The wild and wonderful world of Spider Kitten: a place, a frame of mind, an attitude – there is nowhere else like it. Both welcoming and confrontational at the same time, this band follow their own desires and to hell with the consequences. There are no rules in this lawless land, just an exploration of whatever realm of consciousness the band happen to be channelling at any one point. But it all makes perfect sense.
APF records have released this latest album by Spider Kitten, entitled “The Truth is Caustic to Love”. Within its sonic walls are a myriad of styles and journeys, encompassing everything from the gloomiest of doom, sludgy grunge, magnificent acoustic ballads and Spaghetti Westerns. Plus everything else you can think of.
Now that’s probably the most pretentious intro to a review I’ve ever written, so I’d better back it up with some serious wordology. The menacing crawl of ‘13 of 6’ is our first destination, its crushing heavy sections contrasted with sparse ambient passages, tense with expectation. First single ‘The Dose’ is next, coming on like a Death Metal Melvins; followed by the delightful acoustic guitars and Mexican sunset of ‘Sueño’. Then it’s back to the heavy, with ‘The Spoiler’ sounding like Alice in Chains on a major comedown.
This contrast in light and dark isn’t necessarily a new idea, but with Spider Kitten, the experimental, melodic and melancholy moments seem more extreme.
‘Three Shots’ is a central track here, and a personal favourite, with its moody, dusty Ennio Morricone soundtrack vibe. ‘Woe Betide Me’ and the closer, ‘Guilty’, both have a weeping blues feel and offer some calmer moments. These songs are surrounded by noisier relations, such as ‘Revelation #9’, ‘Crying Towel’, and ‘Wretched Evergreen’, all of which are gloriously abrasive and aggressive.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t take multiple listens to appreciate “The Truth is Caustic to Love”. This is because the heavy is beguilingly heavy and the mellower moments shine in the murk, and together it’s a fascinating smorgasbord of sounds and ideas. Spider Kitten are beyond easy prediction, best just enjoy wherever they take us.
This is a tough review to write. It’s tough, because I need to write around 400 words about this release – but all I need to say, really, is something like “do not miss this awesome new album by Master Charger, it’s great”. There’s nothing else that needs to be said. So, let’s see if I can pad that out for another few hundred words, shall we?
Yes indeed, the new release from Midlands, UK based Doom Lords, the one and only Master Charger. I’ve been anxiously waiting for this to drop, as I became a convert to their cause when I saw these filth hounds live at Pentre Fest a while back. Superb band. An unholy amalgamation of Sludgey Doom and fuzzy Stoner with a heart-warming affection for Blues based Rock’n’Roll, I’m proud to wear the T-shirt and be an advocate for this three-piece from hell.
We start with the rumbling, echoey drums of ‘Thy Kingdom Polluted’, which is quickly adorned by dirty, fuzzy guitars and trippy wah-wah lead. The riifs have groove and it’s easy to get dragged along and nod that head. ‘Only My Eyes See, Empires Rust’ follows this with a colossal doom riff that fries your brain, then it’s off on a ten minute plus odyssey with the title track. Passing through different sections, this monster is the evil offspring of Sabbath and Cathedral.
After all that full on Doom Metal savagery, even I could do with a little break. And that respite is gifted to us in the form of ‘Fallen Angel Painted Doll’, an instrumental track that begins with some quite beautiful acoustic guitar. Starting just like those genius Tony Iommi mellow moments on the early Sabbath albums, though this grows into full band folky ramble complete with harmonica. Perfect.
Before long we’re back in real business though: ‘When Hell Rode In’ and ‘Head Into The Sun’ sound like a Satanic ZZ Top jamming Venom songs. Freaky acid tipped wah-wah heralds the start of ‘The Awakening’, which grows into another filthy groover. ‘Mass Produced Mass Destroyed’ keeps on bringing the heavy, a brutal track that conjures ideas of both legendary Black bands, Sabbath and Flag.
