HeWhoCannotBeNamed has released his second video from his latest “Impostor”. This time with Nick Oliveri (QOTSA, Mondo Generator, Kyuss and many more) on vocals and in the video. Check it out!
Vinyl is still for sale in North America from STR. Europe, pick one up from Beluga Records or Ghost Highway Recordings.
2023 marks the 20th Anniversary of the long out of print first album from the Cheats, ‘Cheap Pills’ was the name and sleazy punk n roll was the name of the game and straight from the get go ‘Automatic Reaction’ signalled the charge. To celebrate the band enlisted new guitarist, Johnny Razorblade, to Re-EQ and remaster the original release and a sterling job he’s done and having a fresh set of ears on the songs was an inspired choice. It doesn’t end there though because they wanted to add value and plenty of bang for your bucks so they also added the original No Goods’ demo (which included a cover of The Joneses “Pill Box”) and a couple live tracks recorded on their recent spring tour with Riverside Odds. Screaming Crow Records also redesigned and upgraded the original “Cheap Pills” layout design.
Hell if you don’t dig the Ramones bop of the title track then you’ve landed on the wrong website because this is snotty as fuck and not having heard this album for a while I forgot how good it was. its no frills for sure, the riffs are dirty and nasty ‘Just Like You’ is a back alley brawl and as you dive into the album there are moments of unbridled joy as ‘5X Loser’ takes a slug before the Steve Jones ugly riff-a-rama kicks in. ‘Bombs Away’ is a banger reminding me of The Black Halos at their scuzziest and as my learned friend once told me that he was punk as fuck I’m sure he must have been listening to ‘Buzz Bomb’ when he had the realisation.
‘Young and Dumb’ has aged really well and then you enter the demo territory rapid and rough is always a great place to be and these bonus cuts are wild and reckless and well worth digging into especially their take on the Joneses classic ‘Pillbox’.
If you’ve never heard the band then this is a wonderful place to start and work backwards. where did all those wasted years go? right back to where it all began. Buy it!
Author: Dom Daley
Kurt Baker is in the club and kicking off in style, wrapping his lips around some Gallagher Brothershow-offs sneering Rock n Roll ‘Hittin Roc Bottom’ with a solid riff and some show off lead breaks that shimmy into an uber cool chorus thats got gang vocals to die for. Hell, by the second chorus, I’m punching the air and shaking my tambourine. For those not in the loop Kurt Baker is a prolific churner out of power-popping rock ‘n’n roll and some. His records drip with class and the melodies he crams into his songs sure beat the hell out of a bazillion bands who try to hit the mark. The fact hes on Wicked Cool means someone somewhere knows their stuff.
Baker is certainly rockin’ these songs up and making them more powerful than pop as the title track will testify as the beefy drums kick into a tried and tested riff. Man, this guy can’t sleep with the amount of stand-out melodies he takes ownership of from the ether. Another thing you’ll notice is its sunshine rock n roll, you imagine he writes and records with a beaming smile slapped across his face, ‘She Don’t Wanna Be Alone’ will testify to that. Even if he’s singing about relationships gone bad or not the best situations you imagine they’ll shake hands and just move on its what Kurt would have wanted.
The album shapes up for a cruise around the highs and lows of 80s power pop and new wave legends from the Costellos to the Cheap Tricks its all woven into the Baker DNA. ‘Anchors Up’ is punchy pop wearing a fingerless leather glove sneering into one of those slim mics with a pair of crisp hi-tops bopping up and down to the beat. But hey things get funky on ‘Love Express’ like he’s been holidaying at the club Tropicana, totally unashamedly the funky fuckers.
The 80s vibe whatever genre isn’t far away as ‘Bright Blue Sky’ with its punchy bass line struts in only being ushered out of the way for the ‘Missed Connection’ as that power gets rounded off with some shiny synth-driven pop. The ‘Good Feelings’ push the envelope with some spandex and legwarmer work sounding like a track from some weekend at Bernies teen flick for kids who should know better.
