Heavy Maytal- Savage Master/ Mystic Storm : "The Power / Wandering Time"

 

This split mini-album from these two bands is set firmly in the days of yesteryear. Savage Master is no stranger to us here, as I really enjoyed the last album, "Dark & Dangerous," that found them moving in a darker direction, but it will be my first time checking out Mystic Storm. Savage Master's first track is more anchored in rock n roll and high on high energy. "The Last Kiss" is similarly paced, though with a marginally darker mood. There are some more deliberate passages. 'The Power finds them locked in a more midtempo headbanging chug that is not unlike Accept or the Scorpions. The pace picks up on the chorus. The songs are all very compactly arranged; they do not break any new ground, though they might lean in a more rock direction. 

Russian band Mystic Storm starts off the first of their three songs with spooky ambiance before, going into 80s worshipping proto thrash lead by what might be considering King Diamond like  falsetto wailing if it was not coming from a woman which makes it a blended register soprano jump, since it's easier for a woman's vocal chords to flip over into this . I like the melodic guitar passages injected in their. I might actually like them better than what Savage Master was doing as it's darker in a more Mercyful Fate direction. The title track to their contributions has a more deliberate menace,. It does slowly build into more of a gallop the time the vocals come in. I am also picking up an old Scorpions influence. 

The last song from these guys "Into the Abyss" has a more Maiden like harmony guitar run, with a very 80s palm muted riff driving the verses. The chorus being darker and more melodic. The melodies she uses a more darkly powerful than what we heard from the more rock approach Savage Master used. It is kinda of weird to rate an album like this but the best way to think of it is that I would give Savage Master's songs a 9as they were a well composed representation of what they do as a band, even though it's a snap shot of them moving in a more rock direction, they did this in a manner that is true to who they are. With that said Mystic Storm's three songs would get a 9.5 as they made we want to search out their other music and dive deeper into who they are. This drops on  Shadow Kingdom June 24th. 

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Rumours : " Neither Innocent Nor Wavering"

 I suppose Blue Oyster Cult might be a good frame of reference for the shadows haunting the twin guitar attack this German band. There is a proto metal feel, with vocals that stand out as the are a dramatic baritone croon with balls to it. Not unlike In Solitude in many ways. On the second song they come even closer to being metal. They are really aggressive rock music. The vocals are forceful but still sung. There is a retro feel to what they do, but it works for what is going down here and is not like they are too focused on recreating a sound that they forgot to write songs. Though the vocal lines to the angrier second song are not as gripping as the first , the over all product is still pretty powerful. They cram plenty of guitar solos into this one with out getting lost in the shred. 

Things get even darker on "Black Milk" thanks to the vocals that take a more emotive and tortured drama that borders on being goth, though they are not low enough. The guitars also have a more doomy tone to them, The song builds into a more explosive dyanmic . The vocals are more of a roar. Not punk at all , but that kind of energy of say the MC5. That was the longest song at almost 6 minutes.  It goes by pretty fast as it is driving. They make me eat my words to some extent with the punk thing on the last song as it does get closer to that sort of thing. If we are talking about when punk was more rock than not. The vocals are still very much sung and not yelled, making it more metal. I can say I like the first three songs better as they were darker and not as straight forward. 

They do slow down to more of a doom tone and end the album on a bigger note, but the bulk of the song was too basic for me . It might grow on me and the first three songs were excellent. I wish this was an entire album rather than just a 4 song ep, but you take what you can get these days. I will round this down to a 9 due to the last song, but it 's generally a lot of fun and even that song is not bad it is just not at the level of the first three. 

3.8

Devil Electric : "s/t"

Not dark enough to be a Gothtober entry, this Austrailian band busts out some pretty hefty rock that falls some where between doom and stoner rock. So it's either dark stoner or doom. I think this was being called occult rock or vest metal a few years ago. There is some Sabbath worship, but their singer has a personality of her own and is not just trying to totally fall in line with all the Grace Slicksters that came after Christian Mistress. "Shadowman" is not as smartly written as the opener.Their producer nailed the guitar tone and the vocals are layer well also. "Lady Velvet" has a good groove. Their singer is reasonably hot so that might factor in to how her persona might be giving her pipes the illusion they are larger than life. She has more personality to her voice than she dazzles with vocal pyrotechnics. To her credit she certainly serves the songs.