Finally, ‘Upon Roads Less Travelled’ cools things down – a short but classy instrumental that is the calm after the storm. “Posthumous Resurrection” reaches its finale, and what a ride it’s been. Visceral, muscley Doom Metal with outrageous riffs, thoughtfully composed variations – all the promises are delivered on, tenfold. The only slight issue here is the lack of a vinyl release, which is patently criminal with an album this good. But Master Charger have given us a killer album – another one for the end of year Best Of list. Go buy it, NOW.
There you go, over 500 words – no problem. Reviews are easy when the music is this good.
By now, you’ll know my love of Mclean’s Pub in Pentre, Deeside, North Wales – from all the Pentre Fest gigs and so on I’ve covered from there. Thankfully, rather than make us all wait till February 2026 for the next full weekend festival, North East Wales Metal Productions have set up some “All Dayer” gigs at the same, friendly venue to keep us going. Plus, even more live events at XS, Wrexham.
Sadly, two bands had to drop out of this particular event. But no matter: the show would go on! And first up was our valiant comrade, Steve AKA Geordie from Bad Earth, performing a solo set in his Miserable Sinner guise. Now Bad Earth have been regulars at Mcleans for aeons, and it’s always great to welcome them back – or at least, one of them! Much merriment was had as the Sinner launched the afternoon’s proceedings. Key songs were covers of Billy Idol and Foo Fighters tracks that successfully got the crowd moving. Plus, a couple of older, now sadly retired Bad Earth tracks – ‘120 on the 55’ receiving a much appreciated airing!
Up next, a new band on my radar, Fallen North. These boys have had a couple of new guitarists join recently, and if anything, they all seem really energised by the injection of new blood. Fallen North’s sound is a crunchy, riff laden heavy rock/metal creation, with pounding rhythm section, exemplary guitars and off-the-charts vocals. Very professional, yet still crazy good fun, these guys gave us a stunning set and even threw in a couple of cheeky covers (like RATM’s ‘Killing In The Name Of…’). This approach gave Fallen North the chance to enjoy themselves as much as the audience did!
HollowKin had travelled all the way up from the South West England area to play this gig, and it was a trip well worth it. These guys have had an EMQs featured on Ever Metal, so it was nice to actually catch them in the flesh. HollowKin gave us a set of utterly uncompromising, metalcore fury. Part speedy thrash, part bludgeoning, cold riffs and guttural vocals, the band haven’t been together all that long, but you’d never guess. An assured performance and solid musicianship.
“Some Good Riffs” is an album title by our next band, Melted Messiah. Somewhat amusingly, they took this title from an Ever Metal review a couple of years back. It’s not often I get called out at these gigs, but I did. Luckily, I escaped unscathed! Melted Messiah are in fact a very, very cool blend of Stoner, Doom and Black Metal, and they belched out a brilliantly furious set with tongue firmly in cheek. Their sludgy thrash had many “good riffs” indeed and I became an instant fan of this two-piece of Scottish nutters. They travelled far to be with us, I really hope they come back!
Our final band of the evening was Syncolima, headlining the show – and justifiably so. They played at Pentre Fest a couple of years ago and I loved them then – seeing Syncolima agaiin, it’s easy to understand why. A superb blend of stoner rock, grunge and chugging metal, they had powerful riffs and catchy melodies. Heavy music with depth, performed by excellent musicians, means you can’t really go wrong with this Mansfield, Notts three piece. Magnificent stuff, no complaints from me! They’re on tour and come highly recommended by moi.
That’s almost it – but I nearly forgot to mentioned the well intentioned N.E.W. Metal Prod Ozzy tribute that the guys threw in the middle of the evening. With the Prince of Darkness sadly departing this mortal recently, a memorial to the great Oz was nicely timed. Our mates from Fallen North led the tribute, with ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Mr Crowley’ before a group sing along to ‘War Pigs’. I made sure I got up front for that one, hoping it would be my moment to be discovered, but sadly it never happened. No one asked me to join a band, despite my fantastic performance. Oh, well…
Despite this insult, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time and came away with several new favourite bands. So a good result, regardless. Well done to Fozzy and Beany (and Frank and Kelly!), plus the Mclean’s staff, for putting this show on. More gigs soon – BE THERE!
