Tag Archives: psychedelic music

Brown Acid: The Twentieth Trip – Album Review

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Various Artists – Brown Acid: The Twentieth Trip 

RidingEasy Records 

Release date: 20/04/2025 

Running time: 

Review by: Alun Jones 

8/10 

Aw, man!  Another deadline missed.  What’s this album?  The latest Brown Acid comp from RidingEasy Records, OK.  And when was it released?  The twentieth of April??!!  Oh right, yeah.  Released on 4/20, of course.  Very apt.  Now I don’t even smoke the Devil’s Lettuce, but maybe I can use that as an excuse for my tardiness?  Whaddya think?  Sounds better than “the dog ate the review” or “I fell off my skateboard”.  Yeah, that’s it.  I must’ve been higher than Godzilla’s toupee and forgot to write this thing. 

Let’s crack on.  The Brown Acid series are compilations of sadly long lost and forgotten songs from the late 60’s and 70’s, each the less successful step sibling of the major rock acts of the time.  The songs are garage rock, proto heavy metal would-be classics that fell through the cracks.  Until, that is, RidingEasy Records unearthed them and saved from obscurity. 

So what’s up first on this latest release?  It’s Afterflash with the psychedelic fuzz of ‘Cookbook’, where the band implore us to “feed our mind”.  Good fun of the sort you can imagine Scooby Doo and the gang listening to in their van, but not the strongest song on this comp.  Polvo are next with ‘Have You Ever Been There?” – I haven’t but I’d like to, it’s great early Hard Rock with a killer lead guitar solo.  ‘Darkened Passage’ is gifted to us by Hot Candy, a Zeppelin-like rocker that has a feel of ‘Communication Breakdown’.  A highlight of the album and a genuine righteous moment. 

The Brown Acid template widens again with Banana Bros ‘Suck You in’, a winning song with a super infectious funk driven rhythm.  Side One concludes with ‘Thank You For The Ride’ from another familiarly monikered troupe, The Jordan Brothers.  This romping number is definitely the ear-worm of the set, with a chorus that’ll stick in your head for days. 

Side Two opens with the crashing drums of Osage Lute.  Their track ‘Watch ‘Em Shine’ has an electrifying sound not dissimilar to Mountain, catchy riff and mind-expanding mellow section included.  Sandy Torano & The Nimo Spliff have the wildest name on this selection, and a wild fuzz guitar intro on their song ‘A Year Ago Today’.   

Lazy Day employ some skronky organ a la early Purple or Steppenwolf on ‘Don’t Dance In My Song’, but you’ll be hard pressed to stay still here!  No idea what a ‘Hot and Tot Woman’ is, but Flavor do – and they throw in a Stooges-ish proto metal riff that you could proto-headbang to!  Bringing things to a close this time around is Frozen Sun, with the funky, desert rock of ‘Jamm Part 1’.  Ideal for watching the sun set whilst you definitely don’t inhale any of the herb. 

The Twentieth Trip has managed to offer a little more variety yet again, as the Brown Acid series goes from strength to strength.  A genuinely good time listen and very worthwhile exploring for any retro heads out there.  Plus, listeners can gain kudos points for being familiar with ultra rare, underground rock that their friends won’t have a clue about! 

Visit the RidingEasy Records website here.

This review is presented by Platinum Al in association with Ever Metal.

Jonathan Hultén – Album Review

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Jonathan Hultén – Eyes of the Living Night 

Kscope Records 

Release date: 31st January 2025 

Running time: 43 mins approx 

Review by: Alun Jones 

9/10 

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. 

Find out more about Jonathan Hultén on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, YouTube and Bandcamp.