To my taste ‘Go Better’ is the territory where Baker excels turning up the amps and rockin’ like they’ve just discovered Cheap Trick and The Runaways. ‘In Love Again’ is pure 80s new wave al a Costello and his attractions. To be fair ‘Not Right’ is in the same ballpark with a killer melody and the song structure is excellent. Only leaving an acoustic stab at Britpop USA style in the shape of ‘It Was You’ Now if this was the new Goo Goo Dolls track it would sell a truckload and people would be rightly hailing the band’s resurrection from the abyss they fell into but this is Kurt Baker, a true American hero who has mastered his craft and written another top-notch record. Just buy it! It will make you smile and fill your heart with wonderful tunes – Welcome to the Rock n Roll Club.
Buy Here
Author: Dom Daley
Triumph Of Death
PROUDLY ANNOUNCE THEIR DEBUT LIVE ALBUM PERFORMING THE MUSIC OF HELLHAMMER ‘RESURRECTION OF THE FLESH’
RELEASED ON NOISE/BMG ON 10th NOVEMBER 2023 LISTEN TO THE TRACK ‘MESSIAH’
PLUS PREORDERS & EXCLUSIVE MERCH BUNDLES HERE
The impact of Swiss extreme metal forefathers Hellhammer is one that still resonates around the global metal scene today, such was their influence on the early extreme, death, and black metal genres. In the 40 years that have passed since their humble beginnings in Nurensdorf, Switzerland, in May 1982, they have gained a mythically iconic status despite existing for a mere two years. However the band left a highly influential body of work behind, including the three demos Death Fiend, Satanic Rites and Triumph Of Death (al re-released in 2008 as the Demon Entrails demo retrospective), the seminal Apocalyptic Raids EP, and two tracks from the legendary Death Metal compilation. In light of this legacy, it is almost inconceivable that Hellhammer never performed this music on stage.
Celtic Frost, the successor group formed by Hellhammer founding member Tom Gabriel Warrior and former Hellhammer bassist Martin Eric Ain, would sporadically play a Hellhammer song or two, and Warrior’s current band, Triptykon, have played the occasional Hellhammer song live, but the vast body of Hellhammer’s work remained unperformed, until the inception of Triumph Of Death. In 2019 Tom Gabriel Warrior stated : Hellhammer will never return and will never be reformed. It is absolutely impossible to reform a band so closely linked to a very specific and unique period in time. But Hellhammer’s music exists, and it is an extremely important part of my life’s path. And I would like to play it onstage before my demise.
The resurrection of the music of Hellhammer had been an idea Tom Gabriel Warrior and Martin Eric Ain discussed for many years, sparked not least by their renewed collaboration in the reformed Celtic Frost in the 2000s. The first steps towards the realization of Triumph Of Death, named after Hellhammer’s most infamous song and intended to be a very respectful and authentic tribute to Hellhammer, were finally taken in 2014, and the band was officially founded in autumn of 2018. Triumph Of Death consists of individuals who not only love the music in question but truly understand it. The line-up emulates Hellhammer’s final incarnation of April/May 1984, when the group had added an additional guitarist. To date Triumph Of Death have performed numerous notable concerts globally and have brought the seminal music of Hellhammer to fans both old and new. Many of whom thought they may never see it live on stage.
Triumph Of Death’s debut live release Resurrection Of The Flesh is the culmination of three concerts. Recorded in the spring of 2023 at Hell’s Heroes Festival in Houston USA, Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany and SWR Barroselas Metal Fest in Portugal, the album was produced by Tom Gabriel Warrior and Triptykon’s V. Santura. The record captures the band at their primeval finest; raw, foreboding and heavy. The songs may date back four decades but here they are revealed to be still just as vital today as when they were written in the band’s infamous rehearsal bunker in the rural village of Birchwil, Switzerland in the early 1980s. From the thunderous opening chords of Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation) to the malevolent, morbid feedback of set closer Triumph Of Death, this album is a sixty minute document of the overwhelming power of the live performance of Triumph Of Death, and it captures the spirit and intensity of these historic songs that have transcended decades to become revered and timeless.
Warrior: This album is, most importantly, testament to the unique connection that exists between the audience and this band. Hellhammer’s music was an underground token in 1982 to 1984, often ridiculed and shunned, and we owe the fact that we are now able to perform it all across the globe entirely to grace, openness, and enthusiasm of those who make exactly these concerts possible. They give us as much as we given them, and my gratitude to them knows no limits.