One thing this band has going for them is they don't try to zone you out into a long tedious drone. Fairly upbeat despite their doom flavorings most of the songs seem to be under the six minute mark. They don't jam either, it's right to the point and driving that point powerfully home. They get it dialed back inn for "Dove and the Serpent". They share the load when it comes to song writing with riffs and vocals carrying equal weight.  Until "the Sacred Machine" the bass keeps a low profile, with the guitars sonically dominating the mix until the vocals step into the spot light. They keep kneeling at the altar of Sabbath on this one as well. The drummer has certainly a respect for Zeppelin as well.

The album ends on a darker note with "Hypnotica". The tempo is slowed in more of a lumber that you might expect from this brand of more traditional doom. Her vocals back off  little and she proves that she can do more than just belt.The guitarist also proves he can solo very tastefully. I'll round this one up to a 9 as over all this is a solid release , it sounds great. While it is not the most original thing under the sun that have crafted their own sound that stands on it's own two legs.

Jess and the Ancient Ones : "Horse and Other Weird Tales"

While not tremendously impressed when I saw this band open for King Diamond a few years ago, I think they have potential so have some hope fore their new album "the Horse and Other Weird Tales " . I continues to find the band steeped in groovy 60's rock almost like Coven with go-go dancers. So keyboards play a huge role. There is also a very jammy quality, not unlike some of the Doors more upbeat moments. The vocals are strong and soulful , but far from doing anything new. Combining elements of both Momma Cass and Janis Joplin, the results are not largely different from a band like Shocking Blue. So full of flower power that aside from the lyrics it's hard to find the more up tempo songs dark.It's three songs in before we come across something that is darker with the song "Your Exploding Heads" . This is has more of a blues soaked swing to it.

One thing I can say this album has going for it is the song are not long drawn out jams like the Devils Blood could sometime wander off into . "You and Eyes" starts of with a great groove and then spaces out into more of a Pink Floyd place, but it works well dynamically. 'Return to Hallucinate" breezed by me the first so perhaps I was having a flash back. Upon second listen it finds it on par with the with rest of the psychedelic flavored rock presented thus far, the chorus having a little more drive than some of the other songs. "Rainbow Mouth" is not unlike sped version of  "Inna Gadda Davida" . 'Minotaure" starts off much slower and builds back into the pace that dominates most of this album.

On of the album's longest journeys is the closer "Anyway the Mind Flows" which is darker . This mood wise comes closer to doom. The chord progressions give more of a wink in that direction. While this song would go over well with fans of doom, I think the album is generally too upbeat for those who are into slow, deep and harder music. Some of the more progressive passages step back from the tension. This album is easy to put on and let fade into the background. It's well played and they have recreated the sound they are going for. I think the way this music can be a slave to the time period they are trying to take you back to is what causes it to falter in the originality department. I will give it an 8 as it has some strong moments in terms of song writing and fans of this sort of thing will enjoy it.

Salem's Pot : " Pronounce This!"

It was their name which made this band from Sweden seem like a joke to me. Their name turns out to be misleading as it is not bong headed stoner rock, but psychedelic with a great deal of depth to it. The album dips into a darker and more cerebral mood than the more rocking boogie of "Just For Kicks" , which takes them in more of a Pentagram direction. Lyrically they are not pondering the bong water, but very cynically looking at the big picture and problems in the world. Though this does come from an occult garnished filter. The doomy sections sound more like something Alice Cooper would do. I can appreciate these guys ability to jam, but on albums I want to hear more song and then get the jam live. I am sure it would transition well live.There is no question these guys worship at the altar of the rock gods and have taken much inspiration.

