Baleful Creed – Baleful Creed Self-Released Release Date: 01/09/2013 Running Time 46:40 Review by Rick Tilley 8/10
I have been so busy in recent months there are certain reviews I should have done that I still haven’t got around to. “Seismic Shifter”, the excellent second album from Baleful Creed, being one of them so I thought the least I could do was re-publish (courtesy of Brutiful Metal Radio and for the first time on Ever Metal) my review of their self-titled debut which was first put online in 2014.
Rick Tilley 31/05/2018
Before settling down to write this review I was having a conversation about the price, or rip off as I call it, that some bands are charging for gig tickets. Bow your heads in shame Pearl Jam! £145 for a ticket plus £15 for parking. That is taking the piss and I’m not even a fan of the band! Why do I mention that? Well it’s precisely the reason I try to focus on good up and coming bands, firstly because we need to stop stroking the egos of some larger bands and their managers, secondly because we have to find the next generation of bands to carry the torch and thirdly when a band as assured and steeped in proper rock sensibilities, as Baleful Creed are, come along they need to get some much deserved publicity!
Baleful Creed hail from Belfast, Northern Ireland and were founded in 2009. This self titled debut album, released at the tail end of 2013, is actually comprised of remixed and remastered versions of songs from two of their previous EP’s but as I hadn’t heard any of them before that wasn’t an issue. What I can say after spinning this on numerous occasions is that it is an excellent and honest slab of Heavy Rock!
I have seen it mentioned elsewhere but you cannot get away from the Glenn Danzig sounding vocals, although I think Baleful Creed’s vocalist/guitarist ‘Fin’ Finlay is actually the better singer. Danzig aside there are elements of Alice In Chains and a bit of Sabbath contained within combined with a dirty, low slung, southern US intensity. Baleful Creed certainly don’t sound like they come from Belfast!
‘Baleful Creed’ the track opens up the album and from the off you are presented with some great riffs and melodies, it’s bass heavy, which I personally love, and all four members of the band play out of their skins with special mention going to the guitar playing of Finlay and John Allen. Backed up superbly by bassist Stephen Fleming and drummer Mark Stewart, Baleful Creed are a proper band, playing their own instruments, without the need for triggers, tricks or a 72 piece orchestra and choir! This is just how Rock N Roll should be played and if you don’t believe me then check out ‘Autumn Leaves’ or ‘Illuminati’!
Baleful Creed…great songs, great band and proof positive that you don’t need a second mortgage to enjoy rock music!
TRACKLISTING: 01. Baleful Creed 02. Autumn Leaves 03. Illuminati 04. Crazy Man 05. Misanthrope 06. Double F.S. 07. Hex 08. Her Promise 09. Thorazine 10. Suffer In Silence
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Richard Tilley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to reproduce and part of this review, unless you have the explicit permission of both parties; failure to comply will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
Reproduced with the kind permission of Brutiful Metal Radio
The Deep – Premonition Self-Released Release Date: March 2015 Running Time 53:37 Review by Rick Tilley 10/10
This review was first published in 2015 and is reprinted here courtesy of Brutiful Metal Radio
When vocalist Tony Coldham kindly sent me The Deep’s four track demo last year I immediately knew we were in for something special! Tony has now very kindly sent me an un-mastered copy of ‘Premonition’, the band’s debut album, due in March 2015 and if the demo whetted your appetite then this is going to absolutely knock you for six and remember I’m listening to an unfinished version!
Some members of The Deep have been around the music business since the early 1980’s, and have been part of Airrace and Rogue Male, amongst other bands. It’s fair to say that between them they have a rich heritage but if you don’t believe me then listening to ‘Premonition’ will be the only evidence you need! The Deep’s sound is rooted between Classic Hard & Heavy Rock, Melodic Rock and NWOBHM so think Saxon meets UFO and Uriah Heep and this album has given me goose bumps in places I didn’t know you could get them!
First and foremost is Tony Coldham’s voice which is utterly outstanding, reminiscent of one of my favourite vocalists Bernie Shaw (Uriah Heep, Grand Prix, Praying Mantis). Tony’s singing is the centrepiece of The Deep, power and emotion ring out in equal fashion and he absolutely destroys many modern day ‘singers’, but as I said in my review of the demo, that in no way takes anything away from the rest of the band who are all utterly superb. Paul Smith and Mick Feleppa’ guitar work & backing vocals are fabulous. Riffs and solos fly with abandon, whether the song is heavier or more ballad driven (The Deep are extremely good at mixing things up) and bassist Don Whiberley along with drummer Steve Kingsley have become a very solid and entertaining rhythm team!