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.
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.
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.
Black Tusk return with their seventh album (no, I can’t believe it, either), which they’ve entitled “The Way Forward”. It’s their first as a four piece, with Andrew Fidler (guitar/vocals) and drummer James May now augmented by guitarist Chris “Scary” Adams and bassist Derek Lynch.
The past few years have been tough for the band members, but their indestructible determination and formidable will has seen them stride onward regardless. It’s this perseverance that provides the album with its title and its unifying theme. Undeniably, the sludge metal sound is there as expected, but with additional guitar parts and a feeling of relentless tenacity.
Lead track ‘Out of Grasp’ and ‘Brushfire’ are both furious samples of big, dirty riffs played with furious conviction. It’s a fast paced set of aggressive yet entertaining energy – as a listener, I was dragged along with the band and could appreciate their steadfast refusal to let the ills of the world conquer them.
Many of the songs are around the three-minute mark, meaning we rarely get chance for a breather. ‘Breath of Life’ and the title track both have the opportunity to expand a little, though neither relinquishes their sheer intensity. The instrumental ‘Ocean of Obsidian’ is the slowest, trippiest number here, featuring a cavernous, cathedral-like sound.
So welcome back, Black Tusk. With “The Way Forward” they’ve dredged the swamp and pulled up a steaming, ruthless slab of metal that sounds unforgiving but positive. Absolutely bloody great!
The Sound of Origin – Man in the Arena Self-released Release date: 27/10/2023 Running time: 44 minutes (approx.) Review by: Alun Jones 9/10
Right, let’s get down to business and get this review out into the world asap. This album has already been released, and as it’s pretty bloody good, let’s shout it from the rooftops as loudly as possible.
The Sound of Origin are from Huddersfield, and this is their sophomore album. I’d previously encountered the band thanks to their cover of ‘Sick Things’ on the quite bloody brilliant “Killer: 50 Years Later” Alice Cooper tribute album, released by Pale Wizard Records. I was keen to hear a full album from these Yorkshire Doom merchants and I wasn’t disappointed.
‘This Ain’t Free’ bursts from the speakers with a booming, catchy riff and a mix of screamy versus melodic vocals. It grinds, it rolls, it grooves: and that’s a fairly good summary of the whole album. Doom metal with a welcome varying pace, it’s brutal but hypnotic. First single ‘Birthright’ is an infectious bruiser and one of many tracks that remind me of the glory days of titans like Alice in Chains. Relentless, but still melodic.
‘Crown of the Cynic’ gives The Sound of Origin the chance to flex their progressive, doomy muscle with its longer run time and thudding power. I air guitarred along to this unashamedly! There’s some mighty passion here, notably in the anguished vocals.
Kyle Thomas of Exhorder and Trouble fame crops on two tunes, ‘Frail Old Bones’ and the title track. On the former, the band rock out in a fuzzy style not too dissimilar to Thomas’ day job or even good ol’ COC. The latter finds the band in a slower, pummelling pace and KT pushes the dramatics to hair raising levels.
The Sounds of Origin can throw together elements of Stoner, Doom and Sludge with great style and enthusiasm. One welcome surprise though, was hearing final track ‘Lightbringer’ which reminded me of Angel Witch – head down, old school NWOBHM vibes all the way!
My preconceived ideas may always skew any observations I make on a band’s influences. The Sound of Origin’s “Man in the Arena” is a great album that is bigger than the sum of its parts, and builds on the classic inspirations. A solid effort, this album will no doubt be a contender to make my Top 10 of the year. Just a shame it’s not available on vinyl.
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.
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