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

North West Doom Fest – Part 2

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North West Doom Fest 

4th – 5th April 2025 

The Saddle, Chester 

Saturday 5th April 

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/mossvalleyband/

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! 

https://www.facebook.com/sabbatwolf/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/Warpstormer/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/shreddibnah/?locale=en_GB

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/boreheadofficial/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/DeathFiend1/?locale=en_GB

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/killthewitchband/

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. 

https://www.facebook.com/amonacidband/?locale=en_GB

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.            

https://www.facebook.com/Thesaddleinnchester/?locale=en_GB

Brown Acid: the Nineteenth Trip – Album Review

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Various Artists – Brown Acid: The Nineteenth Trip 

Riding Easy Records 

Release date: 31/10/2024 

Running time: 35 minutes approx. 

Review by: Alun Jones 

8.5/10 

Back in the very early 70’s, I accidentally missed getting on the bus with Black Sabbath (or was deliberately left behind, you choose), and found myself stranded in Sweden.  Luckily, I had a few contacts and was able to get by, eventually meeting up with a couple of young Swedish lads in Stockholm.  They were into folk music, but I could tell they were great musicians with an ear for a melody.  After some persuasion, they agreed to try something new and join me in a new band, part heavy metal, part rock’n’roll, with a bit of folk thrown in to keep them happy. 

Our jam sessions were going really well, with me handling the vocals and devil worshipping lyrics, and the lads on guitar and piano.  We had numerous tracks rehearsed, with some killer riffs inspired by my old mentor, Tony Iommi. 

Then one day, it was all over.  The two lads decided metal wasn’t for them, and they hooked up with two Swedish girls in an attempt to make something more commercial.  A great shame, I thought, as we had potential.  Never mind, I’d saved up some cash to get back home and off I went.  No idea what happened to those Swedes though.  I think they could’ve gone far. 

All this reminiscing brings me round to discussing the latest Brown Acid compilation from RidingEasy records – the nineteenth, if you can believe it.  It’s been a while since I last reviewed one of these releases, so to summarise briefly for any late comers, Brown Acid compiles long lost gems from the late 60s through the early 70s as a document of the early days of hard rock and proto-metal from the time.  Most of these tracks – and the groups who performed them – have been lost to mists of time, but it’s always a joy to rediscover them in the 21st century. 

Our first song on this volume is “You Come on Like a Train” by the brilliantly named Dick Rabbit.  Just under three minutes of Hendrix infused fuzz rock with clattering drums, it’s a high energy opener to get us moving.  Next up is Blizzard with “Be Myself”, which has a killer intro riff that then dominates the song.  Think Cream or Mountain and you’ll be on the right avenue.   

“Sun City – Part II” is a gritty, raw rocker from the less imaginatively named Fox – the catchy riff is a beauty.  Next up, Sweet Wine give us “Bringing Me Back Home”, a boogie, rock’n’roll bar-room brawl number that injects some Southern Rock into proceedings.  It’s an unusual move for a Brown Acid comp, but it works well.  Finishing off Side One is Enoch Smokey and their cover of the Chuck Berry classic, “Roll Over Beethoven”.  A cover is also an atypical move for Brown Acid, but this rendition has enough apocalyptic hard rock mayhem to warrant its inclusion. 

Side Two commences with “Get You” by Flight, a Grand Funk style rocker that’ll get your head noddin’.  “Indian” from Quick Fox offers a more cerebral lyrical approach, lamenting the fate of Native Americans (no surprise there).  It does have a late 60s psychedelic shine that gives the song a different feel and identity.  Then it’s back to some full-on hard rock with “The Fury in Your Eyes” by Bonjour Aviators – a spectacular band name, great riff and almost punk vocals. 

Cedric delivers “I’m Leaving” next, which is lo-fi garage rock that’s simple but damn effective – like The Kinks covering The White Stripes in a Detroit dive bar.  Finally, we have the brain destroying proto–Space Rock of Zane with “Step Aside”, which sounds like Hawkwind sound tracking classic 70s dystopian sci-fi movie, Logan’s Run.  If you don’t think that sounds cool, your life clock must’ve already died. 