 They drop back into a country tinged ballad that sounds like something Neil Young would do.Not something to take as seriously as if King Dude did something similar. There is darker tone to the 9 minute desire that closes the album. This might appeal to fans of Ghost, though it certainly had more balls than what Ghost has been doing the past couple of albums. They do not have the pop slickness and more of a fiendish late 60's Coven like sound. The vocals have desperation to them, but don't fall over the guitar as well as they did on the first song.

I'll give them an 8 which seems to be the score I give albums that just fall short of being something I need to have on my iPod. There is not really any faults, but some of the jamming could have been better spent solidifying the songs. These guys are not the joke they make themselves out to be and a band that is now firmly on my radar.
 

Castle :"Welcome to the Graveyard"

They have a 80s metal chug to their ominous brand of hard rock. Singer Elizabeth Blackwell has some grit to her harrowing blues tinged belting. If you ever wondered what would  Royal Thunder have sounded like if they had come out in the 80s instead of this decade, you might have a rough picture. There is something rawer to what Castle is pounding out. They cross over into more of a NWOBHM style metal with a side of jamming on "Veil of Death".  So what separates them from the rest of the vest metal pack that rose to power five years ago? Well that is something I'll attempt to answer from this point on.

"Flash of the Pentagram" sounds like Motorhead jamming with Judas Priest on the verses. The chorus has an interesting melody , but it sounds like it's pasted in from another song. Their guitar solos are more blazing examples of rock gods, than trying to be too cool for school, like some of the vest metal bands who went for a fashionably retro guitar tone. "Traitor's Run" finds the chugs beginning to run out of steam. The more introspective and darker turn in a more melodic direction works well at the beginning of "Down in the Cauldron Bog". When they bust in with the solo this makes for a heavier dynamic. The song writing is not as refined for the closing "Natural Parallel" which goes back into riding the same galloping that has been clomping all over the rest of this album.Still this album is a lot of fun and was an enjoyable listen with some stellar moments. I don't think it will make it to my iPod, but these guys are not apologetic about their old school metal influence and take it on head first. I'll give it an 8, Van Records is releasing this July 15th.

Diamond Head : "s/t"

I was listening to this album after downloading it and explained them to my wife as 'the metal band from the 70s who wrote "Am I Evil". To which she replied "Well it sounds like they are still in the 70s." On the opening track I couldn't really argue their case. Guitarist Brian Tatler is the only original member, and every one else except for singer Rasmus Born Anderson from the 90's incarnation of the band. One question raised early on is "Why the hell would you call a song "Shout At the Devil" after Motley Crue pretty much owned the term in 83? It makes me unable to take the song's chorus seriously, despite the verses find the band in good form.

"Set My Soul On Fire" finds Anderson sounding more like Chris Cornell than Sean Harris, putting the band in more of  90's metal  zip-code. It is a pretty solid song and thing the yeah,yeah accents which would normally sound cheesy work here. Its too bad "See You Rise" isn't put together as well. "All the Reasons You Live" is driven by a simpler chug, that seems more like the band than the previous song, but feels too happy to be Diamond Head. Anderson, has a good voice, but sounds more radio rock than what Harris was originally going for. There is more of a rock n roll feel to boogie of "Wizard Sleeve". It's well played, just a little too upbeat to draw me in. They do get heavier for "Our Time is Now" which has a pretty cool bass line.

"Speed" reminds you how blurred the lines once where between metal and rock n roll. The singer is at his grittiest for this song, but he doesn't carry the same personality Harris did into these songs. The band returns to for with the classic metal sounding "Blood On My Hands". "Diamonds" finds the band staying strong on the heavier path. Things get interesting for the more exotic lead into "Silence". The songs almost rips off the riff from "Kashmir" , but it's largely forgivable and while it's not the album's best song it's still pretty damn good. Overall this might not be "Lightning to the Nations" , but it's a decent return to form I'll give it an 8 since the stakes were so high.