Triumph Of Death
Tom Gabriel Warrior – voice/guitar /André Mathieu – guitar/vocals/Jamie Lee Cussigh – bass/Tim Iso Wey – drums
Resurrection Of The Flesh will be available as :
Tracklisting
Bonus 7” (Super deluxe edition only)
The first time the album has been released on vinyl and will be available on three different limited edition
vinyl’s – White, Gold and Red & Black Splattered vinyl.
The album, originally released in 1996, features four original members of The Boys – Matt Dangerfield,
Casino Steel, Duncan ‘Kid’ Reid & Honest John Plain along ex Berne Torme drummer Mark Harrison and Die Toten Hosen frontman/singer Campino. The album includes sleeve notes from Campino & Matt Dangerfield along with full lyrics and several never-before-seen photos from the recording sessions. There has been a resurgence in Boys’ releases recently what with To Hell and Odds And Sods getting pressed and selling out it makes sense for this beauty to finally get pressed on wax. Along with Mattless Boys, it’s some of the finest Boys-related curio out there and the quality of sound and of course the music is second to none. Sure the staple classics are here like opener ‘See You Later’ ‘Brickfield Nights’ ‘Soda Pressing’ but the hidden gems are the likes of ‘Gabrielle’ which in its stripped back form is an absolute stone cold classic and the delivery is emotional from the deft piano fills to the sparce drum fills its a beautiful song and takes on a new life.
I always loved the artwork and the cheeky Black and white kickabout it sort of summed up The Boys and this particular release. Anyone lucky enough to catch the band playing an acoustic set at Rebellion even the final Duncan Reid set from some years ago will get the picture of just how good these songs are plugged or unplugged a great song will stand tall whatever form. An emotional ‘Brickfield’ takes me right back to those unplugged Blackpool nights.
If you are lucky enough to hold a copy on its rightful format (12″ of wax) then cherish one of England’s finest ever bands stripped back delivering the goods – Its a real joy to hear especially loud and after a few glasses of plonk. Those big sweeping chords of ‘First Time’ or the raw aggression of ‘Sick On You’ is a beautiful thing.
When I was planning to review this release I put the songs on my phone to play whilst out riding my bike on a crisp morning I pulled over along the local canal and just sat and listened to the whole album from top to bottom day dreaming and admiring just how bloody good these songs are. ‘Heroine’ had me wiping a bead of sweat from my cheek It wasn’t a tear honest.
The only problem I have with this is it was recorded back in 96 and therefore doesn’t have any of the more recent ‘Punk Rock Menopause’ tunes given the same treatment then it could have been a double album covering all points of their legacy. As a stand alone LP ‘Power Cut’ is a must own LP Long Live The Boys and all who’ve sailed within. Easily one of my favourite ever acoustic albums, perfectly captured, perfectly executed.
Author: Dom Daley
Hailing from Austin, Texas and Mexico City, Demons My Friends arrive on the scene with an eight song full length debut album that has been demanding repeated plays. The band describes their sound as stoner/ doom, but the stoner side comes out much more to my ears because I think of super slow and long songs when I think of doom. First song I heard by the band this summer reminded me of an old band from the California desert, but I will get to that in a bit. As metal debuts go, this is one of the best you will hear this year.
Some fuzz introduces us to the powerful ‘The Tower Falls’ and finds the band combining a hard groove with a simple but effective vocal hook at the end of the chorus. Musically, this one isn’t too far away from Pepper-era Corrosion of Conformity, and, while the song stretches out over 5 minutes, it doesn’t feel that long. ‘Bring the Night’ serves as a de-facto title track as it is drawn from the lyrics here. The mellower verses give way to ripping guitars that slice through the mix in the chorus. Increasing the tempo at the guitar solo creates a great sense of dynamics, especially as the song transitions back into its original groove for the outro.
