A classic thrash sound, with an up-to-date sheen, Chupacabra offer up their debut EP, ‘Fortified With Ashes’, out now.
The source of all featured music, in the audiobook edition of the best selling Slayer biography, ‘Slayer 66 & 2/3: A Metal Band Biog, Postmortem Remastered Edition’ and the associated podcast, ‘Talkin’ Slayer: A Metal Podcast + Half-@ssed Audiobook’. (DX Ferris).
Composed of a trio of Bristolians, Chupacabra are ex-members of Wytch, Cybervoid and Captive.
Thematically, Chupacabra’s music covers the usual psycho-socio-political material, via heightened aggression and thrash intensity.
Produced by Wynter Prior, at Sphynx Studios, Brighton, UK.
Photo Credit – Serena Hill.
‘FWA’ is a DIY release.
Burn The Clowns – Hard-hitting, aggressive intro! Full on explosions, right from the off. Violently edgy vocals, piercing holes in your face, along with your eardrums. Graphic lyrics, as plausible as they are, evocative. A vicious attack of killing thrash, complete with Wolf-like growls. Very blackened emphasis, with full-pelt, unmistakable fight. Top-quality siren riffs, merciless drumming and action packed screams, till the last.
F.T.T.D. – Toppling riffs open, melodically. Great scales, finished off with even bigger siren sounds. Truly animalistic rage inherent. Rapid paced, ominous violence screams. Relentless murderous tones, sinisterly executed. Very bestial stuff. Refreshing riff melodies punctuate the sharpness. Incessantly incensed, till the end.
Fortified With Ashes – A shock of electrifying heaviness hits, delivered at a frantic pace. A feverish blaze of fire burns through the atmosphere, with enraged fury, throughout. Visually evocative, right to the end, with those fire-fuelled vocals.
Overall – ‘FWA’ Sears through your brain, from the first, to the last. Replete with full-scale fire, topped with piercing riffs and an edge like few others, it’s a stand-out production and a half. The level of sheer coruscating physicality present, through every second is impossible to overstate. Remove the headphones and stand well back, or ‘FWA’ will shred your eardrums and rip your face off.
10/10 **********
For fans of Zeit, Carcass, Bull Riff Stampede, Exodus, Slayer, Sanity’s Rage.
Fantasy melodic metal duo, Element Of Fate features vocalist and fantasy artist, Carol Phillips and guitarist, Scott Loose (Stellar Death, While Heaven Wept, et al). ‘Dreamfall’ is their new single, out now, online, via Bravemusic.
This 3rd single is intended as a message of hope, encouragement and motivation, for those in distress, or struggling to cope.
Traditional, in basis, while utilising newer recording styles, EOF keeps things high-energy, upbeat and catchy, featuring in-depth ethereality and other-worldly qualities. The duo’s combined skills craft a deep and meaningful listening experience; strengthened and consolidated by Carol’s own associated fantasy art.
A classically trained singer, with a penchant for rock and metal, Carol possesses a very dextrous vocal ability, with a specific skill for narrative and emotional connection, via music and art. Within EOF, she combines both those latter mediums.
A founder of Bravemusic Record Label, known for their mission to make music “without boundaries”, Scott has a long musical history, going back to the early 90’s. Featuring on more than 20 recordings, he’s toured both America and Europe and is renowned for his projects, As The Sea Parts, Brave, Day Of Departure and the afore-mentioned Stellar Death and While Heaven Wept.
Recorded at House Nine. Engineered by John Mario, at JBG Records.
Photo Credit – Carol Phillips
Dreamfall – Calm, soothing, blended riff intro, yielding to primal screams and gothic atmospherics. Very cinematic, powerfully vocalised. Plenty of drama. Pointed lyrical edges. Liquid motion swims between heavier and softer textures, but always featuring strong cores. Very raw viscerality to those darkened screams. Well-placed quiescent bridge, instantly returning, to rawness and sharply projected acuity. Slightly melancholy bass melodies warm, to lighter tones, matching the vocals, fading it out, with magical lyrics. It’s fair to say that this song very clearly comes from the very depths of the heart and soul.
9/10 *********
For fans of movie soundtracks, Urania Fantasia, Syryn, Even Flow, Nightland, Trip The Wire, Bastette, Muddibrooke.
Urban Tales are a gothic rock/metal band, from Lisbon, Portugal, whose title’s inspired by Brazilian rock band, Legiao Urbana.
The band’s sound has grown and evolved, over time, always retaining their essential signature.
