +0100 [email protected] 9134a14a-4d16-4d72-b9ef-f4cab1a9505a "From a sophisticated night at the opera to a hyperpaced voyage through another dimension, this is metal that excites and stimulates the mind, never resting on its laurels, always progressing and developing into something new and compelling"

Some of the words that flooded my senses when I listened to Svet Kant’s latest EP Three Faces for the first time were, Grandeur, Gargantuan, Orchestral and Symphonic, to name just a few. I love to be caught off guard when reviewing music, that moment where a WFT echoes around the house, oblivious to me of course because I’ve headphones on! Svet Kant's sound is impossible to pigeonhole or pin down, simply due to the fact that they can conjure up theatre and drama without even trying! From progressive, deathly riffs to soaring operatic acrobatics, Svet Kant are true to themselves, and this is the formula that makes them so interesting and unorthodox.

The opening track, Three Faces is instantly ghosted by the ethereal and seraphic vocals of Santiago Kodela, and it’s not the kind of intro that is normally found in a metal album. However, this is Svet Kant folks, and when you’re basking in the throes of their hugely experimental philosophies, nothing is impossible. His voice soars and sings above the steady, semi-heavy riffs and laid-back drums. Once the story of the track gradually opens up, the vocals ascend even further, reaching these glorious astral highs, while the guitars chug and break through multi-tempoed passages, before eventually assaulting the senses with a flurry of high-speed thrash blasts, cleverly orchestrated with soprano like vocals and visceral screams. This track draws me back to my days of basking in Therion’s symphonic and orchestral arrangements, and how can you not mention the influence of Celtic Frost when discussing and comparing symphonic metal. To Mega Therion flashes in and out of this track at various stages, battling against the cutting riffs that slash through all the drama and suspense that’s on show.

Track number two on this EP, Conjured opens in a sweeping solo melody that must be influenced by the style and sounds of the mighty Opeth. Once again, clean vocals open the track, before getting savaged by some primal, untamed growls. The verbal conflict between good and evil clash and cannonade off one another, as the double bass kicks of Daragh Kenny act as ammunition for the hostilities, scattering rounds of firepower across the wastelands, while the guitars of Liam Molloy and Santiago aim their missiles to the sky, whipping up a vortex of fear and pandemonium right through to the very end of the track.

White Parlour lunges straight for the jugular, as a bass-soaked opening, courtesy of Paul Cassidy, instigates the onslaught to your eardrums. Power, precision and guttural screams play out the last act of this theatrical and hydrogen fuelled performance. Cosmic solos swell and spiral around those orchestral notes, as the music gathers tension and ferocity, all the time pinned back with Cynic like timing and texture. It all combusts in one final flurry, closing the door shut on an EP that has torpedoed you through time, and shaken your foundations with an array of metallic styles and forms. From a sophisticated night at the opera to a hyperpaced voyage through another dimension, this is metal that excites and stimulates the mind, never resting on its laurels, always progressing and developing into something new and compelling.

Dublin’s Svet Kant have been around since 2013 and you can hear all that experience and talent tunnelling through their unique blend of melody and mayhem. With a release date of 15-04-2022, this EP should be in everybody’s Bandcamp trolley! Enjoy.

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Survivalist - VII https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/review3 Wed, 02 Mar 2022 09:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 3ad0c8d1-0b42-4906-8988-f1627adb3739 (Metalcore)

Survivalist play a powerful and highly technical style of metal, heaving with intense riffs, deep-rooted bass hooks and devastating drums. All this energy is elevated beyond the stratosphere by earth shattering vocals that burn and blister.

Belfast is a bustling and thriving city. It has many scars from times past, but it also has a history that’s monumental. The world-renowned Harland & Wolff shipyard is where the infamous RMS Titanic was built, along with many other mammoth ocean liners. Belfast likes to do things big, and that seems to rub off on their music, and in particular, the metal scene. It has now given birth to Survivalist, a metalcore band who’s sound eclipses those great ocean giants. VII is their debut album and it’s like a battleship that’s armed and loaded with blistering riffs, thundering percussions and vocals that torpedo through the ocean with ease. See what you think!

