Over the last couple of days, I’ve noticed I’ve had a cold coming on. Sore throat starting, slight cough, feeling tired and achy. This morning I did a Covid test – no, I didn’t know that was still a thing, either – and what do ya know, I’ve got the Vid. Double bars on the tester, I’m in full Vid mode and suffering more by the minute. What I need is medication. Something to clear the fog from my head. Luckily, I have this new EP by Berenice to help.
This self-titled release from APF records is the debut from East Anglia based noise wizards Berenice. It’s a wild, untamed, raw release that’s a brew of hardcore, crust, sludge and grind. The five piece have delivered a five song EP to launch their musical manifesto and it’s every bit as uncompromising as you’d expect.
First track ‘Problems’ unleashes a screaming, thrashing beast stampeding at 100mph. ‘Reflection’ slows the tempo slightly, but rides on a chugging riff and guttural, screaming vocals. The remaining tracks follow in a similarly brutal style, with only last song ‘Sorrow’ breaking the three-minute barrier.
If melody and finesse are your thing, then Berenice might not be what you’re looking for. Instead, if you want fast, loud, aggressive music infused with the rage of living in the modern world, the Doctor prescribes a regular dose of Berenice – to be taken as often as possible.
For the first time of 2025, let’s indulge in another Singles Night. A night of spinning records, having a few drinks and enjoying the vibes.
The “singles” in the event title refers to vinyl singles: the 7 inch, 45 rpm discs that were once the pocket money swallowing masters of the weekly music chart. Now I have a massive stack of said singles, and on some nights I dig a load of ’em out, and play ’em. Both sides – A then B – and onto the next.
There are many wonders to be found amongst the hefty pile of 7″ records. And a few oddities. But the randomness and variety always an entertaining night.
Grab a drink and settle in with my latest playlist:
Generation X – “King Rocker” / “Gimme Some Truth”
David Bowie – “Modern Love” / “Modern Love (Live Version)”
The Alarm – “Presence of Love (Laugharne)” / “Knife Edge”
Depeche Mode – “See You” / “Now, This Is Fun”
Dana – “All Kinds of Everything” / “Channel Breeze”
The Steve Gibbons Band – “Eddy Vortex” / “Little Suzie”
Shirley Bassey – “So In Love” / “As Long As He Needs Me”
Darts – “Don’t Let It Fade Away” / “Early In The Morning”
Elvis Costello & The Attractions – “Oliver’s Army” / “My Funny Valentine”
David Bowie – “Blue Jean” / “Dancing With The Big Boys”
AC/DC – “Guns For Hire” / “Landslide”
ABC – “The Look of Love” / “The Look of Love (Part 2)”
The Jam – “Start” / “Liza Radley”
Jimmy Cliff – “Reggae Night” / “Love Heights”
The Sweet – “Little Willy” / “Man From Mecca”
Propaganda – “Duel” / “Jewel”
Patrick MacNee & Honor Blackman – “Kinky Boots” / “Let’s Keep It Friendly”
A-Ha – “Hunting High and Low (Remix)” / “The Blue Sky (Demo Version)”
The Creatures – “Miss The Girl” / “Hot Springs in The Snow”
Queen – “Somebody To Love” / “White Man”
Ike & Tina Turner – “Nutbush City Limits” / “Help Him”
Twenty two records this week, and a few strange ones are still creeping in – some are the remains of a bundle of singles I bought at a car boot sale for a fiver. I kept Dana in the collection due to the Eurovision connection, but Shirley is a superstar.
Punk and New Wave genres are nicely represented in this selection, with great songs from Generation X, The Jam and Elvis Costello. A-Ha, Depeche Mode and ABC bring in some pop classics, while good old rock’n’roll is delivered by AC/DC, Motorhead and Girlschool.
Two great 1980s Bowie discs made the playlist and there’s a favourite from Queen (though it’s one of my least favourite songs of theirs). Adding to the 70s vintage is a cheeky number from Sweet, which never fails to raise a smile!
Another successful night spinning vinyl. More to come soon.
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.