Founded by front man/producer, Marcos Cesar, in 2005, UT rapidly rose, to the top of the Portugal scene, following their globally released 2007 debut album, ‘Diary Of A No’, which achieved numerous nominations.
In addition to 3 album releases, UT have also launched the multimedia single of ‘DOAN’, 2011’s ‘Loneliness Still Is The Friend’, a 3 track 2008 EP, entitled ‘Alive’ and 2018’s ‘Reborn’.
Fast forwarding, from there, UT have now released several singles; including some featuring guest contributions, from the likes of vocalist Denise Ferrara, featured on the newest single, ‘The Truth’.
Self-produced and released, by Mr Diffusion, ‘IAL’ is now available, online.
It’s A Lie – Very poppy intro, but with strong vocals. Powerful instrumentals. Clear lyrics, emotively delivered. Curious laughter, ¾ in, resonant of Annie Lennox’s, in ‘No More I Love You’s’. Slightly tinny production sound, with a bit of an overbearing reverb effect, but the melody’s decent, the riffs, sharp and the ending, assured. Needs rocking up, some, so more focus on a heavier emphasis would help, to that end. A more than adequate track, though.
5/10 *****
For fans of Anastasia, Halloween pop/pop rock, such as ‘The Monster Mash’.
Introducing ‘The Final Exhibit Of Pain’ – the latest instalment from heavy dark melodic thrash metal band, Sanity’s Rage. ‘TFEOP’ is the 3rd track, from the next forthcoming album, themed around the levels of suffering humanity can take.
Produced by Sanity’s Rage and engineered by Sven Janssens (ex-Aborted), at the Red Left Hand Studio.
The Final Exhibit Of Pain – Booming intro, suffused by gothic darkness and fully fledged, fuelled shredding acuity. Equally sharp vocal execution. Conveying powerfully ominous atmospherics. Brilliantly cutting riffage. As melodic as it is thrashy and dark, delivered with real sheen and polished panache and growing lighter and more melodic, as it continues. Featuring a strong sense of engaging intrigue, motivating repeat listens. Slipping some genuine warmth into the track, too. Plus a neatly positioned whammy and vibrato section, around the bridge. Such accomplished verve and skilled edge to this track and it actually ends on a more upbeat tonal mood to that with which it began. This is a very carefully and invitingly composed song, sustaining an increasingly uplifting feel, the longer you listen. An enlivening and serrated sound, marking the next step in SR’s developmental journey. Always good to hear the band’s progression and obvious passion. Do I want to hear more? Yes.
10/10 **********
For fans of Helloween, Iron Maiden, Amon Amarth, Trivium.
Featuring Steve Smyth (Forbidden, ex-Testament, ex-Nevermore, ex-Dragonlord), on lead guitar, Wes Anderson (ex-Blind Illusion), on drums, Stephen Paul Goodwin (ex-Vicious Rumors), on bass and Aleister Sinn (ex-King Diamond/Mercyful Fate cover band, Grandma), on vocals and lead guitar, From Hell was created as a heavy metal horror concept band, with each track featuring a horror story narrative. Their debut track, ‘Ascent From Hell’ began that journey and the follow-up, ‘Rats And Ravens’ hit in 2020, through Scourge Records. The global COVID pandemic prevented their planned support tour, for Atheist, from going ahead, on 3 occasions. That scenario led to the recording of the Mercyful Fate cover, ‘Come To The Sabbath’, launched last month, as a stand-alone single.
Come To The Sabbath – Explosive intro, featuring very Black Sabbath-esque vocals and riffs! Very ‘Spiral Architect’-esque riffs, ¼ in! Some great descending drum scales, too. Stacks of classic melodic heavy metal power and flair. Ringing with lots of confident, high drive echo and full pelt, anthemic style. Very vibrant riffage, filled with colourful content and a seamless swing, from there, into darker territories and unexpected choral backdrops. Heavy bass takes it back up, to higher ground, featuring some ace power screams, at the end. Absolutely top-notch quality sounds, throughout and even a brief Lordi-esque glam metal section in there, towards the end. Hard-hitting, addictive qualities, delivered via gold-standard production. Fantastic track.
10/10 **********
For fans of Black Sabbath, Lordi, Mercyful Fate, Helloween, Ozzy Osbourne, Voltax, Powervice, Enforcer, G’N’R’, Cast Iron, In Solitude.
