Reviews Re-mastered

Neverworld – Visions Of Another World

Neverworld – Visions Of Another World
Dream Demon Recordings/Self Released
Released 22/03/2014
Running Time 57:27
Review By Rick Tilley
9/10

THIS REVIEW WAS WRITTEN AND FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2014

I am honoured to be one of the first people to listen to and review the debut album ‘Visions Of Another World’ from Progressive NWOTHM Metal band Neverworld. I know there are a lot of people who have been pulling their hair out waiting for this so I’ll not beat around the bush, are you ready everyone…Forget the bubblegum, this CD kicks ass BIG TIME!! Neverworld have delivered a rip roaring and emotional nine songs of metal magic and fantasy spread over nearly an hour and I still fail to understand why they have not been snapped up by a record label! Hopefully with this release, and the exposure it will undoubtedly bring, Neverworld will be able to hold their collective heads up high and say “We have arrived!”

Opening with the ticking of a clock and gorgeous orchestration, the instrumental ‘Tempus’ sets the scene wonderfully. This leads headlong into the title track riff and we’re off on our Neverworld journey of discovery. When vocalist and guitarist Ben Colton kicks in with his trademark thundering scream the Cheshire cat grin on my face was huge. Not only is this track heavy it has wonderful melody, a sublime chorus and immense guitar solos courtesy of Colton and fellow axe master Jack Foster. Believe me these two make an outstanding team. Couple that with the fabulous bass work of Gary Payne, drumming of Mike Vaughan and keyboard wizardry of Daniel Potter and you’ve got a super talented bunch here! Not content with this amazing opening salvo the guys then lead in, almost immediately, to arguably their best known song and anthem ‘They Live’. If you’re already a fan of the band then you’ll know what an absolutely mighty track this is. Instantly recognisable as giving Neverworld their signature sound it is one of those songs that will be remembered long after I’m gone! ‘Blood & Romance’ is up next, a near perfect 10 minutes of emotional impact that introduces us to sublime female guest vocalist Christina Gajny. Her voice compliments Ben’s superbly and she puts a lot of more well known female singers to shame! Without pause for breath the titanic riff of ‘Ghosts’ comes next and also what I think is Ben’s crowning moment vocally on the album. He absolutely nails the singing with enough power to split an atom!

I could go on telling you how good these tracks are. ‘The Wheel Of Misfortune’, ‘Eminent Reprisal’, ‘Salt Water Bandits’ (with guitar work that gives me goose bumps) and final song ‘This Fire’, which comes full circle and leads back into the ticking clock, are all utterly superb, the quality of writing, lyrics and musicianship is outstanding and you would be correct in thinking I’m just a little bit in love with this band. As far as influences go then think Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Gamma Ray, Judas Priest, Sonata Arctica, Iced Earth and Blind Guardian amongst others i.e. some of my favourites which is probably why this works so well for me!

Of course, I always try to be completely honest when reviewing and if there is one (only very slight) weak point, it’s in the production. Mike’s snare drum could definitely do with being higher in the mix, especially on the heavier numbers as it can get a bit lost, and on a couple of occasions Daniel’s keyboards come through a little too loudly, but you also have to remember that Neverworld do not have the resources to employ Mr ‘Uber’ Producer and this whole album has been produced by themselves. With that in mind, I sort of feel bad even mentioning it!

At the end of the day, for a debut album, this is nothing short of blissful to listen to and I’m utterly stoked for the guys that they’ve released something this good because they deserve nothing less. Artwork and CD booklet are also of extremely high quality, damn, I know how hard they’ve worked on this and it shows. It’s only March and I have yet another contender for my top five albums. Get ready everyone because Neverworld are here to stay!!

Neverworld photo courtesy of Sally Newhouse

TRACKLISTING:
01. Tempus
02. Visions Of Another World
03. They Live
04. Blood And Romance
05. Ghosts
06. Wheel Of Misfortune
07. Eminent Reprisal
08. Salt Water Bandits
09. This Fire

LINE-UP:
Mike Vaughan – Drums
Jack Foster – Guitars
Ben Colton – Vocals, Guitars
Gary Payne – Bass
Daniel Potter – Keyboards

LINKS:

Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Richard Tilley 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

Reproduced with the kind permission of Brutiful Metal Radio

NitroVolt – Pänzer

NitroVolt – Pänzer
Mausoleum Records
Release Date 12/08/2014
Running Time 32:51
Review by Rick Tilley
8/10

‘NitroVolt’…For some reason I really like that name, and after listening to their second album ‘Pänzer’ there is also a lot to like about this German band. NitroVolt ply their trade in a variety of genres, namely Speedrock, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Punk, Hardcore and a little bit of Thrash. Take ‘Motorhead’, add liberal doses of ‘Airbourne’, Rose Tattoo and ‘AC/DC’ (after they’ve been smoking some good weed) and mix together with a little ‘Warfare’ and ‘Septic Death’ and what you get is a completely unpretentious thirty minutes of fun!