Being in a superb band doesn’t just mean having good musicians though. You all know as well as I do that what matters most are the songs themselves and ‘Premonition’ is packed to the rafters with good songs. All four tracks from the demo are present and correct but the six new tracks showcased here are equally as good and it feels like the album has been sequenced perfectly, something a lot of bands don’t bother with now in the downloading era! From the opening Saxon like riff of ‘The Rider’ through to closer ‘Turn Me Loose’ this is 100% quality and I’m privileged to be one of the first to here it! Highlight moment for me currently, and it’ll probably change, is ‘Saga’. One of the quieter tracks but it’s near seven minutes of perfection and is just magnificent!
It’s only the middle of January and to receive an album of this magnitude so early on in 2015 is really quite something special. Even though there will be other bands that get given more column space this year I will be shouting The Deep’s name from the rooftops until you all get fed up with me because this band is too good to ignore and ‘Premonition’ is a must have for any lover of Classic Rock & Metal’. I’ll be damned if I know what this album will sound like when it’s actually completed because I honestly don’t think the band can make it any better!
TRACKLISTING: 01. The Rider 02. You Take My Breath Away 03. Night-Stalker 04. Cold-Hearted 05. All I Want 06. Out Of Touch 07. Premonition 08. Spell-bound 09. Saga 10. Turn Me Loose
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Richard Tilley and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to reproduce and part of this review, unless you have the explicit permission of both parties; failure to comply will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
Reproduced with the kind permission of Brutiful Metal Radio
Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses – North Wales – Semi Final 2 – Atomic, Wrexham – 25/05/2018 Review by Beth Jones
As the light evenings get longer and summer doesn’t look quite so much like something that happened in the old days, the North Wales M2TM competition is nearing its climax, and the penultimate gig saw us return to our new favourite little venue, Atomic in Wrexham. The night was set to be a good one, with a strong bill of four bands all vying for the prize, and awesome special guest headliners in the shape of the mighty Witch Tripper. Unfortunately, one of the four competition bands, Cobolt Collision, had been forced to pull out earlier in the day, due to illness – we were gutted, but I can guarantee we weren’t as gutted as them. Hopefully they will get another chance at the competition sometime in the future. But these things unfortunately can’t be helped. And so, the stage was set, the atmosphere was great and the nervous tension palpable, as we entered what I shall lovingly call ‘the Snug’!
First up were Redwood Avenue, a band that we had seen originally at Hammerfest earlier in the year and were a little non-plus about. I wrote in our review of that… “They were good, but for me the music needs more of a hook; it felt a little disjointed in places, but the guys are only young, so this will hopefully come with time”… Now this doesn’t happen very often, but…… OK I ADMIT IT – I WAS REALLY WRONG!!! We have now seen them three more times, and they have been better each time – it’s funny how first impressions can be so wrong. I’m not saying never listen to me because I am clearly an idiot, but NEVER LISTEN TO ME BECAUSE I AM CLEARLY AN IDIOT!! They were tight, they were catchy, they were riffy and their mix was crisp. They got the place instantly bouncing, and gave the audience a great show to start the night. They are more modern metal, but they properly know what they are doing, and I am ashamed that I passed it off after our first encounter. My humblest apologies guys! This performance was by far the best we had seen them. Cracking!
After a quick vape/bar/comfort break, it was back up to the Snug for band number two – the utterly loopy Mad Spanner. These guys are just hilarious – they are the Monty Python of metal, combining off the wall observational comedy with chaotic thrash / punk! Lead singer Michael has one of the most expressive faces I have ever seen, and his height and huge amount of hair add to the overall manic-ness of their performance. They humoured us with tracks such as, ‘Get Off Your Bastard Phone (You Antisocial Dickhead)’ and ‘We Are No Longer Forced To Use A Shitty Drum Machine’, and everyone had a great time throwing people round the pit and laughing manically as they did it. Absolutely hilarious, wild, manic, fun. So much so that I even took my hair out of a ponytail and had a little mosh! Whilst, musically, they may not be the tightest band in the world, for the sheer fun factor, they are two thumbs good in my book!!
The final competition band were Cadence Noir. When we saw these guys in the heats, bassist Tom was somewhat incapacitated, on crutches, so had to sit down to play, but by the Semi he was up on two feet again and it did make a difference to their performance. Again, their sound was great, and you could tell that they were really up for the competition. They say that their style is ‘Gothic Folk ‘n’ Roll’, which is right up my street – I would possibly call them Pirate Metal, because that is what it makes me think of! I love the fact that their music does have folky roots, and the roll played by Fiddle player, Emma, is integral to their music. For this show, Tom was also interchanging between his standard electric Bass and a mighty sexy electric double bass, which added another dimension again. Their upbeat, bouncy, rum drinking tracks had the whole room moving again, and my personal favourite is their jaunty little ditty, ‘Fuck, Fuck, Boom, Boom’! Loved it!