And that’s that: another ten songs saved from the wilderness and given a new lease of life, a second chance of glory thanks to the caring curatorship of RidingEasy records.  And all the bands get paid, which is super cool.  Brown Acid: the Nineteenth Trip is very much recommended for anyone who worships at the altar of early 70s rock – and also a great soundtrack to any party.  Get it on! 

Check out the RidingEasy Records website, plus Facebooks, Twidder, ChewTube and Insta.

This review was presented to you by Platinum Al in association with Ever Metal.

Nebula/Black Rainbows – Album Review

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Nebula/Black Rainbows – “In Search of the Cosmic Tale: Crossing the Galactic Portal” Split 

Heavy Psych Sounds 

Release date: 28/06/2024 

Running time: 32 minutes 

Review by: Alun Jones 

8.5/10 

What’s that old saying?  Oh yeah, “I get by with a little help from my friends”.  Now neither Nebula or Black Rainbows could possibly fail on their own, so together these cosmic psychonaut supertroopers should absolutely RULE.  These guys aren’t leaning on each other, they’re building each other up to stratospheric heights. 

“In Search of the Cosmic Tale: Crossing the Galactic Portal” is the longest title I’ve ever had to type (thank the gods for copy and paste).  It’s a six-track album split between those two bands, and released by one of the most on-the-money record companies around at the moment, Heavy Psych Sounds.  So the pedigree is off the charts. 

The first three tracks are from our old buddies, the psychedelic warriors, Nebula.  There are three brand new tracks here, of which ‘Acid Drop’ is the pinnacle – a chugging, unstoppable mammoth tune that’s fuzzier than a caveman’s armpits.  ‘Eye pf the Storm’ chills the mood out a bit with an infectious, spaced-out groove that fits perfectly.  Things get a bit weirder with ‘Ceaser XXXIV’, with a lolloping riff that wiggles into your mind. 

Black Rainbows present us with ‘The Secret’, which really shouldn’t be a secret to anyone: it’s a boisterous, Sabbath style good time and probably my favourite track here.  Ah, I shouldn’t pick – but there you go.  The galactic groove continues with ‘Thunder Lights on the Greatest Sky’, another joyous ode to fuzz.  ‘Dogs of War’ wraps things up nicely with a psych wander through the sky that gradually builds to exhilarating levels.   

At just over half an hour long, this mini album/EP or whatever simply isn’t long enough.  The quality of music is fantastic though, as well it should be.  No surprises there.  Both Nebula and Black Rainbows are awesome bands that you can trust to conjure up the goods.  This beauty’s available on several different versions of sexy vinyl too, so worth shelling out for.

Check out Nebula on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and their own website here.

Check out Black Rainbows on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Bandcamp and their own website here.

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

Don’t Be Cruel – Album Review

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Jamie Spilsbury – Don’t Be Cruel

Self released

Every now and again, some thing lands on my desk that I’m compelled to write about. Something out of the ordinary and different. Unexpected, even. And it doesn’t need to be something from a well known artist, or from a genre I’m familiar with. Sometimes, something arrives completely out of the blue and demands attention.

“Don’t Be Cruel” by Jamie Spilsbury is in that category. Jamie is a man of many interests, though I had no idea that he’d made an album. This album, wrenched from Jamie’s creative impulses and filtered through numerous pop culture references and electronica, can only be a document of his journeys through multiple realities and dimensions…

Some of what you will hear is music, some of it spoken word, dramatisations and skits – but all of it is experimental and different. It’s a journey into the abstract that takes in dozens of reference points. Starting with ‘The Letter M Song’ the listener is taken by surprise with a pleasant little tune that sounds like a long lost Sesame Street excerpt, but backwards. ‘Ballroom Memories’ is a delightful, relaxed big band/swing number that’s like a missing Glenn Miller track.

‘Stayin’ Together’ is a clever tribute to 80’s synth pop movie tunes, it’s Debbie Gibson at the Mall playing arcade games. The best song here is no doubt ‘Voidness’, a quite lovely piece of ambient electronica that’s perfect to chill out to.

