Voodoo Vegas- The Rise of Jimmy Silver

The Rise of Jimmy Silver is the new release from young blues rockers Voodoo Vegas. Their brand of high-octane guitar rock is both melodic and heavy at the same time.

This album is, from start to finish, a storming album. The 11 tracks, including a brief intro and an interlude track, the Voodoo Vegas definitely have one foot firmly in their roots, with their blues-oriented tracks talking about girls, cars and folk-heroes. The album even includes a once-compulsory acoustic track (what happened to the days when every rock band tried to have one acoustic track on their albums?) The haunting ‘What I Pay’ simply oozes with a spooky, swampy air which sounds like something a 70s Southern Rock band may have come out with. ‘Ferry Song’ furthers the classic vibe of the album and the band’s overall sound with a wailing harmonica solo, imitating train-like sounds and pushing the track along as well as any old-school bluesman. ‘Lost in Confusion’, a pain-drenched ode to pointlessly lost loves goes to show that Voodoo Vegas have a softer side, and can write a heart-rending ballad as well as any 80s arena superstars.

This album is a joyous rock and roll romp, which goes to show that guitar-based music can still kick, yet remain soulful and be played with plenty of feeling.  Definitely a band to watch out for in the future!

9/10

Phil Demmel Jackson Guitar Clinic at GAK Brighton 20/04/13

A taste of the San Francisco Bay Area came to Brighton last night, as Phil Demmel, lead guitarist from modern thrash metal band Machine Head, gave a Jackson guitars clinic at the GAK music shop.

Along with a brief history of Jackson Guitars from the company representative who has been touring Europe alongside Phil Demmel, the modern thrash legend gave a brief talk about his guitar playing history, his influences (announcing his love of KISS), and the players who have inspired him to play- Angus Young and Randy Rhoads being the most stand out figures. The talk also traced his relationships with various guitars and members of his bands.

Of course, whilst there, a few Machine Head songs were played from the extensive back catalogue of tracks that he has worked on, along with a jam with Chris Cannella from the Jackson guitars workshop. Between these two players and plenty of choruses of “F**k yeah!” from the audience (complete with the horns \m/), the spirit of metal was certainly in residence, as huge riffs and crazy shred guitar solos were in abundance.  In that small room of barely 50 people, there was much more of an intimate atmosphere which helped bring Phil Demmel over as a really down to earth person who just happens to be in one of the planet’s biggest metal bands, touring the world. Although weeks on the road seemed to be taking their toll as my own question to him about musical influences outside the world of metal (i.e. Would one ever catch him listening to Beethoven or Miles Davis etc.) spawned a statement of solidarity with Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe in his manslaughter trial (a worthy cause in itself, but not quite what I was after as an answer).

After the talk Phil took the time for signings and photos with all the fans in the building and seemed genuinely willing to take the time to chat, despite his road-weariness.  

Subservience- Ripped in Half

Brutal, extreme and violent, Ripped in Half is a decleration of war from Brighton-based metallers Subservience. This 4 track EP shows that British death metal is healthy and remains a force to be reckoned with on the metal scene.

Subservience’s songs are all fast-paced, riff-led and full of double-kick drum barrages which never let up. The music is loud and in your face. The songs are all stripped back and no frills, 3 of them clocking in at little over 3 minutes, and the bonus track ‘Round 1, Fight!’ is only 10 seconds long.

There are few compromises or areas where they give in to technical wizardry alone- solos are minimal, and the majority of the album focuses on the angry, tight sound of the band as a whole.

Overall this EP is as good as any other extreme metal that I have heard recently; completely brutal, understated and unrelenting.  

7/10

Diemonds- The Bad Pack

            This female fronted Canadian hard rock outfit is yet another example of a modern resurgence in music steeped in the legacy of 80s American hard rock and heavy metal. Full of driving riffs and loud choruses, The Bad Pack definitely has the feel of a good-time metal album.

Infused with a punky attitude, but retaining the more metal side of the music, from the “widdly-widdly” (technical term there…) solos, through to the spandex and hairspray, Diemonds are definitely takes a modern look at hair metal, whilst creating a different attitude with the use of a female singer. The songs don’t try to do anything mind-bending and drastic to their genre, however, they provide a definite shot of ‘Loud N’ Nasty’ energy to it, and don’t seem to take themselves too seriously, acknowledging that it’s  fun, noisy party metal which is great for a good time.