‘Inner Slay’ begins with the bass and some guitar deep in the mix. This is one spot where I can see the doom influence in the band as they don’t rush things too quickly. The rhythm really drives this song with the clean lead vocals and harmonies on the chorus providing us a look back in time a bit when this was more representative of the metal genre, without sounding stale or dated. The band provide lots of opportunities to headbang and throw your fist in the air. ‘Ghosts of You’ is the song I referred to in my introduction which has a guitar tone that reminds me of ‘Sky Valley’ era Kyuss. The guitar riffs wrap around the bass and drums to create a hypnotic groove with this song remaining my favorite on the album so far. The layered vocals in the chorus provide it with a commercial angle but balance it with some aggro vocals there as well.
Kicking off the flipside of the album, ‘Make Them Pay’ provides a vicious riff and groove, while also changing the lead vocal approach to almost an aggressive chant. Lyrically, this song takes no prisoners and comes in as the shortest song on the album at just over 3 minutes. The transition to the final bit of the song again shows a band interested in creating dynamics. The other shorter song follows in ‘Fire Mountain’ with the band sounding more akin to a modern metal band with clean vocals than doom metal. The rhythm section again delivers in providing a pulverizing song that sets up a well-done guitar solo to lead into a final chorus.
Turning up the stoner feel and again tapping into a Corrosion of Conformity like feel, ‘Your Bones’ comes in like a thundering herd but gives way to a verse that puts the spotlight on the vocals. The vocals and feel of the chorus though again serve as a counterpoint with an aggro feel. The band did a great job setting up the running order of the songs here as the album has a natural flow. Final song ‘We are the Resistance’ wraps things up with a mellow introduction and, to me, the most doom inspired song on the album with it reminding me a little bit of Paradise Lost a la ‘One Second’ or ‘Draconian Times’ era. It serves as a great way to finish the album as the song continues to build to its finale.
Hopefully, this album finds its way in front of many listeners so the band can continue to build a following. I hate it when new bands create an excellent album like this and then end up disappearing so give them a listen and a follow if you like what you hear. This album will be in my upper echelon of 2023 metal albums at the end of the year.
‘Demons Seem to Gather’ is available now.
‘Make Them Pay’ video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84u94nlvVfI
Author: Gerald Stansbury
Cyanide Pills – ‘Hope Your Having Fun’ (Damaged Goods) Another day another single lifted from the epic new long player from Leeds Leeds Leeds finest Cyanide Pills. ‘Hope Your Having Fun’ is from the album and the usual punchy power poppin snotty bop n roll dished up by these fine gentlemen this one comes on coloured wax and exclusive non album track B side in the shape of the raw riff-a-rama of ‘Don’t Tell Me Everythings Alright’ which is weird in a way because everythign is alright when there a new Cyanide Pills record to look out for but under Tory rule and the divvys who still vote for em then Cyanide Pills have always got material to write about and it keeps em honest and delivering quality tunes. Record of the week? Hell Yeah! I love Cyanide Pills even though they don’t play in south Wales. Buy it!
https://cyanidepills.com/ https://www.facebook.com/cyanidepillsuk /https://www.instagram.com/cyanidepillsuk/ /https://cyanidepills.keekmerch.com
The Uppers – ‘Manic Melodies’ (Spaghetty Town Records) Spaghetty Town Records are amassing quite the catalogue of top notch records. The latest off the production line are St. Louis/U.S.A. rockers The UPPERS. Its their second record after their 2020 “Get down with…” 7″ (NO FRONT TEETH/BOULEVARD TRASH) release. This has four tracks kicking off with the superb hooky ‘Stimulation’ ITs snotty bedfellow to the likes of The Briefs, The Boys, Exploding Hearts and such likes. Sugar sweet melodies played quickly and full of memorable melodies all covered in sweet bubblegum guitar riffs n classic drum licks. Superb stuff. Can’t wait fo ra full length LP if this is what they’re capable of – Simply, Buy IT!
Jonesy – ‘Doppelgangbangers’ (Heavy Medication Records) Not to be confused with the 70’s UK proggers with the same name, this Jonesy hails from Montreal and plays dirty, hormone-driven, catchy-as-hell bubblegum punk. While the first album fell on the Ramones/Dictators/Real Kids side of the punk spectrum, these four new songs throw some Slade and 70’s riff rawk into the mix while retaining all the pervy fun and un-PC humor that’s an integral part of the band’s modus operandi. It’s ten inches of sleazy pleasure centered around girls, cats, rock & roll and girls. You might need penicillin after listening to it!
