Dear old Jimbo Morrison, he was a clueless fool indeed. Many times, I used to drive Jim out to the desert so he could commune with shamanistic spirits in the sun-baked wilderness. Jimbo would spend hours out of his gourd, murmuring into the ether. Of course, what I used to do, was stop at a truck stop and load up on whiskey and other supplies on the way. Then when we got into the desert, ply Jimbo with the booze and feed him leaves of spinach out of a tin, telling him it was “good gear”. I’d wear a kid’s Native American fancy dress costume and mumble nonsense. Morrison never did wise up to it.
If you’re planning on a mind-expanding trip into the remote wastelands, you’d be much better off with this new album from Yawning Balch for company. The band is comprised of Fu Manchu’s Bob Balch on guitar, together with stoner rock legends Yawning Man, here consisting of Gary Arce (guitar), Mario Lalli (bass) and Bill Stinson (drums). This is volume three of a series of experiments that these gentlemen have produced, released by Heavy Psych Sounds.
Truth be told, this is a tough review to write. This is an instrumental album, consisting of just two songs. Both tracks are formed from experimental jam sessions, expansive psychedelic explorations that meander along like the Silver Surfer exploring a vast, distant galaxy. This is not an album of incendiary riffs and barking vocals.
First track ‘The Taos Hum’ is just over twenty minutes long. It will take you on an interstellar journey of shimmering guitars and rumbling percussion, resulting in a mesmerising encounter. The lack of vocals, or even a standard verse-chorus structure, doesn’t matter at all. Same story with ‘Winter Widow’, the second track: slightly shorter at 14 minutes, this is all about the journey and getting lost along the way.
“Volume Three” is a cinematic soundtrack for any road you’re on. Mellow and cerebral, this album by Yawning Balch grabbed me from the start, this is the first recording of 2025 that has captivated my senses and will be a Top Ten of the year contender. Magical and highly recommended.
There I was, just casually chilling between sets at McLeans in Pentre, when Frank – AKA Victim of Damp – said to me: “Hey Al, you should check this band out. They’re a Spanish Metal band, and they’re really good.” Frank sent me a link, and I gave said Spanish Metal band a listen. They’re called ILEX, and the album is called “Mutatio”, and he wasn’t wrong, to be fair.
“Mutatio” was actually written and worked on beginning some years ago, and eventually released back in April 2024. Even though it’s not a new release, I figured it was worth a review. What we have here is some fine thrash metal, with plenty of groove and some gargled Death vocals, with a nice experimental edge to set it off.
We start with some fine acoustic guitar on ‘Ardet Nec Consumitur’. a moody piece which erupts into the furious death-thrash of ‘F.P.T.S’. This track is fast, with a brutal chugging riff and growled vocals. Next is ‘Changing the Archetype’, where Ilex play with some contrasting tempos and sections. As we listen through the album, they’ve obviously challenged themselves to create progressive, expansive soundscapes and channel different styles.
‘Iceberg’ then begins with a slow, melodic intro: it’s an extended, progressive piece that really starts to evolve the sound. The aggressive metal in this track diverges brilliantly from the excellent, mellow middle section. The crunchier, ruthless riffs of tracks like ‘Rubble Survivor’ manage to comfortably nestle next to the spooky sound of instrumental ‘Omnia Mutantor, Nihil Interit’, as well as the bouncy groove of ‘Eyes of the Messiah’.
There’s the old school Metallica/Testament Thrash of ‘Cambrian Explosion’, but one of the highlights of the album is ‘The Pilgrimage’. Here the vocals are cleaner. but it’s the almost NWOBHM gallop of the track that really captures the groove here. Nice Purple style skronky organ at the end, too!
The production on “Mutatio” is really impressive, everything sounds clear but also has plenty of guts. The real success though is the mix of genres that Ilex are comfortable in exploring, whether that be Hardcore/Crossover, trad Thrash, Death or Groove metal – as well as the exquisite delicate moments. “Mutatio” has been maturing for a while, it’s well worth seeking out and dusting off.