2024 was a fantastic year for new music. As previous, I was asked to compile my Top 10 of the year for Ever Metal, which wasn’t easy. That list has already been published on the EM website, but I’ve replicated it here for anyone who missed it…
Every year, it’s a struggle to whittle down tons of superb albums to just ten. This year has been just as difficult (if not more so) and I’ve had to leave off a few great releases that just didn’t make the cut, for one reason or another. I’m sure I’ll regret leaving a few of those off the final 2024 list, even if it’s just because they’re still very new I’ve not had chance to grow into them yet.
Anyway, here’s the best of 2024 as it feels right now:
Released in March, this debut from Welsh Occult Doom Metal band Goat Major announced a formidable new talent to the scene. Building on their love of the classic bands that defined the genre, Goat Major add plenty of their own character to a magnificent album.
Crobot’s latest release certainly has a darker, heavier atmosphere than previous albums, but the unmistakeable groovy riffs are well in place and ready to unleash the Hard Rock mayhem.
Greek Doom-mongers Acid Mammoth delivered another heavy weight slab of fuzzy Stoner Metal, with a variety of moods and hefty groove. Neolithic Rock with a touch of the ethereal.
Amazing album title. Fantastic cover artwork to compliment said title. And guess what? This latest release by Texan Stoner Metal gang Duel is even better than first impressions would suggest: Doomy Stoner Biker Rock from hell!
Wino’s legendary Doom Metal crew returned in early 2024, to remind everyone how it should be done. Infectious, groovy riffs, heavy as shittery songcraft and head spinning melody collide in a perfect meltdown.
The definitive Orange Goblin album? Could be. This latest OG album demonstrates all of their strengths, welding together the various sounds and genres they’ve mastered over the years. Bursting with energy and invention.
More exhilarating chainsaw Garage Metal from Torso, this lo-fi masterpiece arrived with all the subtlety of a brick to the forehead. Less John Carpenter this time, but definitely slasher-splatter death-mosh a go go!
They’re back! One of the most wonderful live bands I’ve ever witnessed, Zombina and crew finally returned with a non-stop Horror Punk party, just in time for Halloween. Long may they continue!
The only downside of a new Fu album is waiting for it to be released! Their first new album in six years was everything I hoped for, a double album split between a first half of fuzzy rockers and a second of slower tempo groovers. RAD!
The ‘Hoofs last album was number 1 in my 2022 Top Ten – and whaddya know, they’ve done it again! Slightly less bombastic then their previous, but even more engrossing, “The Ghost of Badon Hill” is a mature and thrilling record to get lost in.
So that’s ten. Honourable mentions go out to Melvins, Lucifer, Black Tusk, Alunah and Barbarian Hermit amongst many others.
Here’s hoping 2025 can match this…
Keep coming back to Ever Metal and Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub for all the best rock and metal reviews!
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.
Ready for something a little different? Something born from the familiar, but tantalisingly different? Then step right this way, Platinum Al has a musical odyssey that will intrigue you. We’re talking about the debut album from Devil Moon Risen, a trio out of Phoenix, Arizona, and it’s all kinds of unexpected.
We’re starting in the realm of desert rock, but Devil Moon Risen have added some spice to their chimichanga with elements of punk, sludge and doom metal. So, off we go with a thuddingly heavy, groovy chugger in ‘Bad Sketch of a Killer’ that twists into a creepy waltz and back again.
Like Primus playing QOTSA songs on an album produced by the late great Steve Albini, the songs feature unpredictable, powerful bass and thrashing guitars. It doesn’t always quite gel, ‘The Rim’ is more of a challenge to get into, but “Fissures of Men” is always surprising and brave.
When everything falls into place though, the results are superb, as with the full-on rock-out distorted delight that is ‘Shaun Powell’. Elsewhere, there’s more Frankenstein-like craziness such as ‘D.T.T.B.O.W.T.B.’, which launches like later era Danzig before offering some more laid-back grooves, then morphing to a black metal wail.
“Fissures of Men” is a journey and then some: Devil Moon Risen have taken the obvious starting point and run off in a totally different direction (or three). Whether it’s noise rock or some as yet uncharted genre of music, the album is sometimes demanding and always unpredictable. If – or when – you’re ready, “Fissures of Men” could be just the education you need.
UK Subs have been around for a while. Their roots go right back to the early days of British punk rock, incorporating dozens of albums and nearly as many band members. They’ve released an album for every letter of the alphabet, A to Z, and have played all over the world. And guess what? Despite being a fan for years, I’ve never seen them live. Time to correct that mistake, with the Subs appearing just up the road from me in Wrexham.