Survivalist’s first track on the album, In Which I Envy opens in meditative and tranquil fashion with waves rolling and crashing along the northern coast, as rich piano keys ebb and flow through the synthesised sea mist. Distant vocals rebound off the ocean’s surface, releasing waves of white horses, that advance, building and growing in stature as they approach the shoreline. As they roll and crash, they release a deadly riff, dripping in lead guitar swells and pummelling drums. As the waters begin to roughen, the vocals become gritty and hostile as the tempo reaches fever pitch. A chorus of more subdued vocals try to calm the waters with reflections of bands like the mighty Amorphis filling the sea air momentarily, before a tsunami of deathly riffs and percussions relentlessly pound the beaches, flooding all in its path and creating an absolute monster of an opening track.

End Of Lust wastes no time in getting in your face with chants and war cries battering you right from the start, followed by huge guitars and insane double bass drums kicking the shit out of everything in its path. The hooks in this track are razor sharp and pierce the skin with ease, digging deep into your flesh. The pace and the power is off the scale with nuances of nu-metal synths hiding in fear behind the wall of noise. The finale comes thick and fast with those guttural vocals ripping and shredding in a mass of metalcore glory.

Greed and Obsession gallops though sharp, clinical riffs and deep-rooted bass guitar hooks, while clean melodic vocals harmonise with cave-like, rasping growls. The track is heaving in energy and brute force, but it’s all carefully managed, and never out of control. The same can be said for Pride Brings Ruination, with its coarse rumbling verses and a momentary breakdown of clean singing, yes, I said singing! But this is Survivalist, so any moment of calm is going to be torn asunder, and with more insane drumming the track powers to its conclusion, in a sea of insanity.

Not only is the track title The Gluttony Of A God masterful in itself, but the delivery is again, done with visceral intent and metronomic precision. The musicianship here is something to behold and is staggering to think that this is their first full album, and what’s even more insane is that this group has only been making music since 2019, it boggles the mind.

With Wrath and Of Mindfulness and Sloth continues the superb musicianship, but takes a more reminiscent approach, with a nod to bands of the early 2000’s such is the melodic and clean vocal delivery along with the use of more synthesised alchemy. Let those heart-beaten breakdowns along with the very impressive vocal range transport you back two decades and reminisce of the good ole days!

The Metal in the North is alive and well. Survivalist are another band to add to the ever-growing Irish metal scene. I gave glowing references to a German band on The Smashing Skull Sessions recently, for their technical ability and their song writing, along with the production and artwork that came with it. Survivalist are on par with these guys and fly the flag for us, not only in Ireland and the UK, but further afield. I look forward to watching these guys grow and develop their sound and can only imagine the energy and power they conjure up playing live.

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The Risen Dread - Night Hag https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/review2 Sat, 19 Feb 2022 10:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 72db0386-c063-4ab7-a2d5-7927b7c86ca8 With influences spanning decades, The Risen Dread have released a behemoth of an album. Irish metal is thriving when you hear the quality of the musicianship here on Night Hag. Having both Irish and Brazilian members in equal measure, The Risen Dread are chock-full of ideas and talent, and are on an upward trajectory, that shows no sign of easing off. With influences spanning decades, The Risen Dread have released a behemoth of an album. Irish metal is thriving when you hear the quality of the musicianship here on Night Hag. Having both Irish and Brazilian members in equal measure, The Risen Dread are chock-full of ideas and talent, and are on an upward trajectory, that shows no sign of easing off.

The Irish metal scene is on a high, there’s no denying that. Every genre and musical style is sprawled across the country. Dublin’s Irish/Brazilian quartet, The Risen dread have unleashed an album that commands everyone’s attention. Believe me, Night Hag is a beast of an album that whips up a storm right from the off. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!

