Tag Archives: Spanish band

Ilex – Mutatio Album Review

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Ilex – Mutatio

Self released

Release date: 05/04/2024

Running time: 47 minutes

Review by: Alun Jones

8/10

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.

Check out Ilex on Facebook, Spotify and Bandcamp.

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

Misty Grey – Album Review

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Misty Grey – Chapter II

Interstellar Smoke Records

Release date: 20 November 2020

Running time: 39 mins

Review by: Alun Jones

9/10

Can you think of a more apt genre than doom metal for the times we live in?  It’s crazy out there.  From a global pandemic, civil unrest, ecological destruction and lunatics in the most powerful seats in the world, the 21st century becomes more and more apocalyptic day by day.  Party music doesn’t seem right.  On the other hand, the retro stylings of bands like Misty Grey hark back to cosier times of the seventies and eighties when we just had nuclear destruction – and yet more lunatics in power – to contend with.

Misty Grey is not the name of a US mattress actress (don’t bother Googling it, just in case), they are in fact a four-piece doom metal band from Spain.  They deal in extremely authentic, good old fashioned heavy rock in the Black Sabbath/Pentagram/Saint Vitus vein.  We’re in thundering, enormo riff territory, and by ‘eck it’s good stuff.

Originally receiving a CD release back in 2018, “Chapter II” is now available on vinyl from Interstellar Smoke Records.  And a very welcome re-release it is, as “Chapter II” could well have been lost in an Atlantean cataclysm of some type, which would be shameful.

Deceptively pretty Spanish guitar opens the album with a laid-back space-jazz feel, before “Spellbound” erupts with Juan’s raw, grinding guitar.  The chugging riff is illustrative of what to expect from this album; it’s Iommi worship all the way (and bless Misty Grey for it).

If that first track is the first Sabbath album, “Strangers on a Train” is a missing Masters of Reality cut.  It rolls and grooves along, powered by Robin’s bass and Javi’s drums.  On the other hand, “Rebecca” is more like The Obsessed or Saint Vitus, there’s a rough, organic, yet aggressive feel to it.

The musicianship is great, the production has atmosphere and pays homage in a credible, affectionate manner to the band’s influences – without becoming a parody.  The vocals of Beatriz Castillo really help define an individual sound for Misty Grey, she is both tender and terrifying in equal, devastating measure.

I apologise to the band for my crass comparisons to the old masters.  But hey, I don’t listen to this type of music for radical innovation.  The last thing anyone wants to hear is some kind of nu-doom, with samplers and turntables.  Keep it slow, keep it weird, keep it trippy – but most of all, keep it riffy.  Heavy, repetitive and riffy.  Misty Grey do just that on “Chapter II” and it’s all kinds of awesome.  

Check out Misty Grey on: Bandcamp, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and YouTube.

This has been a Platinum Review for Ever Metal.