And that was the last of the competition bands – this was going to be the toughest decision yet for the judges – all three deserved a place in the final in my opinion. So, whilst the judges deliberated, and after another quick vape/bar/etc break, the special guest headliners, the mighty Witch Tripper, took to the stage. Beany, our Master Of Ceremonies, had announced them as ‘the hardest working band in the UK at the moment’, and I have to say that, with the exception of Absolva, I completely agree. Their passion and complete dedication is conveyed superbly by their musicianship and performance technique and I love them! They fill the stage even though there are only three of them and produce song after song after song of solid, groove laden, proper hard heavy rock. They are the genre’s equivalent to a top quality 8oz fillet steak (or vegetarian equivalent!) and deserved to be savoured and enjoyed! Seriously if you have not heard these guys, you really need to check them out. We are hugely looking forward to seeing them at Amplified in a couple of months’ time.
After the sheer brilliance of Witch Tripper, it was time for the big reveal. It was too close to call, and Beany milked this for as long as humanly possible, and then a bit longer! After truly putting the whole audience on tenterhooks, the bands announced to progress to the final were…… Redwood Avenue and Cadence Noir! It was such a shame that one had to go, and that one had to be Mad Spanner, but that is the unfortunate nature of competition. Regardless, the night was brilliant, the bands superb, and the atmosphere warm, friendly and jovial throughout. I was in my happy place. Bring on the final, because if it is half as good as the semi, it will be a cracking show.
For those who can get there, I thoroughly recommend making sure you do – there is a move of venues, to Central Station, and the addition of a second stage, meaning the night will be even more jam packed with great music. I think I should probably book the Saturday off work!!
LINKS:
M2TM North Wales FINAL – Central Station Wrexham – 15/06/2018 Event Page
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
All photographs are the property of Beth Jones and PhotograBee – http://www.facebook.com/PhotograBeeImages
Primitai – The Calling Dissonance Productions Release Date: 25/05/2018 Running Time: 53:59 Review by Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King 10/10
OK, I’m just going to say it now or I think I will spontaneously combust……. WOW! WHAT A FRIGGIN’ ALBUM!!
So, now, I have got that out of my system, who are Primitai?
Well, for those of you who don’t know (and I admit, I was one of you!) Primitai are a London-based melodic metal band who “draw inspiration from classic heavy metal and combine it with a modern production, intensity and subtle progressive edge.”
Formed in 2003, in Sandhurst, Berkshire, they achieved their breakthrough in 2010 with the release of their second album “Line of Fire.” It was so well received, both by the media and by the public, it led to appearances on UK tours and festivals such as Bloodstock, Hard Rock Hell, Hammerfest, High Voltage and the Wacken Cruise.
Their incredible career has seen them support the likes of Sepultura and Saxon, and fill slots with bands as diverse as Hell, Sodom, Powerquest, Crazy Lixx and Blayze Bayley. Their highlight came in 2015 when they did a tour with Wolf and the release of the 2016 album “Night Brings Insanity” saw them headline shows all over the UK and Ireland.
Now, in 2018, they have signed with Dissonance Productions, founded by Steve Beatty (director of Plastic Head Media) and Tom Doherty (former Motorhead manager), and their new full-length album “The Calling” will be released on 25th May, with the video for the first single “Overdrive” having been released on April 23rd.
The new album, once again, has been produced by Lasse Lammert (Alestorm, Gloryhammer), with vocal recording and production left for Tom Leech and features artwork from the magnificent Claudio Bergamin (Judas Priest, Battlebeast).
This is an album from a band who should be a lot bigger than what they are, but how many times have we heard this? Whether its people not venturing out to see “original” bands or those not wanting to give an unknown (to them) band a listen, we don’t know but bands are struggling to make the impact that a lot of them deserve to. And Primitai are one such band.
Guitarist Sergio’s talents have injected a finesse and a flair to their sound, building on their trademark, no-nonsense riffs, and co-guitarist Srdjan has equally raised his game. Their dual guitar work is simply sublime, adding melodic guitar duelling with chugging riffs. Guy’s vocals are sang with conviction, whether they are soft or snarling and I just adore his voice. He has all the elements that a great heavy metal singer should have and can change his voice at will, at times sounding like Mr Lordi (which is by no means a bad thing!) while at others matching that of the late Ronnie James Dio. The rhythm section is made up of bassist Scott and drummer Jonny, both formerly of the band Dry the River, with whom they have graced the mainstages at Glastonbury and Reading, toured North America and released two UK top 40 albums.
