Worselder – Album Review

Worselder – Red Shift

Ellie Promotion/Seasons of Mist Distribution

Release date: 17/02/2023

Running time: 45 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8/10

January is over.  Yet the cold still lingers, steel grey skies still shroud us.  The iron glow on the horizon promises more snow.  We stumble like children through the deep snow drifts of the French Pyrenees, our bodily extremities feeling icy cold.  We are here in search of Worselder, metal warriors who hail from these parts… 

Here we have “Red Shift”, the latest endeavour from the mighty Worselder.  It’s their first LP since “Paradigms Lost” in 2017, no thanks to the delay caused by the bloody pandemic.  They’re back in full-on, skull crushing style here, though – picking up where they left off with the well-received success of the last album.

Part power metal, part thrash, with a bit of old school trad metal, Worselder’s music is aggressive and direct, no superfluous cheese.  Opening tracks ‘Para Bellum’ and ‘Point of Divergence’ are furious metal with chugging riffs and fast pace.  It’s infectious, head banging stuff.  There’s a ferocious metalcore attack embedded in there too, particularly on ‘Pillars of Smoke’.

It nearly goes wrong on ‘Absurd Heroes’, where a truly ugly slap bass stinks things up in the intro.  It’s only a minor setback though – ‘Atheist’ kicks the doors down with a killer riff and ‘The Exoteric Verses’ melds a haunting atmosphere with a death metal chant along.  ‘Insurgents (Part 1)’ is a smart instrumental and good change of pace, leading to the frenzy of ‘Insurgents (Part 2)’.  All wrapped up with the epic ‘Ascent to Rebirth’, it’s a solid effort.  

The production is top notch and the musicians are excellent, without being over indulgent or obvious with their playing.  Worselder are a far more formidable band than I had initially expected, and “Red Shift” is a pleasant surprise.

Find out more about Worselder on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and Bandcamp.

This review has been brought to you by Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

Gang Green – Album Review

Gang Green – We’ll Give It To You

Cherry Red Records

Release date: 13/01/2023

Running time: 2 hours 49 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8.5/10

As a teenaged skateboarder in the late 80’s, Boston hardcore legends Gang Green were definitely on my playlist.  They appeared on a Thrasher Skate Rock tape, what more do you need to know?! Merging hardcore punk with a more metallic edge, Gang Green added a technicality and rock’n’roll, beer drinking party vibe to their unique take on crossover/thrash.  It was mostly fun, though sometimes dumb, times – with a fast and crazy energy.  Eventually finding a home on Roadrunner records in 1987, the albums Gang Green recorded for that label are collected here by Cherry Red Records.

Working through the discs chronologically, we’ll start with the first Roadrunner release, “You Got It”.  Featuring what is possibly the worst album cover all time – the band in a sewer?  Why is (vocalist/guitarist) Chris Doherty jumping through a fence?  And where are his legs?!  This atrocious shot always bothered me, so I’m delighted I get to bitch about it now (though it only appears as a  small pic!).  Music wise, “You Got It” is chock full of belters: the storming thrash of ‘We’ll Give it to You’ setting out Gang Green’s goods; ferocious hardcore with ‘LDSB’ and ‘Born to Rock’.  There’s even a surprise social conscience (and mellow intro) on ‘Another Bomb’.  Plus, bonus track ‘Skate to Hell’ is worth the price of admission alone.

If Roadrunner were relieved they’d done the right thing signing this bunch of unruly punks after that first record, ‘Older… Budweiser’ went even better.  Armed this time with a great cover/title (thankfully), Gang Green delivered more of the same, but amped up even further.  ‘Church of Fun’ bolts out of the gates; ‘Just One Bullet’ and ‘We Can Go’ show exactly how to meld hardcore and thrash into a furious, fun time.  The rock’n’roll edge that began on the previous record becomes more prevalent, adding a distinct flavour to the band’s sound (see ‘Tear Down the Walls’).  The humour misfires on ‘Bedroom of Doom’, but the does-what-it-says-on the-tin ‘Ballad’ is a nice attempt to branch out musically before closing time.