Psychoses’ horror filled intro is awash with synths and immediate suspense. Well, that is until a vocal delivery that needs measuring on the Richter scale, bellows up from the fires of hell, and triggers a barrage of high octane, eighties influenced thrash diatribe that swings like a steel beam on a crane, in a hurricane, pendulously swaying between deathly growls to blackened screeches. A thundering intro to an album that’s obese with energy.

With eleven tracks on Night Hag, I don’t have enough time to step through every track, but I did have to pause and mention the second track Silent Disease. A super catchy melody with vocals that act as another instrument following the harmonies and tempo of the music. That mid-tempo gallop is laced with Iron Maiden melodies and Amon Amarth chant-ability. Then you have a Paradise Lost solos from the Gothic era bringing the track to a close amidst a fury of double bass kicks. This track really drags you by the scruff of the neck, through decades!

Obsession opens in a barrage of machine gun fire, spraying ammunition along the wall of death metal. Chugging riffs with blasting vocals lay siege, but that funky bass line courtesy of Mat Maher is the centre piece of this track, acting as the catalyst for what follows. If I was to hear influences on this track, then Gojira have stamped their presence here from start. But that bass line, fuck me, it’s infectious! The Gojira effect plays no small part in the next track Sound Of The Unknown, and seriously, The Risen Dread would give them a good run for their money, such is the talent and power on show. Another gritty, stomping creation, with William Ribeiro tearing it up on guitar.

Now, lets take a moment before we tackle White Night. There are not many bands out there that can grab the attention of the likes of Andreas Kisser. For those unfamiliar with the name, he’s a Sepultura legend. The Risen Dread got this guy to play on this track, and even without Andreas’s input, this is a juggernaut. From the moment the air raid sirens ring out and that drum beat kicks in, grinding riffs and a swirling lead guitar hooks you by the jowls and doesn’t let go. Blistering vocals and venomously plucked bass strings, along with a devil horned chorus drives the track through an onslaught of melody and might. It’s a beast of a track and to be fair, the highlight must be that wicked solo from Kisser. As I write this review, I’m on my fourth listen of White Night, such is the quality of the track.

It’s extremely hard to highlight any standout musicians here as these guys are all on fire throughout this album, but I have to say that Marco Feltrin’s vocals are absolutely insane, with a range that would shatter concrete and split the sky in one foul swoop. Coward’s 9 highlights it to the max, and is another groove driven track that explodes on impact. Lazzaretto’s high intensity riffs and crazy tempo changes keep this machine thundering along, relentlessly forging its own trail through a blizzard of aggression.

The Closing track, and the title track of the album, The Night Hag is awash with atmosphere and theatre, think Moonspell and Tiamat from the nineties and you will get an idea of the drama and suspense that the opening three minutes conjure up. With the likes of Brazilian composer Renato Zanuto writing the score, there’s no wonder it’s so big and grandiose. Colum Cleary’s drumming is something to behold throughout the album, but those high-speed kicks are savage on The Night Hag.

Irish metal is in safe hands when you hear the quality of the musicianship here on Night Hag. The Brazilian influence is colossal and gives The Risen Dread another edge that’s razor sharp. Josh Sid Robinson has done an amazing job in producing this album, giving every instrument room to breathe and be heard. What more can I say, only give this album a listen and try catch them live if they hit your town. I’ve no doubt it will blow you away.

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The Magnapinna: Party Rumours. https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/reviews Sat, 05 Feb 2022 09:00:00 +0000 [email protected] 776b4895-e44f-49ea-85af-79f278da0ba1 When you listen to The Magnapinna, don't mistake fun for absurdity. These guys can play and have a natural flair for making music that's interesting, explosive and dynamic. Hybridizing modern metal with the funkier sounds of past decades has given The Magnapinna their very own USP and are not afraid to flaunt it! I must admit, I'm excited and a little nervous to be writing my very first review for The Metal Cell, but above all, I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring another element to this well-established podcast. For my maiden voyage, Richie has handed me an album from the brilliant Magnapinna, and after just one listen, Party Rumours has literally blindfolded me, wrapped a bungee cord around my ankles and kicked me from a plane! In free fall, my life as a music lover is flashing before my eyes, hurtling past decades, trends and scenes. Grunge, Indie, Metal and Punk movements have my eyes streaming and my ears ringing during my frenzied descent. When the cord is finally maxed out, it whips me back up towards the sky, as bands like Faith No More and System Of A Down play out the soundtrack right to the end.