There is no doubt that this bunch of guys have gelled well together and are obviously all very talented, producing music that goes for the throat. Its fast, its meaty and its everything that heavy metal should be. This album has the fresh spontaneity of a debut album but has been complimented by refined song writing that has evolved over time with a progressive edge.
I don’t give 10 out of 10’s easily, and so many albums I have reviewed have fallen just short, but there is nothing I don’t like about this album. It impacted on me right from the very start and I didn’t want it to end. It pulls on so many elements of so many different genres of metal, that it is hard to define it completely. I don’t like to pigeon hole music anyway so to me it’s just HEAVY METAL, pure and simple!
I hope to see these guys on the road somewhere as I have a feeling they would be fantastic in a live setting, and I have already ordered their back albums. This is one band that dodged my radar but thanks to reviewing I have now become a HUGE fan of.
Keep up the great work guys and I’ll see you at a gig somewhere!!
TRACKLISTING: 01. Possess Me 02. Demons Inside 03. Overdrive 04. Curse of Olympus 05. No Survivors 06. Memories Lost 07. Into the Light 08. Into the Dark 09. Tempest Returns 10. The Calling
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Dawn “The Metal Priestess” King and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
Bloodstock ‘Metal 2 The Masses’ North Wales Semi Final 1 Atomic, Wrexham – 04/05/2018 Review by Beth Jones
Following four great heats, Friday 4th May saw the first semi-final of the North Wales leg of the hotly contested Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses. With the ultimate prize of a spot on the New Blood stage at this year’s Bloodstock Festival, the competition was going to be fierce. The standard thus far in the heats had been excellent, so it was also going to be a very close contest, and I, for one, was glad that it wasn’t me having to stand in the judges’ shoes, as the evening did not disappoint.
The weather on Friday had been pretty nice and it was still quite warm outside. Now, for those of you who haven’t been to Atomic in Wrexham, which was the venue hosting the event, it is a cracking little venue – with little being the operative word! Let’s just say that it is a venue where you get very friendly with people very quickly, and it is a little on the warm side once you get any more than ten people in the room!
The first band of the night, Lullaby For A Unicorn, decided to embrace the heat, by dressing their bass player in a pink fluffy unicorn onesie! It was a sight to behold! You know it is going to be proper metal when you have a unicorn light, a cowboy hat, light up shoes, a seagull suspended from a smoke alarm, and a large gentleman with a light up bass, in a unicorn onesie and shades!! And this eclectic gathering of lunatics did not disappoint. The ethos of the band was fun, crazy and madcap; however their all-round musicianship was superb. The singer was incredibly animated, sometimes looking a little unhinged, but this just added to the overall presentation. The drummer impressed me most and I found myself drawn to watching him, purely for the force at which he played with! The whole room was bouncing along with them, embracing the crazy juxtaposition of pink and fluffy with chunky riffs, growly vocals and general metal mentalness. They took us through 30 minutes of hilarious awesomeness and started the night off with a bang! They truly are the originators of the genre they classify themselves in – ‘Turbo Metal Unicorn Sexy Horn Time’.
The question then was ‘how the hell do you follow that?’ The answer was ‘with Impavidus of course’!!! Holy undercrackers! The was our first experience of these guys, as we hadn’t been able to make their heat, and it was, if you will excuse the expression, FUCKING AWESOME! The female fronted fourpiece from Manchester absolutely took the roof off the place with their fast paced, ridiculously funky heaviness. The vocal abilities of lead singer, Michelle Adamson, are just insane! She has the ability to switch between something that sounds like Gollum possessed by many demons, to beautiful, clean vocals in the blink of an eye. They absolutely owned the stage. The musicianship of each individual member was displayed brilliantly, with intricate guitar work, heavy bass, solid rhythms and the amazing vocals. Their tunes are not overly intricate, but have lots of changes and variations on themes, that kept it interesting and enthralling for their entire performance. You could not help but be drawn to them. We were utterly blown away by them. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but what we got was something really, really great.
Next up, were a group of crazy kids from deepest darkest North Wales, who go by the name of Krank! These guys were a little bonkers and definitely a little erratic, and this came through in their music. They were tight and good as musicians, but a little too schizophrenic for me to keep up with. They did have a good groove though and the vocalist’s energy was insane. He was a tall chap, the ceiling in Atomic is quite low, and at one point I got distracted from the music, worrying that he was going to knock himself out by headbutting the ceiling! I did feel a little underwhelmed by them though unfortunately. This may have been because the two previous bands had been of such a high standard, that it would have to have been a very special band to top them. It is a shame, because they were good, they were funny, they were tight, and they were obviously all good musicians – they just didn’t quite float my boat.