WARNING: This is NOT a Heavy Metal album. If you’re the type of listener that only wants to hear the loudest of pummelling riffs and ear slashing vocal roars, this may not be for you. And that’s fine. We all like to rage like Satan with a stubbed toe. This is Ever METAL, after all. If, on the other hand, you’re the kind of discerning listener who likes to temper the ferocity with atmosphere and introspection, take a seat.
Jonathan Hultén is a Swedish singer-songwriter who first arrived on my radar as the support act for The Cult on their 84/24 tour last year. Hultén was not what I anticipated at all for a major rock show: his music, performed solo, is a dark yet beautiful expression of acoustic, gothic melody and ethereal charm.
This second album, “Eyes of the Living Night”, takes the listener on another fairy tale like walk in enchanted woods. Beginning with ‘The Saga and the Storm’, the music is more soundtrack for a folk horror movie than a typical rock album. This opening track is like a lost Morricone classic and builds to a gloriously uplifting finale. Just wait for that mid song moment when your neck hairs will raise to the sky.
First single ‘Afterlife’ features swirling keyboards and angelic vocals, while ‘Riverflame’ has the plaintive ambience of a Nine Inch Nails/Alice in Chains mash up. The dreamy folk of ‘The Dream was the Cure’ offers a widescreen Scandinavian epic of reflection, and is a highlight of the album. Weaving genres further, ‘Through the Fog, Into the Sky’ is a wonderful classical piano piece whilst ‘Vast Tapestry’ sees Hultén n the role of gentle folk troubadour.
The concluding track, ‘Starbather’, works more like a rock ballad and bookends the album with a final flourish of bright optimism.
“Eyes of the Living Night” won’t destroy your speakers, but it will take you to a mystical and unforgettable place. With its layers of gothic ambience and mood elevating nuance, this album deserves to be a part of the Ever Metal community’s world. The music of Jonathan Hultén will be there for you when you need to reach inside yourself, to heal and unwind. Or to transport your mind to another world. I genuinely love this album and heartily recommend it, I hope you’ll give it a chance.
Pentagram are a band that refuse to die. With roots going back some fifty years, and every kind of catastrophe from band splits, arrests and hard drug addiction, it’s some feat that we’re here to discuss a new album at all. Like a bizarre hybrid of 80s slasher movie antagonists, Pentagram keep coming back to life. Now, with “Lightning in a Bottle”, the band are back: the life support has been thrown on, this time by mad scientists Heavy Psych Sounds.
The band’s only constant member is founder/frontman/vocalist Bobby Liebling, a complex and controversial character. On this excursion, he’s joined by a new bunch of musicians who are venturing to keep the name and legacy of Pentagram alive. Tony Reed is on guitar and production duties, Henry Vasquez on drums and Scooter Haslip handles bass. All three have sturdy pedigrees earned from other bands, and their contributions here make them light years past being mere hired hands.
Liebling’s story is both chaotic and scandalous, but this isn’t the time or place to cast stones. Interestingly, on the track ‘Lady Heroin’, the singer explores the theme of his addiction in a mournful, self-torturing manner. There’s no bravado here, with Liebling openly pondering on the destruction that addiction has wrought. Musically, the song marries a solid riff with a forlorn middle section.
‘I’ll Certainly See You in Hell’ follows this track, with a strutting pace and Liebling wailing like a deranged preacher. After that we get ‘Thundercrest’ with its ruthless, pounding riff – forming a triumvirate of the best songs in the middle of the album. Not that the rest of “Lightning…” is lacking: whether its aptly titled opener ‘Live Again’ with its head nodding urgency or the crawling doom fest of ‘Walk the Sociopath’, Pentagram have all bases covered.