The Magnapinna have taken all that's great about music over the last twenty-five years and made it feel fresh and alive again. The energy, musicianship and overall vibe is electrifying on Party Rumours. Here's a brief run through the record and here's hoping it whets the appetite for its Valentine's release!

The opening track I Kennedy is an immediate favourite for me on this album. I really hate to constantly compare bands to others, but the Faith No More influence hangs on every word and every riff. It’s short, it’s powerful and it punches you square in the jaw. There’s a high-speed tirade that closes the track, but it also opens the gateways for the rest of the album. It’s one of those opening tracks that gives you an indication where the album is going without ruining too many of the surprises that are littered right throughout the album.
The title track Party Rumours is a short groovy melody that requests your participation in chanting the chorus, “try and live with it!" A sharp short shot of fun and a nod to the early 2000’s.

Monday is one of those songs that grabs you by the neck and hurtles you across the dance floor amidst a fevered rush to the stage, with its funky System Of A Down Radio/Video Inspired hooks and vibes. Without a moment to gasp for air, Avalanche begins with a mudslide of chugging riffs and dual lead swells that complement the crisp clean vocals that are delivered with swagger and a carefree attitude, courtesy of Xtian. Avalanche’s stoner-rock rhythms rattle and roll as chants from Howard's backing vocals give the track huge depth and attitude. “Heave and roll” chants ricochet from ear to ear right through to the final narrative… “Follow your destiny, you must believe in me”.

The hooks continue as Decision Time waltzes in unannounced with a groove that crawls deep under your skin, like a tick in the long grass that finds a home in the warmest crevice of your being. The rhythm is addictive, powering between flashes of Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers...well, pre-Californication anyway, y'know, back in the good ole days! The album gets momentarily flipped on its head as the listener is synthesised into the very Irish, and very tongue-in-cheek parody Gay Byrne Cosplay. The dance inspired bass lines and the deep rooted “techno techno techno techno” lyrics will be imprinted on your brain for days, wrecking all heads around you.

Creep is a kind of radio friendly track, simply because of its crisp clean guitars and cheeky vocal delivery. Those female backing vocals act as an extra layer of insulation around the track, warming you to every hook and nuance that pepper the track as the song ploughs along. If you weren’t already rocking out of your seat after Creep, more roguery and mischief is splattered across the flamboyant NFR. Catchy choruses and a high-octane barrage of guitars from Howard and James, fused with Ed's crashing drums whip up a frenzy of quirky antics and chopping vocals.

Gloria funks the shit out of it with a wicked bass line courtesy of Mike, that leads the charge for guitars to shred in a way System Of A Down did but try and visualise Mike Patton fronting this make-believe line up. Chants and chugs barrel their way through the track before opening into a chorus of Gloria, Magnapinna style. Change the frequency, It’s an anomaly. A live favourite I guarantee.

The final two tracks, Widow Maker and Doxxing are of a similar vein musically with Widow Maker rattling the ribcage with its deathly, guttural growls that trade off against Xtian's clean acrobatic delivery. A fury of noise and an abrupt press of the eject button ends the track before the fun comes to an end with the Pantera inspired intro of Doxxing, and its gritty and chunky riffs that grind and pummel their way over Xtian's effervescent vocal onslaught. A fitting end to an album that is full of energy and ideas, and it delivered each and every time.

When you listen to The Magnapinna, don't mistake fun for absurdity. These guys can play and have a natural flair for making music that's interesting, explosive and dynamic. Hybridizing modern metal with the funkier sounds of past decades has given *The Magnapinna * their very own USP and are not afraid to flaunt it. A stellar release.