NitroVolt have been around, in one form or another, since 2004. They have toured relentlessly and built a following the hard way. In 2011 they were rewarded with a record deal (IHP Records) and released their debut album ‘Rock ‘N’ Roll Commando’. to favourable comments. Unfortunately the record company folded and the owners disappeared leaving the band high and dry. Undeterred, they forged ahead, and where many bands would have packed it in NitroVolt persevered, and have now signed a deal with Mausoleum.

‘Pänzer’ kicks off with the speedy ‘Pay The Price’, and at just under two minutes it leaves you in no doubt as to what this album is all about. Dirty, sweaty and alcohol soaked rock music with loads of catchy tunes and some great guitar work (Phil Campbell from Motorhead would be proud of some of these solos). Tracks follow swiftly with barely a chance to take breath. ‘Twisted Shot Of Booze’, ‘Hardröck Queen’, ‘Rock It Out’ and ‘Hail Hail’ all bristle with energy. At first you might be a little put off by the vocal scream/bark of singer and guitarist ‘Tom Krämer’ (NitroTom), but after a few listens it all makes sense. NitroVolt’s lineup is completed by ‘Tim Vader’ (NitroTim) on guitars, ‘Luciano Vanini’ (Louis Nitrovolt) on bass and ‘Shockstar’ on drums who all play with the required amount of filth. Everything sounds great production wise but I reckon seeing these guys live would make for a great evening out, although you might need an extra long cold shower afterwards!

There are thousands of bands around and many of them are releasing long, story driven albums or similar. I have nothing against that, but once in a while I just like to get back to basics, open a beer, let my hair down and listen to some unadulterated heavy rock ‘n’ roll and NitroVolt fit that bill very nicely thanks.

TRACKLISTING:
01. Pay the Price
02. Rock It Out
03. Don’t Let Go
04. Twisted Shot of Booze
05. Lie to You
06. Into the Night
07. Hardröck Queen
08. Going Down
09. Born to Love
10. Get Rid
11. So You Die
12. Hail Hail

LINKS:

Originally written for Brutiful Metal Radio in 2014 and reproduced here with their kind permission

Unhoped – Nuclear Death EP

Unhoped – Nuclear Death EP
Violent Journey Records
Release Date: 24/05/2013
Running Time 19:25
Review by Rick Tilley
8.5/10

I have a question for you Dear Readers! Do you love any of the following bands; Slayer, Kreator, Possessed, Venom, Warfare, Exciter, Sodom, Destruction, Nuclear Assault, Exodus or Obituary? If the answer to any of the above is yes, then you are going to love ‘Nuclear Death’ the new EP from Unhoped because it is Thrash/Death excellence! Hailing from Finland (how many good bands can possibly come from this country?), and formed in 2007 Unhoped already have a Demo EP (‘First Blood’) and full length debut album (‘Die Harder’) to their name, both of which have received a very positive response, and now they are signed to Violent Journey Records are hoping to take the next step with ‘Nuclear Death’. If they don’t achieve that then there is no justice because all five tracks on this EP kick some serious butt!

There is no hanging around with this band. Opener ‘Pestilence’ punches you in the guts within seconds and for the next 20 minutes vocalist ‘J. Luostarinen’, guitarists ‘K. Laanto’ and ‘A. Paasu’, bassist ‘S. Parviainen and last, but not least, drummer ‘M. Huisko’ repeatedly pound you into a bloody submission with their brutality until you are a crumpled heap on the floor! Unhoped recreate the feel of the classic bands whilst still managing to sound current and relevant and even though you shouldn’t expect heaps of originality, what you will get is a band who know how to write a great song and infuse that with enough melody and change of pace to make them more than memorable once the music has ceased and you recover your breath! Even the blast beats (not one of my favourite things) sound right because they aren’t used constantly. Add to that a production and mix which could probably crumble concrete and you have a band that any self respecting thrash or death fan should check out immediately!

TRACKLISTING:
01. Pestilence
02. Modern State Of Sodomy
03. Eternal Infernal
04. Empire Of Lies
05. Nuclear Death

LINE-UP:
Samu Parviainen – Bass
Mikko Huisko – Drums
Aku Paasu – Guitars
Kalle Laanto – Guitars
Jyri Luostarinen – Vocals

LINKS:

First published on Brutiful Metal Radio. Reprinted here with kind permission