Extreme metal, inspired by 80’s thrash and death metal, Maidenhead came into being in 2013. After almost 10 years of line-up changes, their debut release, ‘Decapitation Of A Maiden’ landed. Produced and engineered by Maidenhead’s own guitarist and session bassist, Sean Hart, the planned live promo gigs, for ‘DOAM’ were unfortunately, cancelled, owing to an injury, sustained by the guitarist of Toxik, the thrash band they were due to support.
New live dates are anticipated, during the rest of this year, followed by a new album, early next year.
Cabin In The Woods – Intro’ing on a chase scene, through the woods, immediately followed by a thrash refrain, featuring group vocals, straddling the line between melody and extremity, to the tune of the chorus, from the classic Levellers track, ‘100 Years Of Solitude’, squeezed into the middle. Wolf-like effects, ending, keeping the lyrics clear.
Decapitation Of A Maiden – Similar styled opening, but this time, featuring chainsaw sounds, roars and frantic metal riffage. Same enlivening vocals, still balancing lyrical clarity with extreme styling. Lots of frenetic riffage, pounding, merciless drumming and fast-paced rhythms drive it on, till the end.
To Estrange – Strong drum intro, accompanied by shrieking guitars. Dark bass lines, growly vocals and loads of heavy atmospherics. A very thrashy track, relentlessly paced. Just a lively, energised, speeding freight train of a track, with a cutting delivery, from start to finish.
Psychological Warfare (Violence) – Gorgeous steel string opening, joined by heavy thrash accompaniments. Good levelling addition, prior to more raw extremity. Riff heavy, again. Moving into an increasingly brutal, razor sharp vocal refrain. Great closing riff crescendo.
Unchained – Large, blown up intro, with a strong doom emphasis. Complex riffs, stacked with melody, leading into the next much more extreme section. Hard-lined bridge, intensifying the drum hits. Slowing it down, just past the bridge, but without ever losing its edge. Still a razor head of obliterating thrash. All extreme vocals, throughout. Good percussive end, featuring a Testament-esque flair.
Black Lung Regurgitate – Instant hit of fast-paced thrash. Setting the scene, straight away. Real visceral acuity. Speeding on, with remorseless rage. Pure blackened emphasis. Loosening the bass strings, briefly, before tightening things back up, again, past the bridge. Blood-soaked, throat-ravaging shouts growl their way to the bizarre, smoking-related narrative, at the end. Although maybe that alludes to the title. Still, a proper WTF moment, there.
Overall – Well if there’s one thing that can be said for ‘DOAM’, it’s that it’s relentlessly vicious. There’s an almost palpable sense of wolfish claws, tearing at your flesh and skewering your eyeballs. Maidenhead certainly earn credit, for the pure, blazing rage and searing extremity, with which they imbue this album. As to whether I’d opt for a re-listen, probably not, given that unrelenting growl factor. So perhaps a bit more melody might up its listenability, across the metal fandom spectrum, but ‘DOAM’ is definitely impressively cutting.
8/10 ********
For fans of Zeit, Carcass, Arch Enemy, Megadeth, Testament.
A Viking/thrash metal band, formed in late 2006, Midjungards was formerly known as Viriato. Of Finnish origin, featuring Toni (Hell-Train), Nanda, Panello, Pascual, Paco Munoz, Tatu Ruotsalainen (Dead Loss), Israel Real (Bladzam, Dead Loss, Sacrament) and Timmo Salakka, their live debut took place in Spain, in 2011.
Remaining together, whilst taking a back seat, for numerous years, the band used the time to progress and better their sound and inspirations. This led them to research the background of the goths of old. Life happened, meanwhile and so the debut album, ‘From Scandza’ was finally recorded in 2021/2022, at Finnvox Studios.
Midjungards are now booked for various festival slots. Time travel with them, as their epic Viking sound transports you back to gothic days of old. ‘FS’ is out, now.
Intro – Cinematic sound effects and narrative intro. Visually evocative of mediaeval battles, on horseback, with lots of sword and dagger action.
Hordes Of Hate – Bold, doom opening, with sinister undercurrents. Steady pace, featuring acoustic tones, amid the amplification. Lots of cymbal action. Speeding up, 1/4 in. Adopting a stronger metallic tone, accompanied by powerful drum rolls and shouted vocals. Chaotic, but colourful. Conveying the frantic mood, well. Alternating the rhythms, from the bridge and returning to the doom emphasis. More melodic vocals combine with the shouts, ¾ in. A busy track, enthusiastically delivered. Fading, smoothly.