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Motorhead....burning Dunlop's to my Walkman! https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/playing-metal-on-cassettes-and-teenage-angst Wed, 01 May 2019 17:00:00 +0100 [email protected] ef3a4f61-0fed-47d4-b685-756ccac2e4b6 Cassette, is an analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback. It was developed by Philips in Hasselt, Belgium, and released in 1962. Motorhead's No Sleep Til' Hammersmith was the first cassette I ever played. I didn't have a ghetto blaster, twin deck or anything fancy like that. Nope my cassette player looked like a packet of tissues. You'd load the cassette into where you'd pull out the tissues by pressing the eject button, which shot open a darkened plastic compartment to place your cassette into, the strength of that spring opening mechanism was lethal. Cassettes would be spat out at you on a regular basis. You would then press the loaded cassette down into the box and then you would have five buttons to choose from. First button was the stop button/eject button, the second was play, the third was fast forward, the forth was rewind and the final one was record. Interestingly enough the record button didn’t record when you pressed it, you also had to press down the play button with the record button at the same time. Then you were sorted in so far as you could record people speaking but not really music as the quality would be terrible. If for example you were recording anything off the radio because there was none built into my cassette player, you'd hold it alongside the radio and tape the song off that. So I had to make do with cassette player until my mate got a Walkman....the game changer! It was an even smaller version of my cassette player about twice the width of a cassette box and about an inch longer complete with headphones. The modern age was upon us metallers. Of course I wanted one straight away but being broke had to wait till I eventually got a cheap shitty one out of saving up stamps from my dad’s petrol purchases until 8 pages of stamps later I got a Walkman. It was black and had round orange foam earphones which were held together by a thin metal band that cause the earphones to push away from the fucking ears!!! Still the improvement on sound was noticeable and I was really looking forward to wearing them along with my new black orange Dunlop runners as I headed out to the local hangout; an amusement park called Perks. As soon as I met up with the lads I got slaughtered....dunno which was worse, the slagging over the orange/black runners or my new orange headphones.... although I did manage to brazen it out trying to say this was the new look, they cost a fortune and were smuggled bask from the U.S because they weren't released yet in Europe. No one believed me and because it definitely wasn't helping my chances scoring with a girl, I headed off home cursing my poverty as Lemmy belted out "Overkill". It reminds me of another fashion faux pas, imitating Keifer Sutherland whom I spotted on Empire magazine wearing jeans, white t-shirt and a black dinner jacket. The following weekend I arrived out minus the Dunlops to the amusement park wearing jeans, slip on shoes, cream t-shirt and my dad’s blue tweed blazer......fuck me what was I thinking....absolutely slaughtered again and early exit home. Getting back to the cassettes we found an older dude called Donie to make us up cassettes with all of the coolest metal albums on them. One clear memory is of me and my mate Timmy standing near this big generator overlooking the whole of the beach and amusement park with his stereo blasting out Manowar's "Fighting the World." We thought we were kings of all we surveyed, that was the effect metal had on us. Powerful music blasting out, fists in the air, adrenaline coursing through our bodies, ready to fight for metal! Seems kinda corny but those were the feelings of a sixteen year old metal fan. Cassettes were really cheap as well. You could get a 120 min, 90 min, 60 min or a 30min one if you were really broke. 90 mins was the preference because you'd get an album copied on each side and maybe a bonus song also. Compilations were a real pain in the ass for the person making them because it meant swapping vinyl for every song, same if it was on tape and it was a twin deck. The hardest part was when you simply had no cash and you had to choose a cassette to tape over an already copied album. A lot of the cassettes had these tabs at the top where you'd break the tab off it couldn't be recorded over. To get by this you'd stick on a piece of Sellotape over the tab and you were ready to record again. I know I actually did this to original cassette albums definitely my brothers Bob Dylan ones but the result would always sound like shit which was ironic considering I hated Dylan anyway. My favourite copied cassettes were in no particular order Iron Maiden's Live after Death, Metallica's Master of Puppets and Sacred Reich's Ignorance with on the other side Indestructible Noise Command. I often think of a teenage me, putting a few of my favourite cassettes in the Parka jacket, ready for a beach walk with my shitty Walkman.