The biggest fear was always going to be Pentagram pissing on their legacy. They are, after all, one of the great Doom Metal bands that are responsible for the development of the sub-genre. Absolutely no fear of that here, though: “Lightning in a Bottle” sees this version of Pentagram releasing a reassuringly strong album. The musical reputation of Pentagram continues to thrive.
Following a blinder of an evening’s entertainment for Day the First of North West Doom Fest, I was rested and ready to go for Saturday. Beginning at an earlier time in the afternoon, I unfortunately missed the first band of the bill, Hand of Omega, who played while I was still travelling into town. Sincere apolgies for this to all, I must catch them again sometime.
Arriving at the Saddle, the festivities were well and truly underway already. A decent sized crowd were in attendance in the rear courtyard, cradling beers and nursing themselves back to full health. There was no downer atmos that I could discern at all however, everyone seemed amped for the music ahead.
Moss Valley were the first band of the day that I actually got to see, and they were pretty damn good. This three piece straddled a retro seventies vibe with added desert rock Kyuss stylings. Great riffs and warm female vocals adding to the melodies, Moss Valley really made a huge impression. It’s tough to pick favourites at an event like this, but MV were definitely contenders.
Up next we had a visit from the Pagan lords of the north, Sabbat Wolf. This Leeds based band featured exemplary musicianship, again with a commanding female vocalist. What I enjoyed here were the Sabbath worshipping riffs augmented by beautifully tuneful, mellow passages that reminded me of Pink Floyd. Sabbat Wolf really stood out with these psychedelic flourishes and their unashamed occult theme – their song ‘Pagan Bloody Pagan’ tells you all you need to know!
Warpstormer had travelled up from Londonium to the ancient, walled city of Chester. These guys mix full throttle Metal with their Doom, think Orange Goblin rocking out at their trippiest. It’s a Stoner Metal attack that could have been related somewhere to Entombed or Motorhead, but had enough power and groove to fit in perfectly at this gig. Warpstomer were real crowd pleasers and also really nice guys.
Get your flat caps on and forget your fear of heights, it’s time for Shred Dibnah! The world’s premier Steeple Jack Rock band graced the stage of NW Doom Fest, amid clouds of smoke and a pummelling performance. With a portable chimney on stage belching out clouds, Shred Dibnah demolished the audience with roaming riffs and contrasting mellow sections that added to the hypnotic drill.
Borehead were the next band of the day, and again a different take on the Doom template. In contrast to other bands, these Londoners were largely instrumental – except for some weird and wonderful samples – with slow, fuzzy riffs more spaced out than Buck Rogers on a Venusian hookah pipe. Cerebral stuff that you’d assume would be better appreciated on headphones with some refreshment, but it went over very well.
I was already familiar with the mighty Deathfiend – I caught them live a while back, and was happily smashed to pieces with their ferocious onslaught. With elements of Death Metal and even Hardcore Punk in the Deathfiend sound, I wasn’t sure if they’d be too damn nasty for this festival, but they slotted right in neatly. Outrageously heavy Doom riffs delivered with a fiery intensity, this band are a force to be reckoned with.
You know how sometimes you see a band that looks so cool, you want to join up? Kill The Witch were that band at NW Doom Fest. These guys meld together the Sludgiest of Stoner and Doom Metal, traversing varying tempos and styles but always remaining true to The Riff. Roaring vocals top off a faster, more furious Sabbath sound that’s not without its clever invention and serpent-like surprises, throwing in some brutal hardcore along the way.
Finishing off NW Doom Fest 2025 were the mighty Amon Acid. Another Yorkshire based band, their distorted Doom Metal was part Electric Wizard style occult Metal, with hypnotic, psychedelic passages added for kicks. Yet again a different take on Doom with Hawkwind Space Rock and amazing Middle Eastern sounding passages seeping through the acid drenched fuzzy guitar, Amon Acid were a thoroughly entertaining musical experience, finishing the event in style.