On disc three, we have the live album “Can’t LIVE Without It”, recorded at the Marquee Club in London in 1990.  Most of the live tracks appear already on this compilation, but it’s a solid recording of an energetic, relentless show.  There are a bunch of non-Roadrunner tracks which add value for money; plus, the inclusion of the “I81B4U” EP and ‘Living Loving Maid’ single, which is great news for obsessive nerds like me.

Finally, the compilation album “King of Bands” rounds out the collection.  If you’ve not had enough of hearing some of these songs twice already, prepare to experience some of them yet again with this “greatest hits” set.  Although, there are two new tracks and three from Gang Greens first album on Taang! Records for VFM.  The two tracks – ‘Thunder’ and ‘Rub It In Your Face’ are OK, but not up to the standard of older material.  Still, this last disc seals the lid on this barrel of good times very nicely.

The history of Gang Green proves to be a fascinating tale.  Predating Jackass by some years, the party hard doctrine of the band remains resolutely in place.  Some of the lyrics are juvenile at best, out right sexist at worst (‘Cum In You’, oh dear); but if you can forgive that, the attitude and fun remains infectious.  Yes, it’s all about partying and beer, but the music is still great.  Not as metal as COC, or as punk as Circle Jerks, Gang Green added a rockin’ flare to their brand of crossover and brought the party home. 

A great compilation featuring tons of interviews, info and photos, “We’ll Give It To You” is a comprehensive guide to beer-soaked thrash punk.  It’s time to get out on your skateboard, rock out to Gang Green, and celebrate with a few beers.  Afterward, that is.  Ever Metal wants you to take care: don’t drink & skate.

Gang Green can be found on Facebook and Spotify.

Cherry Red Records do loads of good work, check ’em out online, on Twitter, Instagram and Bandcamp.

This has been a Platinum Al presentation, in partnership with Ever Metal.

Torso – Album Review

TORSO – A Crash Course in Terror

APF Records

Release date: 27/01/2023

Running time: 30 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

9.5/10

BLEEAUURRRGH!!!  It’s a jump scare to wake anyone out of hibernation, running for safety behind the sofa.  What a way to start the year!  APF records present “A Crash Course in Terror”, the debut album from TORSO.  Formed from the smouldering corpse of Possessor by that band’s Graham Bywater (frontman/guitarist), TORSO skulk in a murky Grindhouse nightmare.

Are you sitting comfortably?  Then we’ll begin.  ‘Heads Start to Roll’ introduces the album with a John Carpenter-esque, menacing, keyboard-led theme which immediately unsettles the listener.  Then the chainsaw guitars cut through, the song erupts, and the listener is dragged along by the scalp in a ferociously paced fairground ride from hell. 

The retro, electro keyboard themes dotted throughout help to set this album apart in its own fuzzy VHS world.  Spooky instrumentals like ‘Pranks’, ‘Depth Charge’ and ‘Death TV’ add a dread atmosphere, part prog and part video nasty soundtrack.

‘Sinking Spell’ is like The Melvins rocking out to a Texas Chainsaw Massacre back projection.  The lo-fi, raw sound of the heavier numbers keeps everything within the TORSO world: ‘Precious Blood’ could be a punked up hybrid of Angel Witch and Electric Wizard.  Finally, the epic ‘Circuit Breaker Breaker’ has a B-movie, doom metal fury that sounds as if the final survivor is running for their life from a vicious psycho killer.

My only complaint with this album is that at just 30 minutes, it’s a little short – I’d have loved another 5 minutes of mayhem.  But at least “A Crash Course in Terror” is to the point.  That’s much preferable to yet another 80 minute Metallica album – I haven’t finished listening to all the songs on their last record yet…

“A Crash Course in Terror” by TORSO.  A fantastic, gruesome recording and a perfect start to the year.  Can 2023 get any better?

Check out Torso on Instagram, Spotify and YouTube.

APF record scan be found on Facebook, Bandcamp, Twitter and their own website.

This review brought to you by the combined might of Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

Heron – Empires of Ash Album Review

Heron – Empires of Ash

Sludgelord Records

Release date: 02/12/2022

Running time: 37 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8.5/10

“Empires of Ash” is the new album from Heron, and if you like the sludge, this is gonna be one for you.  It’s the band’s third full length album, and you’ll know when you listen that there’s a whole mountain load of experience brewed up in this mighty concoction.  Experience, plus what seems like a lifetime’s worth of melancholy and frustration given voice through huge, expansive slabs of atmospheric thunder.