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Hidden treasures, vinyl feasts and tennis rackets. https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/hidden-treasures-vinyl-feasts-and-tennis-rackets Mon, 01 Apr 2019 17:00:00 +0100 [email protected] ee5d07e2-b9d0-45b2-9d70-aeb45c7e40cb When you inherit a record collection you can unlock your potential as an artist, become a contortionist and still manage to burn potatoes. When I turned ten years old my older brother had moved out, his bed was dumped and I had a large room to myself. I also inherited a Ferguson record player and a collection of scratched, bent eared vinyl, whether any other kid would have bothered investigating this hidden treasure is anyone’s guess. That summer of 1981 was spent by most kids playing sports or just roaming around fields and newly built estates pretending they were soldiers for hours upon end. The summers were a lot warmer back then so more often than not you were booted out of the house early by your parents rather than be sat in front of a TV/console unless you were me. Since both my parents worked I had the choice. When I’d wake up it would be to an empty house and a list of chores which would be done to Gillian’s "Future Shock" or Sparks "Propaganda" playing in the background on the record player. Radio never played that stuff.
My brother’s collection of vinyl was full of original first pressings and are now considered classic albums unlike my parents Feast of Irish Folk records. I had Deep Purples “Made in Japan”, Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak”, Led Zeppelin’s “Physical Graffiti”, Saxons “Wheels of Steel” and Motorhead’s “No Sleep Til Hammersmith” to name drop a few of the forty or so LP’s my brother left behind. I’d always check to see if there was printed lyric’s on the inner sleeve of those albums or strange markings etched into the vinyl where the circular label was. From my experience, if for example you had an older sister, you were really goosed vinyl wise. Those collections included anything from Donny Osmond, Chris De Burgh, Boney M, Abba, The Carpenters and Simon & Garfunkel and because both of my close friends had big sisters swapping vinyl wasn’t an option. Since we had hardly any money but just enough to buy a magazine, we’d all meet up in each others houses and look longingly at Kerrang or Metal Hammer to check out all the cool American bands whose artwork looked amazing.
I lived in an end of the row terraced house on a hill and every Saturday morning metal was blasting out of my brothers Ferguson record player to people going down town to do their shopping. They’d often stop and stare into the windows as I’d manically duck down and laugh back at them. Having no guitar I used a wooden sweeping brush which became Jimmy Pages Les Paul, when I got a new hurley, it became Angus Youngs Gibson SG and a tennis racket (more realistic as it had strings) became Jimi Hendrix’s Strat. I never had the urge to be drummer and as for keyboard player, don’t make me laugh! I just wanted to be battering out a song or sliding along my knees on a stage or I'd just jump off the couch to Motorcyle Man by Saxon or bunny hop along to AC/DC pretending I was Angus. I’d have one eye on the clock the whole time as usually both parents came up to the house for dinner at 13:00. My biggest concern whilst hammering out metal was not to forget to turn on the gas for potatoes at 12:00 though a lot of times I did and get a bollocking because of it.
When you’d get an album on vinyl, like for example Iron Maidens “Powerslave” and take the time to admire the artwork of Derek Riggs, it’s the metal equivalent of being handed a Carravaggio. The amount of time spent staring at Derek’s works of art and trying to understand it and discuss the symbols just goes on for weeks and weeks when you were a kid. You’d spend time all your time trying to draw and perfect the cover or the bands logo with a pencil and then go over it using a marker. A skilled logo artist was a busy one. There was numerous army jackets called Parkas that needed to be logoed up long before tattoo sleeves became popular. If you were flush enough to be able to afford a denim jacket, a back patch was a necessity though the sleeves were never cut off back then. This usually resulted in a trip to the city with the mother and while she would be in some clothes shop I would be in the Queens Old Castle shopping mall trying to buy patches. Countless arguments ensued with parents over what patches and pin badges could be allowed on the jackets. I was in over in Camden last year for a gig and was enjoying stall after stall of pin badges, patches and bullet belts. AC/DC came on over the speakers and I could feel myself slip back in time to that album Let There Be Rock. I could vividly remember putting that beautiful piece of black vinyl onto my Ferguson record player and flicking the switch to play it. If there was a tennis racket in that stall in Camden I would have grabbed it and bunny hopped off into the distance