Dark Streets – Good, metallic intro blast)! Finding its feet, quickly and into a comfortable refrain. Group harmonies, sung in roughened Viking style. Decent melodic riffs. An uplifting number, with a good steady rhythm. Could perhaps do with more sung vocals, but it’s an enjoyable listen, with something of a Maiden tinge to the riffs. Just slightly too repetitive, though and more vocals needed.
Still Here – Sharp riff opening! Electrifying stuff. Big, bold drum hits, well timed and spaced. Good underlying rhythms. Accessibly steady. Again, it needs more lyrical content. Exuberant execution and mainly shouted focus. It works, melodically, but it needs more meat on the bones, in structural terms.
From Scandza To Covadongo – Tasteful steel string opening, timing those cymbal flourishes well. Clear bass lines. A little mystery injected, here. Boosting the vocal intensity, ¼ in, though the lyrics need greater clarity. As before, it’s mainly roared and shouted, which although it’s a deliberate effect, could really use some more melody. Good percussive sections, sustaining the rhythms; especially at the bridge, from which, some inventive riffage follows. After a while, the shouts get a bit much to bear, so definitely much more melodic emphasis necessary. Returning to the steel string tones, ¾ in, before the whole song explodes, while the steel strings continue on, till the end.
Hidden Fatality – An intriguingly folky intro, with an interesting instrumental combo. A fresh sound, with a prominent, low toned bass line, underneath. Bursting into life, with crowd noises, towards the bridge. Clear aggression, throughout. Big, volumatic atmospherics. Enthused shouts, verging on anthemic. Good clear melodies, ending on another enthused shout.
The Day After – Big, booming drum and riff opening. Notably ominous bass line. Carefully spaced beats. More aggressive shouts. The bass lines enhance the doom aspect, while the drums build it higher. Unrestrained vocal exuberance. Good uniting riff melody. Once more, way more shouts than sung vocals, but that strong, consistent drum rhythm sustains the song’s height. Effective cymbal close.
Entering The History – Fast-paced, exciting opening)! Straight out, speed emphasis. Rapid shred-fest, featuring plenty of powerful bass. Here, the riff melody’s the central connecting component. Cutting the end off, definitively, but a bit too suddenly.
Sons Of Gaut – Simple, but tuneful intro melody. Single-noted tones are joined, by accompanying riffs, as the bass line hums, beneath. Good, consistent drum beats. A sung vocal enters, ¼ in, with more melody, following. An enigmatic element rears its head. Liking that tangy riff section. Opening forth, to crowd clamour and chaos, briefly, at the bridge, alternately returning. The sheen on the riff sounds is the USP, here. It’s a basic underlying tone, but it works. Even if it does get a bit repetitive. Certainly more variety needed, towards the end.
Fire Storm – Good strong drum beats open. Smooth riffs, following. Very war-like song structure. Once again, the shouts return. Lots of percussive emphasis, here; well matched by the vocal timing. It does need clearer lyrics, as before, but the exuberant enthusiasm’s commendable. Pointed delivery. A little repetitive, but certainly a passionate performance.
Overall – Undeniably exuberant, with plenty of volume, ‘FS’ conveys its enthusiasm, well. The main issues, however, are the lack of lyrical clarity in the vocals, which given the themes, need much more narrative emphasis, if anything’s to be learned, re: their historical origins and the overuse of shouted vocals, which again, require significantly more melody, for accessibility. Otherwise, just some greater focus on additional verses and structural variety would solidify the album.
7/10 *******
For fans of Rambomesser, Dendera, Gypsy Pistolero’s, Wrathblade, Niddhoeggr.
Following up their lead single, ‘Smoke Show’, The Fixer now often up their debut album, ‘Your Lie’.
Stepping up the power, with 10 electrifying songs, ‘YL’ is a searingly fun example of what can be expected from TF’s live shows.
Your Lie – An intriguingly ominous tone opens. A blend of melodic and extreme vocals follows. Well held notes. Steady rhythms. Child-like vocals interlace with the rest. Slight fantasy atmospherics. Symphonic styles boost the sound, further. Very Evanescence-esque, in the latter segments. Shrill tones fade out.
Get Greasy – Intro’ing with dub type beats and party themes, well conveyed, via the youth-like vocals. Those playful higher pitched line endings don’t really work, though, creating hiccup impressions, as bouncy as it is. Ending with a feedback screech, akin to nails, down a blackboard.