Starting with ‘Rust and Rot’, Heron take us on a 9 minute plus odyssey encompassing thudding drums and menacing guitar.  Vocals are guttural and brutal, the end result is a thrilling wade through a sludgey mire.  Contrast this to the second track, ‘The Middle Distance’: a sombre yet beautiful (yes, you read that right) epic, which only erupts into molten fury after the three-minute mark.  When the vocals come in, you’ll drop your pint.

‘Hauntology’ is another epic, and very aptly titled.  Eerie yet calm and pensive, till again it builds to an enthralling outburst.  ‘Hungry Ghosts’ is a more ruthless amalgamation of Conan with later period Danzig guitar flash.  The final track, ‘With Dead Eyes’ has a melodic entrance, and once more decimates with a powerful vocal.

Whether it’s doom, sludge, post-rock or any other shade of metal, there’s a wide variety of styles and influences on this album.  I was lulled into a relaxed haze before being startled awake with fiery exultations on several occasions.  Heron have really gone all out with “Empires of Ash” to create a record that is unique and imaginative.

Ozzy had trouble with a heron.  He’d just had a new pond built on his farm, and one bird kept gorging on Oz’s expensive ornamental Koi carp.  One night, we decided to lay ambush and surprise the heron with a siren and a shot gun when it flew in at dawn for breakfast.  Bill Ward fell asleep, so we floated him out on the water on an inflatable raft, as he snored under the moonlight.  When the heron arrived, I sounded the siren, Oz fired his gun into the air and Bill woke up startled, then fell into the pond screaming “I can’t swim!”.  Oh, we did laugh.  The bird flew off, never to be seen again. 

Check out Heron on Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

Pay Sludgelord Records a visit on Facebook, Instagram and Bandcamp.

This review is brought to you by the combined powere and elegance of Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

Battalions – Album Review

Battalions – King of a Dead World

APF Records

Release date: 21/10/2022

Running time: 31 mins

Review by: Alun Jones

9.5/10

Battalions return with a pummelling new album, “King of a Dead World” from APF Records.  THE APF label can be relied upon for quality releases, and there’s no doubting that here.  Born of Hullfire – well, they come from Hull – and unleashed in streams of molten lava from the deepest catacombs, here Battalions are channelling all of their experience into a recording of sheer, elemental power.

It falls on the humbled shoulders of yours truly to attempt some journalistic summary of what we have here.  But in short – if you’re already a fan of (or just familiar) with Battalions, just go ahead and buy this now.  If you’re a new or curious listener, be prepared for a lesson in dense, thick Sludge.  With a capital ‘S’.

The music Battalions let loose on the world combines the heaviosity of Sludge with a persistent groove, underlined with the unrelenting intensity of hardcore.  First track ‘Green Boots’ demonstrates this perfectly, with a crushing riff that can make the listener nod their head and scream along.

Phil Wilkinson’s vocals are a harsh growl, well suited to the ferocity of tracks like ‘Parasite’.  The guitars of Pete Cross are punishing but also full of variety, as shown on ‘Coughing Nails’ (great title).  Meanwhile, Matthew Dennett on bass and Simon Harrison on drums manage to keep it all on track with precision.

‘Bones to Dust’ was another track that particularly impressed; a calmer start (by comparison) that erupts into a huge, bouncing riff which will sandpaper your face off.

“King of a Dead World” is chock full of great ideas and delivers on all of them.  Though relatively short at 31 minutes, the album wastes nothing and doesn’t out stay it’s welcome – you’ll want to replay it again and again.  It’s unforgiving, powerful and noisy – there’s no slumber on the Humber here.  Instead, join Battalions on the Highway to Hull, it’s a full on, exciting ride and you won’t regret it.      

Check out Battalions on Facebook, Twitter and Bandcamp.

Have a gander at the APF Records website, or Facebook, Bandcamp or Twitter.

This review is proudly presented by Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

 

Pentre Fest 2023

Pentre Fest 2023

McLean’s Pub, Pentre, Deeside

Saturday 25th February 2023

A weekend of full on metal and hard rock, Pentre Fest is a highlight of my musical calendar. Held at McLean’s pub in Pentre, Deeside, North Wales over two days, the event always showcases some of the best bands from around a vast area of the UK.