Surrounding these musical adventures are the comedic skits, which range from spoof news bulletins to a genuinely creepy spoken word Lovecraft piece. There’s weird science fiction, Pulp Fiction style armed robbery, and Indiana Jones – literally nothing can be predicted here, it’s a startlingly varied mix of influences and ideas.

Jamie spent only a small amount of time putting this album together, in what must have been a fever of activity. And it’s the ingenious assortment of thoughts and concepts that really makes an impact here. I’m not sure I understand everything that’s going on (yet), but the sheer exuberance and commitment to create is very impressive. Strap on your ear goggles and get ready for a crazy adventure. You might be inspired to make your own musical journey…

Follow Jamie on X for more info, and a link to “Don’t Be Cruel”.

Deathchant – Album Review

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Deathchant – Thrones
RidingEasy Records
Release date: 13/10/2023
Running time: 37 minutes
Review by: Alun Jones
8.5/10

OK, so this one’s a grower. This is the third album by Deathchant, and it started as “good” but progressed to “great!” pretty smoothly after a couple of listens. There’s a lot going on with “Thrones”, and it wasn’t necessarily what I’d assumed beforehand. Yes, there’s heavy, sludgy grooves and psychedelic shine as would be expected, but it’s tempered with a classic rock sensibility that adds both power and gravitas.

This is personified most obviously in tracks such as ‘Mirror’ and ‘Chariot’, both of which come ferociously pounding out of the gates and boast a melodic lead guitar that reminded me (very pleasantly) of Thin Lizzy. There’s also plenty of crunch in those tracks, and the doomier sections of the title track, which builds brilliantly within its 7 minutes and 40 seconds of contrasting ooze and fast paced rock.

It was the track ‘Mother Mary’ that first grabbed my attention, though. This relaxed, more introspective track, tucked away at number 4 on the playlist, immediately convinced me that there was much more going on with Deathchant than I’d immediately suspected. Anyone with any class can tell you that Sabbath’s ‘Planet Caravan’ is a momentous, pivotal track on ”Paranoid”, and it’s the same here. ‘Mother Mary’ quietly entices the listener into a different, dream-like realm.

‘Hoax’ does the opposite, waking the listener up with a jolt – and the album closes with the heaviest song of the lot, ‘Tomb’, part doom march and part striding, muscular beast. The vocals can sometimes seem a little low in the mix, but overall the finished work has enough twists and turns to ensure we’re always engaged.

As an album, ‘Thrones’ teases at first and will full-on deliver if you give this album a little time. Crafting together gloomy proto metal and snazzy classic rock frills, Deathchant have created something original – it’s thrilling and cathartic at the same time.

Fins out more about Deathchant on their website, Bandcamp, Instagram and YouTube.

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

Yawning Man – EP Review

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Yawning Man – Pot Head

Ripple Music

Release date: 22/09/2023

Running time: 24 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

9/10

Yawning Man are one of, if not THE, originators of Desert Rock.  Born from jam-style generator parties way out in the desert, this band pioneered the sound that would later be adopted by Kyuss, Fu Manchu and many others.  Ripple Music are reissuing the “Pot Head” EP, on vinyl and CD, for the first time in like, eons, man.  And it’s a great listen.    

“Pot Head” consists of four instrumental tracks, illuminating the template that others would follow.  Free form, jammed compositions that stretch out into the vast, starry night.  Awash with psychedelic flourishes, there’s a cinematic feel to songs like ‘Manolete’ and ‘Digital Smoke Signal’.  The listener can grasp the improvisational vibe, close your eyes and you’re a world away from anywhere as the music spirals endlessly into the universe.

Wow, I was off in the moment there for a moment reader.  How unprofessional – I do apologise.  I love the fact that all four songs are instrumental, ‘cos as we all know that the singer is the least important member of any band.  No vocals equals a psyche freak out that incorporates samba rhythms, wailing reverb drenched guitar and no distractions from the dusty, spaced out shenanigans.