And that, kids, was your lot. Everything was wrapped up in a timely fashion so that the punters could make buses and trains home, all of us with beaming, happy faces – gorged on the joy of The Riff. North West Doom Fest was a resounding success and I have to say I enjoyed every band I saw. All of them had their own unique identities, whichever winding track they took from the original concept of Doom. Cool venue, too. Now I feel really stupid for not going last year.
The Saddle is the number one – and surely only – Rock based pub in the City of Chester. A town more famed for drunken shenanigans and expensive outfits for the Races, this is the playground of the Cheshire Set and the wannabes. A home of Metal it is not. Not usually, anyway – except for the welcoming haven of The Saddle.
And for one weekend in April, the tiny G21 venue at the back of the pub hosted the second North West Doom Fest: two days of the heaviest, doomiest metal in the land. Absolutely fan-fucking-tabulous!
The evening began with Druid’s Cross, from not far away at all Liverpool. I’ve seen this band before, and knew they would be ideal to commence the festivities. Harsh vocals lead relentless, dynamic riffs with a traditional metal feel as well as a slow, doomy pace. There’s a dark, gothic edge to the music as well, resulting in a compelling sound that grabbed everyone’s attention from the start..
Festival organisers Lorraine and Mark were up next, with their amazing three-piece band, Warlockhunt. I’d also seen this band before, and I’m always amazed by the complexity of their dual bass and tribal drums sound. The other worldly female vocals have led to this band being described as Doom Pop (I coined that phrase, actually, thank you very much) and it’s easy to see why. Always different and always captivating.
Grim skeletal figures flanking the stage, inverted crosses and a duo wearing dark cloaks: Tumanduumband aren’t exactly shy of revelling in their ominous personas. What they are, is a West Midlands based Satanic Doom band, and their music is both atmospheric and heavy as hell itself. Fuzzed out, crushing riffs mean that the visuals aren’t inappropriate – this band is growing a cult based on their own dark riff-tuals.
Headlining tonight, and admittedly one of my favourite bands out there these days, the mighty Son of Boar rightfully took their place at the top of the bill. I became a big fan after seeing them play Pentre Fest some years ago. Bass wrangler Gaz is also an Ever Metal scribe, not that I’m biased at all, honest! Son of Boar played a set that was tight and forceful, with ear-worm riffs and thundering rhythms. Tusks up! The boys brought the HEH-VEEE, then slept the night on the floor of the venue, ‘cos they rock that hard.
Two years ago, the album “This Sceptred Veil” by Sergeant Thunderhoof made such an impression on me that it topped my end of year Top 10 for Ever Metal. So this latest release has some pretty big boots to fill. The pressure is on, for the band and also for your friendly scribe: I’m gonna need some new adjectives in my arsenal to do this work justice.
A mellow guitar and whistle intro brings the listener into the world of “The Ghost of Badon Hill”. First track ‘Badon’ opens with an almost Folky feel, and in true Thunderhoof style, takes it’s time to grow and breathe. We’re nearly halfway through before the delicate, introspective section explodes into something epic, and the hairs on the back of your neck reach for the sky.
‘Blood Moon’ tricks the listener with a melodic intro, before a truly classic mega-riff gets the heart pounding. The guitars of Mark Sayer and new member Josh Gallup (who also recorded the album with the band) are multi textured throughout the album, expertly ranging from the mighty to the fragile. A pseudo-Blues introduces ‘The Orb of Octavia’, before settling on a melancholy, gentle feel. Augmented by Daniel Flitcroft’s soaring vocals (surely amongst the best in the UK), it’s not long before the heavy is unleashed.
‘Salvation for the Soul’ is the most immediate and Stoner/Doom related of this collection, and it quickly became a personal favourite. “For tonight, we ride!” – trust me, kids: THAT is a chorus!
I’ve favourably compared Sergeant Thunderhoof to Soundgarden previously – which holds true with ‘Sentinel’ – and there’s also a strong Floydian feel here too. The changes of pace on all the tracks ably demonstrate the expertise of the rhythm section, Jim Camp on bass and Darren Ashman on drums. Both are confident and play with finesse. All good things come to an end though, and our final song here, ‘Beyond the Hill’, is a ten-minute plus opus that builds through several stages on a monumental journey.