This year I missed Friday’s gig as I was otherwise engaged. However, I was raring to go for Day 2, and a whole load of awesome music. Here’s my review for Ever Metal, covering everything I could of that day’s entertainment.

Day 2

Day 2 at Pentre fest – you could say I was a bit excited to get going.  The ever-reliable Edd Case was performing in the marquee outside as I arrived, so I missed a chunk of his set sadly, as I paid my hard earned coin to get in and neck my first ale.  Luckily, Edd did another slot of his excellent acoustic performance later on, so I got to catch him then.  I think he was filling in for some band called Trashatouille, who couldn’t be arsed to turn up and attempt to play their own acoustic effort.

Scarfoot

First band on the indoor main stage was Scarfoot, and they made a hell of an impression.  A three-piece band, they add an extra edge to their already formidable musicianship with the use of a 12 string guitar or a Dobro.  This gives the band a huge, Zep-epic and individual sound.  They all play with a convincing passion and were absolutely enthralling.  I’d never seen them before, but had caught singer/guitarist Oliver Carins last year doing a solo acoustic set.  Next time, these guys need to be higher up the bill!  Scarfoot also blazed all over the acoustic stage later on, with a similarly massive sounding set, even without the drums.

Frank Williams

Next on the second stage: a World Exclusive Live Debut!  Frank Williams in his first official live gig, though sadly not billed as Victim of Damp.  Frank is a Pentre Fest die hard, an unsung hero who has supported the event and pitched in with Fozzie and Beany from the beginning.  This afternoon, Frank graced us with some acoustic covers (nice bit of Floyd) and banter, then introduced some comrades to help with humorous originals such as ‘Beany’s Car is Full of Shit’.  Excellent crowd participation helped Frank’s set gallop home as a pedigree winner.

Lullaby for a Unicorn

It really wouldn’t be Pentre Fest without these guys.  With a line-up change – or should I say, addition – in the shape of new vocalist, Gaz (who used to be the drummer.  Come on, keep up!).  This latest incarnation of Lullaby for a Unicorn was a refreshed and fun stallion, rather than a lame pony.  There’s a little work to do to settle the new line-up in, but it was the same boisterous energy as ever as the Unicorn boys turned Pentre into a beautiful, rainbow adorned meadow.  Or blood-soaked battle field of metal mayhem, you choose.

Scarfoot was next on the second stage.  I’ve already covered that, go back and read it again.

The Human Condition

Despite a tech issue with the bass throwing a wangler with the first song, The Human Condition kept their shit together and provided another surprise.  I had done no research whatsoever and didn’t know what to expect.  By Odin’s beard, The Human Condition are a megalithic, doom metal colossus!   Doom in the vein of Candlemass, or think Geoff Tate screaming for Trouble.  Riffs are drip fed, leaving the audience begging for each new note.  Add the most powerful live vocals I’ve heard in eons, and you have a force of biblical proportions.  I bought a CD.  You should check them out NOW.

Back to the Second stage for an acoustic Pelugion set – but we’ll get to them later.

Portrayal of Ruinn

A melodic deathcore band from Manchester way, Portrayal of Ruinn isn’t quite my thing on paper, but fucking awesome live.  Possibly the most energetic band on stage at Pentre Fest all day, their combination of gutsy, nasty metal and bouncy, yet ferocious vocals proved a winner.  They also know how to pace their set brilliantly – a few mellow sections lull the crowd into a comfy security blanket, only to have it ripped maliciously away.  It’s the audio equivalent of a Video Nasty psycho killer – you’re never safe, Portrayal of Ruinn will never stop – and they will get you in the end!

Syncolima

Reading back my notes here, and I can’t make a thing out of them.  All I can fathom is that I REALLY liked this band: “Syncolima = great!” is about all I’ve got.  They were excellent.  Some kind of biker/stoner super heavy rock, they have groove aplenty and massive fuzzed out riffs.  This three-piece from Mansfield, Notts were unmissable.  New album “Wavelengths” is out soon, you’d be wise to watch out for it.