The Rockin’ Chair used to be known to me as Central Station, and I’ve seen a fair few bands there (such as The Damned, twice, if I recall). This was my first visit to the venue in it’s new guise, though happily not much had changed.
Our fearless support was Birkenhead based The Crapsons, who dealt a reliably fun and furious selection of fast punk rock numbers. Most songs are brief and to the point, played well and enthusiastically, with a healthy dollop of tongue in cheek humour. Highlights included ‘Fuck Off’ and its sequel, ‘Fuck Off Again’, but the whole set was energetic and enjoyable.
Yours truly popped off to the bar, where I spotted legendary UK Subs vocalist/visionary Charlie Harper, who was merrily hanging about chatting to fans. I returned after The Crapsons set, picked up a copy of the newly re-issued “Flood of Lies” album, and asked Charlie to sign it. This he gladly did, as well posing for a selfie. Seems like nothing is too much for this true gentleman of punk, Charlie happily agreed to requests with a pleasant “No worries!” What a lovely bloke.
Unfortunately my selfie was not lovely. I’m a total novice at such things, and made the classic mistake of taking the shot from a low angle. Thus, my rock’n’roll claim to fame features a smiling Charlie, but is ruined by me looking like a huge necked gorilla.
The crowd in The Rockin’ Chair had built considerably, and when the UK Subs took to the stage, there was a roar of approval. Straight away the band sent forth a barrage of songs from their vast back catalogue. Sadly, however, the sound for the frist half dozen songs was diabolical. Alvin Gibbs’ bass was phenomenal, rumbling and gliding along, but Steve Straughan’s guitars were totally lost. Thankfully this seemed to improve from ‘Down on the Farm’ onwards, with the sound coming to life.
No problems with the drums, played expertly by Stefan Häublein. And of course, Charlie was superb: a benign punk rock general leading his faithful troops over the top, on a charge into a rock’n’roll no man’s land where we could all party together. ‘Warhead’ was rousingly brilliant, everyone singing along. ‘Stranglehold’ (the first Subs song I ever heard, fact fans!) was still a blast of fresh air, all these years later.
Returning for an encore, I remember ‘CID’ and ‘You Don’t Belong’ received by an audience who really didn’t want it all to end. UK Subs persevered through sound problems with power and professionalism, giving the loyal fans an unforgettable night. Personally, I was stoked to finally hear these songs live and be part of a UK Subs audience. Fingers crossed I’ll get to do it again. Thanks to all for making this happen, it’s amazing to see classic bands of this stature in the local area.
Here go with a tasty treat, the wonderfully named Saltpig with their self-titled debut album. And who are Saltpig? The band are a duo consisting of drummer Fabio Alessandrini (formerly of Annihilator) and Mitch Davis (formerly of everyone from Mark Lanegan and U2 to Damon Albarn, crazy!) on everything else. Together they have created this mysterious yet compelling piece of work, released by the ever-reliable Heavy Psych Sounds.
The musician’s previous experience is superficially surprising, as Saltpig’s album is a rutting beast comprised of doom, stoner, psych and occult rock parts in equal measure. Filthy, fuzzy riffs and manically clattering drums are what we get, and we get it good – right from the rolling, rollicking menace of ‘Satan’s War’ onwards.
Gutsy and powerful, not bloated, the next four tracks follow the opener in a similar unforgivingly retro style. Songs like ‘Demon’ and ‘Burning Water ‘ go unashamedly full throttle, proto metal with bouncy rhythms, aggression and melody.
‘When You Were Dead’ slows the pace slightly for a classic Sabbath gloom rocker. ‘Burn the Witch’ has a slinkier, groovier feel and ticks the obscure horror film dialogue box, too. No idea where that sample is taken from, but I feel I should…
Finally, this all leads up to a mega epic called ‘1950’, nigh on twenty-minutes of repetitive, fuzz drenched pummelling guitar and distorted vocals that builds slowly, has only subtle variation for the most part and threatens to drive the listener mad. That may sound like hell to some, but I bloody loved it. It’s a dark, tormenting, almost religious experience and strangely intriguing.