One element of this recording that’s obvious from the start, is the length of the album. The band made a conscious decision to lay down some boundaries and write a record that would fit on a single, rather than double, vinyl album. Whereas I could lament the shorter running time, it does make sense to condense what the band do best. And there’s still a cornucopia of sonic delights to enjoy regardless. I mean, I haven’t even discussed the lyric content of the record yet! There’s plenty enough folklore, legend and mystery to keep the audience engaged and coming back for more and more.
“The Ghost of Badon Hill” is mission accomplished for Sergeant Thunderhoof. A great new album, reigned in a little timewise, but sonically still delivering a cerebral and visceral punch. Another Top 10 contender, no problem.
Friday night. I’ve just been down to the local video shop, had a scan of the horror section, took my time deciding which film to rent. If it’s good I’ll watch it at least three times before I bring it back tomorrow. Go for the one with the craziest sounding name and the most gonzoid image on the cover. Doesn’t matter who’s in it, I just want to know which offers the most brain destroying, off the wall, lurid descent into madness.. Pay up and leg it home, video tape in hand. Urgently load the clunky VHS player and wait for the image on screen to stop crackling and reveal its gory beauty…
‘Brain Cells’ by horror metal deviants Torso bursts forth with a frantic commotion. This is album number two from ex-Possessor frontman/guitarist Graham Bywater in his new guise as the Dark Lord of Grindhouse Schlock Terror. APF records haven’t so much released this album, as unlocked the gates, stood well back and unleashed it upon the world in a tidal wave of bloody fury.
Starting with the intense thrash of ‘You Belong in Hell’, the lo-fi atmosphere is captured perfectly. Not that the production is poor, but this whole album has the vibe of an ancient cassette that’s been used and re-used many times. Probably starting with Huey Lewis, then taped over with some early Maiden, then repeatedly re-recorded on again until it features Carcass and Entombed.
As before, songs are peppered with random movie samples (good luck tracking the sources down, I’m stumped already), though there’s noticeably less of the John Carpenter-inspired keyboard instrumentals this time around. No matter, the drive-in B-movie atmosphere is ever present here – both ‘Savage Magic’ and ‘Brain Cells’, in particular, help see to that.
Key highlights you won’t want to miss include ‘Deep Space Death Trap’ with its unforgiving, virulent chorus and raw, fuzzed up riffs; and ‘Hex Pest’, which roars along as if possessed by a filthy, NWOBHM-obsessed demon biker.
“Brain Cells” is an underground garage-metal thrill ride from opening act to final curtain. It’s glorious, murderous fun for all – you’ll want to rewind and go from the start again, as soon as it’s finished. A nasty, blood splattered triumph for Torso and a Top Ten of 2024 album for me.
Wow, was I asleep or something there? How did I manage to miss Uncle Slam back in the late 80s/early 90s heyday of crossover? At that point in time, I was 100% in this bands target demographic: young skateboarder with a love of hardcore punk and thrash metal. And yet Uncle Slam and I never crossed paths till now. Thanks to Dissonance/Cherry Red records, we have this double album compilation of the bands second and third albums, and I can fill in some gaps.
The obvious starting point here is Suicidal Tendencies. It’s a lazy option to begin here, but the similarities in sound and style between Uncle Slam and ST are so abundant that we can’t ignore them. Both bands are from the Venice, LA scene, with various members of Suicidal appearing within the ranks of Uncle Slam at one point or another. Anyone (like me) just arriving to this mosh pit will be astounded how the Slam guys seem to have been largely forgotten.