Miserable Sinner

Wait a minute – it’s that bloke from Bad Earth doing an acoustic set!  Yes, it’s Steve from one of Pentre Fest’s favourite bands, backed with the other two ‘orrible ‘erberts, Karl and Ben (so semi acoustic, then?).  The Bad Earth songs translate surprisingly well to the stripped-down sound, though they can’t compare to the full force fury of the full trio amped up and going for it.  But then, what could?   A great set that also included some cruel (ie hilarious) comedy signage behind Steve’s head, it also delivered a much needed bongo workout that was otherwise sadly lacking this year.

King Kraken

Mind.  Blown.  Thank the trident of Posiedon, King Kraken travelled up from South Wales (a right old trek) to play Pentre Fest, and I’m so glad they did.  The Kraken are a huge, boisterous metal machine with crushing riffs and awash with an almost psychedelic lead guitar.  My favourite band of the day, despite fierce competition – I made off with some booty from the merch desk and toasted their performance with a tankard of ale.  Please check this band out, you will not regret it.  Magnificent!        

Leatherback

Last year, one man electronica fiend Leatherback was first on the Pentre Fest main stage.  This year, it’s a second stage headlining slot, which worked well.  Nine Inch Nails comparisons are obvious, but relevant when there’s a cover of a Reznor classic included.  Leatherback ripped through a roaring set that went down extremely well with the lively crowd, even though it was freezing outside – receiving a well-deserved, enthusiastic reception.   

Pelugion

Pelugion had performed an excellent acoustic set on the second stage earlier, which seems to have been a great way for them to warm up for their main stage appearance.  I’ve seen these guys before at Pentre Fest and they never disappoint.  Skull smashing mega riffs, born from Sabbath and with a dose of Alice in Chains and early Soundgarden – a stoner/alt metal monster – is what you can expect.  These guys are super professional, but with grit and determination that keeps the performance compelling.

The K*nts

Headliners on the final day of Pentre Fest, The K*nts drove over five hours from down Essex way to entertain us.  With hits such as that Christmas favourite ‘Boris Johnson is a F*cking C*nt’ and ‘F*ck the Tories’, we knew we were in for a treat.  Hilariously, the Green Room reserved for the bands had been double booked with a meeting for a local Masonic Lodge.  I wonder how The K*nts and this bunch of blazer-and-badge wearing eighty-year-olds got along back stage.  Honestly, you can’t make this shit up.  It’s like Phoenix Nights on crack.

A strange choice to headline a metal festival for some, never the less The K*nts put on a top show and had the audience on their side before the first song was even finished.  Delightfully obscene, but with a political edge that helps retain a tiny bit of highbrow cred too, it’s like Sham 69 with Tourette’s.  Most of the song titles are unrepeatable for a family website like Ever Metal, but let’s just say that The K*nts and their filthy brand of punk rock and humour were a mad but genius way to finish Pentre Fest off.  And it probably will be finished off, if those old Masonic dudes have anything to say about it.

Oh, and yeah – Fuck the Tories.

It was my absolute pleasure to cover Pentre Fest for Ever Metal again this year. Huge thanks to the bands, the audience, and the staff at McLean’s for putting this on. And finally, thanks to Fozzy and Beany for daring to dream it up and make it happen.

I just wish Pentre Fest could be every weekend. Or once a month, at least.

Catch up with news at the following pages: N.E.W. Metal ProductionsGoodfor AudioMcLeans Pentre.

Trouble: The Distortion Field – album review

Trouble – The Distortion Field

Hammerheart Records

Release date: 14/10/2022

Running time: 63 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

9/10

More Trouble!  Another welcome re-issue from Trouble’s back catalogue courtesy of Hammerheart records, here we have their 2013 album “The Distortion Field”, back in circulation.  This was the last studio effort the band have released (at this time) – and with vocalist Eric Wagner (RIP) absent, replaced by Kyle Thomas (of Exhorder and Alabama Thunderpussy). 

Sure enough, things get off to a solid start with a thunderous ‘When the Sky Comes Down’ and ‘Paranoia Conspiracy’, both reliably Trouble-some rockers.  The album really picks up a gear or three with ‘The Broken Have Spoken’, a lumbering riff juggernaut that reminded me of Pantera.  Then there’s ‘Sink or Swim’, a mighty, pacey mountain shaker with a chorus hook so big it could reel in a Kraken.