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Its a midlife Podcast! https://themetalcell.fireside.fm/articles/its-a-midlife-podcast Sat, 23 Mar 2019 15:00:00 +0000 [email protected] a03f8ff2-336c-4bec-a3fb-60959de848aa When maturity comes calling to those who love Metal! I don't remember not listening to hard rock or heavy metal as a kid. I was fortunate enough to have a brother 11 years older than me growing up in the 70’s. Damn that’s fairly scary when I think of it now....the seventies! Most guys, like me when they hit their late forties and are still listening to metal, never really grow up. I’m sure our wives and partners would agree with that, they gave up trying to understand the joy in our eyes as we gleefully cradled the new release from Slayer whilst oblivious to the needy child, animal or loved one. Sure we physically aged, we got grey, lost hair, gained a few pounds but mentally we are all still in our late twenties, a definite advantage over most other genres of music. Imagine a fifty year old over weight raver for example wearing flairs and trying the same dance moves he tried in his twenties on the dancefloor now and not looking ridiculous. Whereas there is no bullshit with us metallers, we all wear black, we either stand at the front, middle or back of the gig and try not to get in each other’s way. As I get older I’m seen less at the front, it obviously depends on the amount of Peroni I drink so if a pit starts up I’ll participate but assess the risks coldly. Like if its full of kids with their tops off I’m moving to the side of the fleshfest or big drunken lunatics with beers in their hands causing spillages and pile ups on the dancefloor is equally off putting and a right pain in the hole! Not to mention one night at the Academy where some weirdo dropped a load of Pistachio nuts he was gobbling and I could feel them through the soles of my Cons, the amount of guys that slid along them carrying beers was no ones business. Horrible just horrible! When us “metalheads” get together, it’s with youthful abandonment we approach gigs, we have the same conversations about bands, albums and t-shirts. There's no gossip exchanged only some nodding sympathy to the lastest aches or pains. So yes there is a downside of all this youthful exuberance back in the days of the stage diving and mosh pits because we now are all suffering with back, knee and neck problems. I remember a few years back going to the aptly titled Dr. Lim in The CUH Hospital in Cork on a referral from my local doctor as I was suffering neck pains, shooting pains from my elbows down to my hands and unable to sleep comfortably. He looked at my MRI results and sighed the sigh of a man that’s going to deliver the worse news possible. I folded my aching arms and waited for the inevitable outcome. Dr. Lim said that I had the neck of a seventy year old man, he showed me slide after slide of wear and tear on my cervical vertebrae. He leaned back and asked me what type of awful job I working in that could have caused this. I knew it wasn’t the current one for the last 17 years, where there is a small amount of manual handling but I still gave him answer after answer to which he continually shook his head until we had exhausted all options. He then asked did I play sports to which I repied I didn’t and then followed that up by asking about hobbies. So I told him that I loved going to gigs and music. He sat forward frowning and his eyes narrowed, “What type of gigs and music?” When I said heavy metal he slammed the pen down on the table and triumphantly announced that was the source of my neck degeneration. Forty years of head banging and there was no cure. He did suggest Botox injections four times yearly but the thoughts of me going full Klingon left me feeling numb. I manned up and the pains subsided….eventually.

Pic taken by Janer Ali at The Exploited in Voodoo Dublin 2018

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