The first album, “Will Work For Food”, features a satisfying metal crunch along with the punk energy. To be fair, the influence of ST, early COC and DRI mingle with the classic thrash of Testament and Nuclear Assault pretty seamlessly. Fans of any of those bands will dive straight into ‘Left for Dead’ and ‘Roadkill’ right from the off. The rest of disc 1 follows in a similar frenzy of crunching metal guitars and aggressive pace, and it’s all great fun. The only oddity is a re-working of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Dazed and Confused’, barely recognisable as it’s been reimagined so drastically – but brilliant for it.
Disc 2 presents us with Uncle Slam’s third and final album, ”When God Dies”, released in 1995. By this time, dominant musical genres had fluctuated, and this record shows Uncle Slam developing their sound. The title track opener thus delivers more chunky metal, but shoe-horns some funky breaks in the style of (Suicidal off-shoot) Infectious Grooves. It’s a less thrash, more punk and alt rock influenced sound, but although something of a departure, it still works for the most part. As a result, songs like ‘Procreation’ still rock, but ‘Summer in Space’ is just silly.
For some, this collection will be too similar to good old Suicidal Tendencies to stand on its own merit. I would disagree: there are plenty of other influences here, not just the main offenders. And who cares, anyway? This isn’t just a sound, it’s a whole vibe – Venice beach, Dogtown, punk rock and skateboarding on a never-ending summer vacation. Uncle Slam deserve their moment in the spotlight, and I’m not gonna deprive them of it. Neither should you.
There’s some Uncle Slam on Spotify for you to check out.
This review is presented by Platinum Al and Ever Metal.
Pointless review of the month time! But why, pray tell, is this review of the new Orange Goblin album “pointless”? Because, old pal, literally everyone knows that Orange Goblin are a BIG THING. And they haven’t released an album for seven years. So this release, surely, will be near the top of everyone’s wish list for 2024. Especially in the case of our esteemed Ever Metal readers, who as we all know, are a cut above the rest of the uncultured rabble out there.
Without patronising our dear readership in anyway, a new release from these London doom/stoner/heavy metal scoundrels is, and should be, a BIG THING.
Anyone who’s already a fan of Orange Goblin can expect more of what has come before, but it’s safe to say, “Science, Not Fiction” is amped up a little more than usual. The same killer riffs, powerful delivery, ace musicianship, clever style variations are all in place as expected, but tweaked just a little higher. Right from first listen, it’s obvious that quality control has been merciless on this recording, resulting in a collection of peak songcraft.
‘The Fire at the Center of the Earth is Mine’ opens the engines in fine form. After a cacophonous intro marked by belching bass, the riff kicks in and the ride begins. A furious “death boogie” with a super catchy, uplifting chord structure for the chorus, this is prime Goblin.
There’s no room for a breather, with second track ‘(Not) Rocket science’ bolting out next – a relentless hell ride that features a killer lead bass break (courtesy of new four stringer Harry Armstrong). It’s probably my favourite song on the album: Ben Ward’s voice booming and Joe Hoare’s guitar threatening to jump the gate and roar off into the night on its own.
An epic, mid-seventies Sabbath-doom vibe pervades ‘False Hope Diet’, with its bouncing groove and changes. ‘Cemetary Rats’ starts with a gloomy, gothic vibe before exploding into something akin to old school thrash a la Testament. Through all tracks, Chris Turner’s drums are dependably solid and thunderous.
‘The Justice Knife’ is another fast rocker that benefits from some outer space wah-wah guitar, though generally speaking, the latter half of the album doesn’t quite have the heights of invention that earlier tracks possess. The last song, ‘End of Transmission’, fields a suitably epic and raucous finale, however – soaring through sections with determined power.
My only slight gripe with “Science, Not Fiction” is that the bonus track ‘Eye of the Minotaur’ appears to be CD only – which means vinyl fanatics like yours truly will miss out. Nevermind, this album is a devastating power house of modern metal. Orange Goblin have created a record that demonstrates all we love them for, and ladled on a good-sized helping of extra sauce to sweeten the deal. One of THE albums of 2024, “Science, Not Fiction” will be guaranteed a place in my annual Top10.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 