Yeah.  Breathe out, breathe in.  Enjoy.

Find out more about Yawning Man on Facebook, Spotify, Instagram, Bandcamp and their website.

This review is brought to you by Platinum Al in conjunction with Ever Metal.

Bongzilla – Album Review

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Bongzilla – Dab City

Heavy Psych Sounds

Release date: 02/06/2023

Running time: 57 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8.75/10

What’s that lumbering out of the murky haze?  Why, it’s none other than Bongzilla, trampling everything in their path with gargantuan, sludgy riffs whilst surrounded by billows of smoke.  No need to run, citizens – these dudes move too slow to pose any physical threat, you’ll outrun them easily.  This music is not about speed.  It’s about being refreshed beyond all recognition.

“Dab City” is the sixth album for Bongzilla, and their second for the Heavy Psych Sounds label.  They’ve been firmly established as a three piece for some time, comprising of Mike “Muleboy” Makela on bass and vocals, Jeff “Spanky” Schultz on guitar and Mike “Magma” Henry on drums.  Unsurprisingly, the album was recorded with the assist of various “mood enhancements”, right onto analogue tape.

There are seven songs here, with several of them hovering around (or over) the ten-minute mark.  You’re definitely getting your money’s worth.  Title track and opener ‘Dab City’ clocks in at 11.51 of super heavy, psychedelic sludge.  ‘Cannonbong (The ballad of Burnt Reynolds as lamented by Dixie Dave Collins)’ rolls in at nearly 14 minutes of slow’n’steady, frazzled doom metal.  And what a song title!

Other tracks offer more fried and fuzzed out rock, with ‘Hippie Stick’ and ‘American Pot’ revealing a groove and swing to their sound.  Vocals are less smoky and strangled and more like a zombie from The Walking Dead, but it all melts together well.  I don’t think there are any shocks on “Dab City”, but who cares?  Bongzilla have concocted a ripe batch of stoner, sludgy metal that will satisfy the righteous.

And remember, kids – don’t do drugs!      

Check out Bongzilla on their website, Facebook, Bandcamp, Instagram and Spotify.

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

Grande Fox – Album Review

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Grande Fox – Empty Nest

Self-released

Release date: 19/2/2023

Running time: 41 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8/10

Thessaloniki, Greece: the home of Grande Fox, a psychedelic heavy stoner rock band – who have presented us with this, their fourth released project “Empty Nest”.  The band have been in existence for ten years, though they’re a new find for this listener.  I was intrigued to see what sort of feast these Titans would bring to the table.

Yes, the music on offer here is essentially stoner rock, as evidenced best by the Kyuss meets Clutch thunder of ‘Backstab’ and ‘Route 99’.  There’s some swirly psychedelia on display in the calmer moments of ‘Brutal Colors’, whilst final track ‘Birth of an Embryo’ has a doomy, Pantera feel.  The highlight of the album is ‘Hangman’, which features a folky blues element – the description might not entice readers, but believe me – it’s magnificent in its Dionysian glory.

So, there’s plenty of experimentations in this album, which for the most part works very well.  The only exceptions being vocals that move close to rap on ‘Rottenness of Youth’ and the riff of ‘Golden Ratio’ resembling Audioslave’s ‘Cochise’ too closely.  Now I love me some Rage Against the Machine, but sometimes these explorations veer too near Nu Metal for my tastes.

Running at around 41 minutes, the only promo copy I had of the album was a YouTube video, which made it difficult to keep track of which song was which.  However, despite my minor criticisms, I found “Empty Nest” to be an enjoyable and intricately crafted album.  Grande Fox are certainly ones to keep an eye on: they impress with their heroics enough here that one day they could be sitting on top of Mount Olympus themselves.  Yamas!   

Check out Grande Fox online, on Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, Spotify and YouTube.

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