Saltpig’s first album is an enigma: heavy as hell, brutal, surprising, hypnotic and fascinating. I’ve slapped on an easily deserved score of 8.5, but this could go higher over time.
November 25 1991, Manchester G-MEX. That was the last (and first) time I saw The Cult perform live. They were my favourite band and being there to witness them in person was a hell of a thrill, I was barely 19 years old and I’d never been to a gig of that scale before. Years go by, and I’m finally going to see The Cult again, this time at the far more atmospheric Apollo, rather than the cavernous aircraft hanger of the old G-MEX.
Yes indeed, it had been a long time since I saw my old mates Billy and Ian up on a stage. A lot had happened during that time – for all of us – but the music was always there.
Our support act this evening, in a seemingly incongruous move, was Jonathan Hultén. Standing solo on stage, swathed in veils and enigmatic face paint, Hultén was not what many were expecting to open the show. His music was dark, ethereal folk, with acoustic guitar and haunting vocals. At first I was intrigued, as the music continued I became thoroughly engaged. Just a few days before Halloween, this Scandinavian folk horror and gothic bombast was entirely appropriate to open this event.
More surprises, even more pleasant, revealed themselves when The Cult took to the Apollo stage – accompanied by a sample of ‘Ride of the Valkyries’ from Apocalypse Now (a genius move in itself). Launching into an earth-shaking ‘In The Clouds’, followed by ‘Rise’, from the insanely underrated “Beyond Good and Evil” album, this was not what I was expecting at all. Both songs are later entries in the band’s cannon, and sit gloriously at the heavier end of their repertoire. I adore both tracks – this was going to be interesting.
“Electric” album cut ‘Wildflower’ was next. One of my favourite Cult songs, I could’ve left at that point and been satisfied. More hard hitting classics followed with the swagger of ‘Star’ and Charlie Jones’s thudding bass introducing ‘The Witch’. New track ‘Mirror’ slots in seamlessly, then we get another mighty song from “Beyond Good and Evil”, ‘War (The Process’). All well known songs to Cult freaks like me, but not obvious choices by any means.
Billed as “The Cult 8424” – a 40 year anniversary tour – I’d expected a Greatest Hits set, culled mainly from the bands mid 80’s days. Early non-album single ‘Resurrection Joe’ was therefore no surprise, otherwise, this set spanned eras and albums confidently. Next was an acoustic ‘Edie (Ciao Baby)’ – I’ve always preferred this song in stripped down form to the “Sonic Temple” production.
‘Sweet Soul Sister’ was my chance for a quick “comfort break” – I’ve never been a huge fan. Great riff, overblown chorus! Another surprise followed, with ‘Lucifer’ from the “Choice of Weapon” record. The huge, epic riff of this song has made it one of my favourites, so a real bonus to hear live. John Tempesta on drums really powered all these songs home flawlessly, with both groove and power.
The latter part of the set delivered all the big crowd pleasers; an anthemic ‘Firewoman’, a truly captivating ‘Rain’ (surely one of the greatest rock riffs of the era), the tribal beauty of ‘Spiritwalker’. Billy Duffy, playing to a home town crowd, performed guitar magic throughout: from gutsy, gritty riffs to mesmerising yet direct, never fancy melodies. Lightning bolt energy from Ian Astbury galvanised the audience, as he revelled in the role of shamanic leader. And with a final roar through ‘Love Removal Machine’, it’s over.
Except it isn’t! Of course not, we all know The Cult will be back for an encore. But what will it be? Any more surprises?
‘Brother Wolf, Sister Moon’ is a classic track from the wonderful “Love” album, but wasn’t a single and so a very welcome reward. Finally, of course, the legendary ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ rings out and unites the crowd in a euphoric shared moment – Astbury’s air raid siren vocals leading the throng. I swear that man doesn’t need a microphone.
My return visit to The Cult’s sonic temple took a few years longer than anticipated. It was great to see them on such fine form, revelling in the classics and confident in their position as genuine, treasured heroes. What really made the gig for me though, was the sheer joy of hearing a very generous helping of less obvious, but very beloved tracks that I wasn’t expecting. No ‘Lil’ Devil’, but the rest of the set made up for it. I’ll return sooner next time.
PS: we need “Beyond Good and Evil” re-releasing on vinyl, please lads!
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 