Blood Ceremony : "Lord of Misrule"

They have been getting better with each album so expectations are high with this one. Their last album saw them getting away from doom into a brand of progressive rock more like Jethro Tull. The opener does have a darker vibe than their last one, but it it's pretty upbeat for the bulk of the song. In the final few minutes it takes some twists and turns into some creepy riffs before building up into a doomier punch. They continue to turn back the clock with an almost 60s Jefferson Airplane like groove on "Loreley". Despite the vein the go in here their singer sounds less like Grace Slick on this album, not that she was ever trying to to be a clone. Her melodies are at the same time both darker and poppier . They go back and flirt with their doom roots on the harder accented "the Rogues Lot", which continues to find the band heading in a heavier direction than the last album. Granted it's still in proto-metal territory, but the guitar has more attack. The solos through have a very rock god timelessness to them. On this song the drummer also proves he can lay back and stick to the pocket or give more of a prog flash to his playing .

Vocalist Alia O'Brien has a richer rock tone to her voice this time around. She sounds more self assured. The vocals sit well in the mix, the over dubbed harmonies are never over done.  The album was recorded to tape so it has an even more organic sound than the last album. The title track has lots of flute and has almost more of a boogie to it. It's hard not to bob your head to it. "Half Moon Street" dances with more of a pop skip to it. The guitar jangles more than it chugs, though the guitar solo at the reminds me of "Free-Bird". One thing I noticed during this song on my second pass through the album, is the songs are more tightly written and there is less of a jamming feel.   The more psychedelic "the Weird of Finistere" was written during the sessions for their first album, but is now surfacing. They take another turn to 60's Brit pop on "Flower Phantoms". The vocal arrangement is really interesting and makes it one of the album's best songs.

Not quite metal, "Old Fires" has more power to it and rocks harder than the other songs on the album.  The back off from there to close the album out with an acoustic song. Lyrically it's more interesting than where they go musically with it. Most of the songs are full of pagan metaphor and folk lore, this one is a little more heavy handed in the "occult" than the others. At the end of the day aside from Alia's singing nothing really sets this song apart, it could be "Last Dance With Mary Jane".  Right not I'll give this one an 8.5 and see how it grows on me. My expectations were a little lofty, I like the fact it's darker, but some of the songs ride the middle of the road. This album comes out March 25th on Rise Above Records.

Blizaro : " Cornucopia Della Morte"

I'm not sure if Ghost is to thank for the current trend of bands digging in the vaults of record stores for elusive copies of albums by Coven and Black Widow to re-create the creepy horror psyche that pre-dates metal. That is not to say the album doesn't owe anything to Black Sabbath as some of the more lurching harder riffs do. The over all vibe is very late 60's proto-metal. Main man John Gallo's voice reminds me of Craig Wedren from Shudder to Think, though not as flamboyant. Though I can also hear some Candlemass in there as well, he just doesn't have the operatic power to bellow it out like Messiah. Their is more of a metallic feel to the  second part of the four part Nemesis song cycle that opens the album. The guitar playing get more impressive as the record progresses. The vocals benefit from the effects slapped on them for the fourth part of "Nemesis".

Dripping with vintage synths there is a pretty smooth groove to "Giallo". Some of the keyboard melodies to bring to mind  horror soundtracks of the early 70s.There is a loose jammy feel to this song , which I imagine works really well live. This proggy vibe carries over into "Frozen Awakening". This turns back the clock to the early days of what we now think of as metal. The drummer shows his chops on this one and the guitar takes on more of a chug to the point of getting closer to Diamond Head's back yard. This builds into a rawer fury by they time they get to their cover of Paul Chain's "Voyage to Hell" invoking a more primal version of Candlemass.

The trippy synths return on "the Staircase". The song warbles to life with the groove shifting under the heavy layer of Moog. This is another jammy instrumental. The guitar playing is not shabby at all and this is sure to be a good time live, but not something I would listen to on my iPod on a daily basis.  "Stygian Gate" rocks like early Iron Maiden. If you were being lead to believe this album is doom, my only question is "Is "Killers" a Doom album ?"  If you answered yes, it's still not too late to drink Drano. The instrumental section continue to impress, but also come across like they are just jamming. This album made a pretty good first impression on me, I am unsure how much of a craving I am going to have for repeat listens, but I will give this one a 8.5 as it succeeds in doing what this album set out to accomplish, aside from the fact this is not a doom album.