There’s little of the psychedelic, hippy journeys found on the Def American albums.  Instead, there’s the almost ballad ‘Have I Told You’, which haunts like vintage Alice in Chains.  The quality only dips with ‘Glass of Lies’, which is a little too barroom boogie for me – though the last section of the song thankfully reverts to a funereal doom speed.

For the most part though, songs like ‘Hunters of Doom’ deliver exactly the kind of chugging riffology that the listener would expect.  ‘Butterflies’ illustrates Trouble’s doom strategy perfectly again – slow, heavy crunch with another almighty chorus. 

Add in the bonus track ‘The Apple from the Snake’ and this is prime Trouble.  Newcomers may want to start with something from the band’s earlier work, but a re-issue of “The Distortion Field” is fantastic news for fans.  Add this record to your collection and keep your fingers crossed for something new in the near future.

My mate Keith Moon was a trouble maker who needed no introduction – blowing up toilets, scrappy food fights and driving limousines into swimming pools.  He was good as gold round at his old mum’s house, though.  I went there once with Keith, and it was all very pleasant.  Cup of tea, slice of cake, lovely conversation with Mrs Moon.  Very down to earth.  Until I got home later that is, and spent the entire evening on the loo.  Moony told me later that his mum – another practical joker – had laced my food with laxatives.  Very bloody funny.

Check out the Trouble website, or find them on Facebook and Bandcamp.

This review has been brought to you by Platinum Al in association with Ever Metal.

Eddie & The Hot Rods – Album Review

Eddie And The Hot Rods – The Singles 1976 – 1985

Cherry Red Records

Release date: 14/10/2022

Running time: 2 hrs 13 mins approx.

Review by: Alun Jones

9/10

Yes it’s me again, sneaking in some more punk rock alongside your regular dose of Ever Metal.  Because variety is the spice of life, right?  Although tbh, some trainspotter’s gonna testify that Eddie and the Hot Rods aren’t punk, they’re “pub rock” or “new wave”.  Like I care. 

This compilation from Cherry Red includes 40 tracks over two CDs, full to the top of the pint glass with pub/punk/new wave from Eddie and the Hot Rods.  All the single A and B sides from 1976 to 1985 are squeezed in – in chronological order – leaving no stone unturned, to create a definitive journey through the bands career. 

Starting with the first 45, ‘Writing on the Wall’, and including numerous energetic cover versions like ‘Woolly Bully’, ’96 Tears’ and ‘Satisfaction’, it’s easy to imagine being in a packed pub rocking out to the Hot Rods.  These early tracks illustrate nicely how the band were really a revved up R’n’B band in the style of the Stones and early Who – just faster and even more gung-ho.  There’s a direct line here from the rebellious rock’n’roll of the MC5 – as evidenced by two collaborations with Rob Tyner at the end of disc one.

The punk association really blossoms with the superb ‘Teenage Depression’; it’s like Mick, Keith and the other three time travelling ten years into their future and being inspired by the Ramones.

The obsessive nature of this collection means we get three versions of all-time classic (and new wave comp standard) ‘Do Anything You Wanna Do’ (including the US single edit and live version from a B side).  It’s a good job it’s such a great song.

There’s a clue with that repetition where this compilation will find its audience.  For the die-hard fan or seasoned collector, it’s a handy collection covering all bases.  The booklet is perfect: details about every single and repro art of each record.  It’s far more than a “greatest hits” set, though, so may be too much for the casual listener. 

The last couple of tracks on the second disc suffer from heavy handed mid 80s production, but it’s quality stuff all the same.  Some will prefer to write the band off as coat tail riders, based on the boozy covers, but the sheer exuberance of the performances is addictive.  “The Singles 1976 – 1985” shows Eddie and the Hot Rods at their very best; the final product is so chock full of detail it’s a treasure.

Check out Eddie and the Hot Rods online, on Facebook and on Spotify.

This review originally appeared on Ever Metal and is now presented here too.

Trouble – Live in Stockholm Album Review

Trouble – Live in Stockholm

Hammerheart Records

Release date: 02/09/2022

Running time: 77 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8/10

Stockholm, Sweden: sometime in the early 1990s.  At this point in their career, legendary doom metal instigators Trouble were signed to Def American records and starting to shift a few extra units.  The Chicago band were invited to play in Sweden by fellow pioneers Candlemass, and it’s this gig that provides the music for this double LP live extravaganza.