The final band in the competition for the evening was OMV. We had seen these guys at their heat and I was very impressed with them, so was expecting big things at the Semi Final, and again, they delivered. They have a very definite look about them, with all bar the singer wearing some form of mask, and have obviously thought hard about the visual image they want to convey to fit in with their musical style. They are again extremely tight as a band and are all really talented musicians. There style is very definitely Crossover Hardcore, and their music punches you in the face with heavy, angry vocals, complex bass lines, and fast intricate guitars. They have got something to say and they are going to say it whether you like it or not! Thankfully, I liked it! I didn’t think on the night, they were quite as on point as they were in their heat, however they were still very impressive and their performance incredibly energetic. It is clear to see that they put a lot of work into what they do, and hats off to them for that. I really enjoyed them.
So that was the end of the competition bands for the evening, however the entertainment was set to continue, whilst the judges deliberated and counted up the audience vote. That entertainment was brought to us on the night by special guest headliners Outright Resistance. Having seen these guys at Amplified Festival last year, and been mightily impressed with their tightness and stage presence, especially from their singer, and then being shocked by the news they had parted company with her a little later in the year, we weren’t sure what to expect. They were still tight and incredibly well rehearsed, and the new singer was good, but for me, it had lost a bit of the sparkle. It was a shame because they are so good. Maybe it just needs time to gel more. I don’t know.
Then came the important bit of the night, the announcement (drum roll please!) After a very difficult deliberation the judges vote went to Impavidus. I have to say that we were in 100% agreement with this – they were by far the best on the night. The public vote went to OMV-Hardcore /Crossover – again this was definitely deserved. So two of the four bands progressing to the final were decided and we left, having had a great night, and thoroughly looking forward to semi-final 2…..
TO BE CONTINUED……
LINKS:
M2TM North Wales SEMI FINAL 2 – Atomic Wrexham 25/05/2018 Event Page:
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Jones and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
All photographs are the property of Beth Jones and PhotograBee – http://www.facebook.com/PhotograBeeImages
Circus Maximus – Havoc In Oslo Frontiers Music SRL Release Date: 04/08/2017 Running Time: CD1: 43:19 / CD2: 41:55 Review by Tsarina Wilson 9.5/10
These Norwegian metallers celebrated their fourth studio album, Havoc, on the 4th February 2016 at the Rockerfeller Club in Oslo, with an explosive gig, complete with pyro, sparks, and a massive lighting rig, to make sure the show was as amazing as their songs. They, then, decided they wanted to give some of this atmosphere to those less fortunate who weren’t there by releasing this live album of the gig. Close your eyes, draw the curtains, put this on loud and you are there in the venue with them.
The band, Michael Eriksen on vocals, Mats Haugen on guitar, Glen Mollen on bass, Truls Haugen on drums and, finally, Lase Fribraten on keyboards, have moulded together so amazingly. The guitar riffs, that change from ice clean to pure metal, are a refreshing change and the keyboards leave you wondering if there are other instruments. It really is so good to listen to as it makes you stop and listen intently.
Ever since the band released “Live in Japan” via YouTube, they have wanted to put together a live release in physical format for us all to listen to. With this album, they have got a giant pot, added amazing musicians, clear crisp metal vocals, rock, metal some maturity, strength and love, given it a stir around and this is the result. The vocals by Michael are gritty, mesmerizing but epic and guitars are almost hypnotic.
This band leaves no stone unturned in their expression of music but don’t let the softer songs lead you into a false sense of security. These guys mean business and pack a mighty punch and the synth playing is seriously good listening.
My favourite track is ‘Arrival of Love.’ It’s a ‘sing at the top of your voice song’ (ok maybe that’s just me then!) but I love the guitar riff and the synths in it keep you wanting more. ‘The Abyss’ is just ‘BOOOOM we’re off’ and does not stop from start to finish. It’s just brilliant, although a lot grittier than some of the other tracks.
This album is just raw pleasure from start to finish and they have definitely gained another fan.
TRACKLISTING: CD1: 01. Forging 02. Namaste 03. The One 04. The Weight 05. Highest Bitter 06. Architect of Fortune 07. Arrival of Love 08. Loved Ones
CD2: 01. Sin 02. Havoc 03. Pages 04. Abyss 05. I Am 06. Chivalry 07. Game of Life
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Tsarina Wilson and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to do adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