Black Spiders – ‘Destroyer’ (Spinefarm Records) Hard Rockin mofos who are currently on tour have released a video for the track ‘Destroyer’ with a heavy as hell riff that has a Bass rumble thats like a fuckin anvil being dragged through your speakers its that low slung and heavy.
The Dictators – ‘Thank You And Have A Nice Day’ (self Release) First new material from the handsomeless Dictators is a Rockin swaggering bit of boogie woogie with plenty of groove and predictably a really decent tune. Sadly thats it the other three songs might well be freakin classics from these proto punks but I was expecting a couple of new tunes at least. ‘Avenue A’ is a stone cold classic as is the ‘Savage Beat’ still with HDM vocals and ‘I live For Girls And Cars’ is sleazy Rock n Roll rounding off a decent reminder that The Dictators still have it.
Duff McKagan – Longfeather (The World Is Flat) After the mellow and dark corners of his last solo album this single from ‘Lighthouse’ is more uptempo and, well, rockin. Duff has turned into a really accomplished writer and his vocals have grown to be a real force in his own right. This is excellent rock n roll from the GnR four stringer and if this is a sign of whats to come the album should be another really impressive piece of work.
Safety Pins MAgazine split. UK Subs/The Mistakes (T&M Records) Always an enjoyable read and always giving away a cool seven inch vinyl record and this issue is the turn of a pair of UK Subs demos and one off the brand new Mistakes album which we reviewed a few weeks back. The Subs demos are of ‘Shes Not There’ and ‘Brand New Age’ two cracking songs and two well collectable versions. Two previously unheard rare Subs demo tracks rescued and restored from a Pete Davies tape then given to T&M. ‘She’s Not There’ has Charlie Harper sharing the singing duties with Paul Slack on this ultra-rare take…
Seattle music scene stalwart Lars Swenson (Catheters / Bread & Butter) has joined international new wave power poppers Autogramm. Swenson has been in the studio with the band recording some exciting new releases scheduled for Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 and is also preparing for US and European tours in the new year with the band.
Autogramm is a synth-driven, power pop quartet from Seattle, Chicago, and Vancouver that draws influences from the likes of The Cars, The Go-Go’s, Gary Numan, 20/20, and Devo. This new wave inspired band is a departure from their other various projects (Black Mountain, Destroyer, Spun Out, Black Halos, Catheters), but they have already graced the pages of international press like Under the Radar, Consequence of Sound, Louder Than War and Exclaim! Their last album No Rules charted for five months at college radio in both the US and Canada. The single “Mantra” also saw rotation on SXM’s The Verge, Rodney on the Rock, and Little Steven’s Underground Garage
Bandcamp:https://autogramm.bandcamp.com/releases
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/autogrammband/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/autogrammband/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/Autogrammband
Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Yq0GO9ZFd9aK9iKEVNe6D
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCM-YkwLUwK8r5UDgRgTnlog
Now, it could be said that a band releasing a compilation of their three studio albums, which includes four re-recorded songs, sounds a bit suspect. But, hold your horses, because you can always trust The Speedways. While this album is aimed at a fresh audience in the States and elsewhere, for the uninitiated, it’s a perfect introduction to the Kings of UK power pop.
For a start, their debut album ‘Just Another Regular Summer’ was written and almost entirely played/recorded by Matt Julian, after which he found a solid band line-up with Mauro, Adrian and Kris. Hence, four tunes re-recorded as a band with a fair few gigs under their belt. ‘In Common With You’ is still one of my favourites, and while I love the original recording, the 2023 version gives you what you’d hear at the gigs, a fleshed-out sound. ‘Seen Better Days’ also benefits from added keyboards and hand claps, and ‘Tonight You’ll Find Love’ now sounds radio ready. ‘Just Another Regular Summer’ has clearer backing vocals and more gloss, but doesn’t lose it’s charm.
The ever reliable Jez Leather has also used his production skills to brighten up four songs from ‘Radio Sounds’; ‘Kisses Are History’, being a near perfect pop song, is a joy to hear again, melancholy and beautiful. ‘In A World Without Love…’ and ‘Number Seven’ are already etched into my memory, whilst ‘The Day I Call You Mine’ should be in every record collection, exquisite stuff.