The release covers the never before available, complete set from that evening.  Fully remastered by Erwin Hermsen at Toneshed Studio , it’s now unleashed as a double album on seductive, alluring vinyl.    

Track wise, the PR blurb casts this as a “greatest hits” set, and rightly so.  Of course, there’s a healthy selection from the Def American albums, such as a blistering ’Come Touch the Sky’, the brilliant ‘Memory’s Garden’ and a crushing ‘End of My Days’.  Older tracks also get a fair showcase too, with ‘Psalm 9’ and ‘The Skull’, amongst others, proving how this band achieved their legendary status.

So, this live collection is a great overview of Trouble’s music at this point int time.  What’s also encouraging is that the sound really is impressive, the remastering has done a fine job of polishing these tracks.  Unlike many live offerings, this album has a reassuringly clear – yet still live and raw – finish.  ‘The Misery Shows (Act II) is a great example – the mellower parts shimmer, though the crunch is still present when needed.

“Live in Stockholm” is indeed a good place to dive in for anyone who wants to sample Trouble’s catalogue.  For the long-term fans, the performance and sound both offer a worthwhile addition to the collection.  Personally, there’s nothing new, song wise, here for me – so I really can’t mark this release any higher – but a solid release nonetheless.

You might think that characters like Ozzy, Tommy Lee or Lemmy would’ve been terrible for getting me in trouble in the past, but they were all sweethearts really.  The person who got me in more trouble with crazy antics than anyone was actually, believe it or not, new wave pop princess Belinda Carlisle. She was a total deviant.  Scary.  I can’t tell you any more because she still thinks I died of an overdose in a Tijuana brothel in 1985.  And quite frankly, I’m scared of her.

Please check out Trouble’s website, their Facebook and Bandcamp – buy their stuff and make them famous.

This review has been brought to you by Platinum Al and Ever Metal.

All Souls/Fatso Jetson – Album Review

All Souls/Fatso Jetson – Live from Total Annihilation

Ripple Music

Release date: 19/08/2022

Running time: TBC

Review by: Alun Jones

8.5/10

Well, bloody flipping heck – this is pretty good, innit?  A split album, recorded during the pandemic in L.A.’s Total Annihilation Studios, light on the production and heavy on the creative purpose.  We have, for your enjoyment, a collection of songs from alt rockers All Souls and desert rock pioneers Fatso Jetson.

All Souls deliver five songs here (that’s all of Side A to the connoisseur), all of which offer a dark yet epic character.  ‘Who Holds the Answer’ is a mid-tempo, infectious rocker and ‘You Can’t Win’ has a melancholy start that grows into a moody, Spaghetti Western tinged piece.  The American Gothic vibe is showcased further on ‘Winds’, again utilising a sparse, melodic approach to generate a cinematic soundscape.  The final two tracks, ‘Sentimental Rehash’ and ‘Timebomb’ are both faster paced and more abrasive, with robot like, post punk riffs – but both still have menace.

Side B belongs to Fatso Jetson, and their first song ‘Drifting off to Storybook Deth’ is my personal favourite of this entire recording.  It welds the gloomy heaviness of the Melvins with the atmosphere of classic Soundgarden into an ominous monster of a track.  ‘Monoxide Dreams’ takes a hypnotic trip off into a windswept, barren horizon.  The repetitive, mesmeric ‘Dream Homes’ is a robot riff instrumental like Sabbath jamming Devo tunes, whilst ‘Long Deep Breaths’, the final track, is an exploration of dark psychedelia.            

Further proving that “desert rock” has more than one style, both of the bands here are adept at taking that expected template and weaving other influences and ideas into their songs.  Both dark and beautiful, All Souls and Fatso Jetson’s efforts are all fascinating.  “Live from Total Annihilation” is ideal music for watching the sun fade and the night creep in.

Have a gander at Fatso Jetson on their various web presences: Facebook, Bandcamp, Instagram and Spotify.

All Souls also have webby business on Facebook, Bandcamp, Instagram and Spotify.

This review is presented to you by Platinum Al in cooperation with Ever Metal. Go and check out Ever Metal now!