Smoke Show – Razor-sharp vocal intro! A bubblegum rock style blends with streaky riffs, strong beats and dark bass underbellies. Heavy drive, with a light-hearted lyrical approach. Utilising the wah, at precisely the right point, after the bridge. Sustaining those brazen, pin-sharp vocals, all the way. Perfect Halloween metal). This is what a medley of every class act female fronted metal band would sound like, on stage. Taking you on a high resolution, high definition journey, from pop rock, goth spirit, through punk moods, to metal vibes and party glam rock, with a hint of comedy horror, ‘SS’ is a spiky sound, with a razor-sharp edge, throughout.
Ghosts Will Talk – Shrill opening, as if from a tunnel, yielding to sleeker, smoother vocal tones. A more considered rhythmic approach. Steadily growing in power and volume. Very precisely held notes and a slightly sinister riff, closing.
Animal – A synth-based intro gives way to vocal melodies. Interesting lyrics. Darkly sensual delivery. Lots of catchy melody in here, enhanced, by the streaky riffs. Boosting the volume, ¾ in. Morphing, into a spacey, sci-fi synth section, ending.
Tongue’s Bleeding – Very dark opening tones. The most gothic track, yet. A well spaced vocal combo, of melody and extremity. Sustaining the sinister vibes. Impressively held vocal tones, again. Adding a slight shimmer, towards the end. Continuing with the precision Evanescence-esque tonalities, till the smoothly executed fade-out.
Colour Deficit – A carefully conveyed synth intro. Into another extreme/melodic vocal interplay. Darkness and light intertwine. This is something of an acquired sound. A bit of a melancholic thread, here. Still impressive vocal capacity and instrumental skill. Bouncy reverb ending.
Tree Of Fire – Lively drum beats open. A return to the hiccup-like vocal edges and the initial growl and sung style, before a new lower underlying vocal accompaniment enters. Bringing back the death growls, around the darkened bridge. Sudden shrillness hits the vocals, ¾ in and then an increase in volume and intensity. Fading, to shrill instrumentals.
Unscrewed – A pleasantly dark steel string intro’s, sliding, silkily and seamlessly, into an equally darkened refrain. Once again, that irritating, hiccup vocal style returns. It’s just a needless attachment, to an already great vocal range, spoiling the melody. Liking the symphonic streak, returning, ¾ in. Diving, deeper, at the end.
Your Truth – Another ominous opening, with a strong gothic emphasis. Hitting those tones, effortlessly and beautifully. Alternating, between key changes and stylistic forms. Now intro’ing a spoken narrative, prior to the gorgeously delivered riff bridge, overtaken by symphonically performed vocals. Upping the accompanying intensity and then expanding the whole sound. Repeating the narrative, in the background. Ending on an echoed, wobble reverb.
Overall – Dramatic, yet subtle, in places, ‘Your Lie’ is a very skilfully demonstrated album, revealing innate grasp of the fragile balance, between light and dark; especially within its impressive tonalities. Its main issue, whilst only running through a few tracks, is its inclusion of hiccupy vocal edges, which in a production as skilled as this, are just superfluous. They could also lose the dubstep-esque beats, in ‘Get Greasy’, detracting from the smoothness of the album, as a whole. Otherwise, it’s a largely excellent offering, with the symphonic features and vocal melodies it’s USP’s. Well worth a listen.
8/10 ********
For fans of Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, Nightwish, Delain, Haxan.
A cross-breed of dark pop rock, heavy metal, light-hearted melodies and rhythmic grooves, with goth and global music inspirations, The Fixer now present their lead single, ‘Smoke Show’, featured on the debut album, ‘Your Lie’.
Smoke Show – Razor sharp vocal intro! A bubblegum rock style blends with streaky riffs, strong beats and dark bass underbellies. Heavy drive, with a light-hearted lyrical approach. Utilising the wah, at precisely the right point, after the bridge. Sustaining the brazen, pin-sharp vocals, all the way. Perfect Halloween metal). This is what a medley of every class act female fronted metal band would sound like, on stage. Taking you on a high resolution, high definition journey, from pop rock, goth spirit, through punk moods, to metal vibes and party glam rock, with a hint of comedy horror, ‘SS’ is a spiky sound, with a razor sharp edge, throughout.
10/10 **********
For fans of Haxan, Vampyre Heart, Coyote Ugly soundtrack, L7, Lush, Vixen, Toxic Tito, Inception Of Eternity, Illusions Of Grandeur, Space Parasites.
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