All this plus four songs from the recent ‘Talk Of The Town’, of which ‘Shoulda Known’ is another case of “I wish I’d written that one” syndrome. I really hope this wins them yet more followers around the world. There are a few, great bands playing similar music at the moment, but The Speedways are still ahead of the pack.
Author: Martin Chamarette
Ex-Beastmilk/Grave Pleasures guitarist Linnéa Olsson originally started Maggot Heart with two ex-members of (her then touring buddies) In Solitude (drummer Uno Bruniusson and bassist Gottfrid Åhman), and now seven years on from her/their debut ‘City Girls’ EP they find themselves within the bosom of Svart Records eclectic roster of bands.
‘Hunger’, is the name of their third album to date, and I’m not exactly sure how I’ve missed out on them until now, but better late than never eh? That’s because ‘Hunger’ is not only one of the most exciting records I’ve heard this year, but it also means I’ve not got their two previous records (‘Dusk to Dusk’ and ‘Mercy Machine’) to discover too. Now, that’s a result in my book!
In a year of strong releases (especially in the world of goth tinged music), declaring that ‘Hunger’ is one of the most exciting records I’ve heard to date is either a pretty bold, or dumb, statement to make, but after repeated listens there is always something new that grabs my attention and hooks me back in, and not unlike her old Sonic Ritual band mate (and now label buddy) Henrik Palm’s solo releases for Svart there is no single genre of music that you can pin Maggot Heart’s sound on, which in a world jam packed full of bands called Black Whisk(e)y Rivers or whatever, is what makes the record’s eight tracks so God damn exhilarating.
It’s the thunderous bass of Olivia Airey (who joined the band pre ‘Mercy Machine’) that propels the record into the stratosphere as Olsson rages “you are what you eat” and opener ‘Scandinavian Hunger’ flies off on some kind of off-kilter Voivod meets solo Henrik Palm three-minute musical maelstrom.
By contrast ‘Nil By Mouth’, whilst retaining that early days Ghost vibe that Palm brought to their music also has a poke in the eye simplicity about it. This is exceptional stuff and I’m amazed this wasn’t released as the album’s lead single instead of the far more “challenging” ‘Looking Back At You’, but then that’s the very essence of Maggot Heart I guess, nothing about this record is what you would expect, and if you want further proof of this just give the horn drenched ‘LBD’ a listen. It gives me goosebumps every time I hear that intro and when the brass section crops up again towards the end of the tune it’s almost like Nile Rodgers has been given a call to work his remix magic on this six minute plus giant.
That credit though must be afforded to Ben Greenberg and in particular the space his mix affords the musicians during tracks like ‘Archer’(something akin to PJ Harvey around the time of ‘To Bring You My Love’) and then also capturing the unyielding nature of the aforementioned ‘Looking Back At You’ whilst somehow still managing to retain a perfect balance across the record’s thirty seven plus runtime. This really is something that deserves a special mention.
Of the tunes themselves, it’s impossible for me to single out a favourite, but the one that instantly made me smile from ear to ear is ‘This Shadow’, a tune that has that distinctive Beastmilk guitar chime all over it and it could very easily sit alongside any of the tracks from that band’s classic ‘Climax’ record.
Hunger’s final duo of tunes ‘Concrete Soup’ and ‘Parasite’ pretty much square the creative circle on a record chock full of experimentation as Olsson, Bruniusson and Airey lock into some kind of gothic space rock groove that could easily be termed “progressive” (ahem), but here the trio never once lose the focus of their song. So, Maggot Heart are progressive without ever being prog if that’s at all possible?
Whatever your own take on ‘Hunger’ will be there is no arguing that this is indeed a unique record in an age when they are few and far between. It’s one that (as I said at the top of this review) defies genre pigeonholing and it is as fearless a record as you’ll hear anywhere in 2023.
If RPM actually scored records, ‘Hunger’ would be a ten out of ten without question.
‘Hunger’ is released via Svart Records on 29th September and is available to pre-order via Bandcamp HERE (you can also stream three songs here if you want to listen to the album) and from Svart Records HERE.
https://www.instagram.com/maggotxheart/
https://linktr.ee/maggothearthunger
Author: Johnny Hayward
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