The songs on The Bad Pack stick with the traditional themes which are followed in classic metal- night time parties, escapism and generally having a good time. The music is also very much what you would expect- fast paced riffs, melodic lead guitar lines, over the top solos and chugging rhythmic patterns.

Overall, whilst the invention is kept minimal, Diemonds have produced a bombastic album that’s full of pure, good old fashioned rock music.

8/10

Pink Narcissus- Blood on the Page

Described as “David Bowie meets Rage Against the Machine”, Pink Narcissus’ album Blood on the Page does provide a heavy dose of noisy, artsy rock music, which matches the poetic vocals and deep voice of David Bowie and a heavy, electric side with a funkier edge, which is more associated with Rage Against the Machine.

Full of fuzzy guitars and experimental sounds using feedback, the album provides a heavy rock riffs and rapid beats, whilst covering it with semi-choral lines and a frantic style of singing which brings across an eloquent form of anger and angst which is more effecting than other forms of “angry” music.

The six tracks presented on Blood on the Page are an interesting mixture of heavy, effects laden rock, complete with nods to more synth based styles from the 1980s, which makes the album engaging and eclectic. Pink Narcissus’ songwriting allows for massive changes in feel, tempo, and style, even within songs, with ‘The Great Divide’ alternating between heavier sections and occasional melodic areas. ‘Kingdom of the Blind’ also, starts with a series of seeming noises before a stricter rhythm begins, whilst a powerful bass which gives more than a passing nod to more electronic forms of music slowly builds up. This creates a powerful and atmospheric piece of music which really shows off the experimental nature of the band.

Overall, this is an interesting album, with off kilter-rhythms and occasionally disturbing sonic passages.

7/10

Spock's Beard- Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep

Complex, atmospheric, yet undeniably heavy, this new release from a leading light in the Prog world doesn’t let down fans of odd time signatures and ever-changing song structures. None of the songs on the album clock in at any less than 5 minutes long, which means that within each song, there is plenty of room for every member of the band to stretch their musical legs.

It is hard for a band to replace any member, however the greatest challenge or both band and listeners must be a change in singer. However new boy Ted Leonard does a great job as replacement for Nick D’Virgilo, continuing with the soaring, melodic vocal lines which are a staple of Spock’s Beard’s style and retaining the spirit of classic Progressive bands which Spock’s Beard hold as their obvious influences.

Each track’s length means that there is able to be a definite sense of development; many of them starting with a more relaxed feel, gradually building to a climactic section of riffs and solos. The track ‘Afterthoughts’ even includes an a cappella refrain, just to add something even more different to the mix.

Overall, the album is great for a more interesting, challenging take on rock music. The mixture of atmospheric sound effects and technical passages allows for a great blend of modern sounding and more traditional styles of progressive music.

8/10

Sacred Mother Tongue- Out Of The Darkness

High speed heavy metal, thrashing riffs and insane guitar solos, it’s no wonder that people are saying that Sacred Mother Tongue are a band to watch. This second release continues in the same vein to which fans of SMT are used to.

Every song is a high-speed exercise in precision riffing, and the quality of the guitar solos (of which there are a great many) shows that it is no wonder that guitarist Andy James has been nominated as “Dimebag Darrell Shredder of the Year” in 2013’s Metal Hammer Golden Gods awards.

The band shows off an ever more complex writing style, with riffs which require a great deal of rhythmical interplay, along with heavier, slower sections in which the whole band falls into a solid groove.

A standout track which shows off all of this is ‘Seven’. Opening with an extended instrumental introduction section in which the tight rhythmic playing of the band, followed by a burst of technical guitar virtuosity. 

Between verses, the band falls into a tight-knit groove, guaranteed to get heads nodding along, fists pumping, and generally infusing the listener with as much energy as is evident on the album.

Really though, there seems to be little variety in the way Sacred Mother Tongue writes songs. Many of the tracks are of a very similar high speed, and follow the same formula which, by the end of the album can seem to have become a little tired.  The good thing about this though, is that the tracks are all great numbers, and any of them stand alone as great examples of modern heavy metal.

9/10