We love loud guitars and this Beluga Records/Ghost Highway and Spaghetty Town Re-Release certainly ticks all the boxes as far as loud goes. To be fair these cats are the bastard children who will inherit the earth that The Stooges once strode on. ‘Shit You Talk’ can testify to that.
This particular bad boy is the long since deleted debut from the band and not since 2000 have you been able to get hold of a copy for less than a small mortgage off the likes of Discogs but now thanks to the true believers at these labels its available on a platter of wax. ‘Heart Full Of Hate’ has dated really well like a Ramones Leather or original SG it just gets better when it’s a little worn and knackered out.
Songs like the rapid barroom brawler of ‘1234 Motherfucker’ is nasty and up for trouble punch to the beak that’ll make your eyes water for sure. Theres no hanging around as one track collides into the next and just rips. Its riff after mother fucking riff for sure and The Manglers should have been a bigger success much the same as our own shit island heroes The Hip Priests the Mud City Manglers go full tilt and don’t deal in bullshit from the opening salvo to the explosive finale its all hands to the pump and rock the fuck out! it works and it still works to this day as a formula but only if you have the tunes. Boy, do the MCM have the tunes. It’s twelve bangers and thanks to these labels for not giving up on Rock and Roll and producing these long lost diamonds and pulling them out of the rough for our listening pleasure and getting them out to a wider audience for a second time.
Get yourself one more Beer and wrap yourself in any shade of black and don’t forget to keep a knockin’ because ‘Heart Full Of Hate’ is always rockin’ and will be another cool as record in your collection its equal parts Stooges, EF, Motorhead and a whole lot more besides and if you missed them first time out then don’t snooze this time get on this Hot Rod of electric guitars and snarling vocals its a blast!
Echo & The Bunnymen have announced the vinyl reissue of their first Best Of album, ‘Songs To Learn & Sing’, which was originally released in 1985 and features highlights from their first four albums including ‘Rescue’, ‘The Cutter’, ‘The Killing Moon’ and ‘Bring On The Dancing Horses’. The album will be released on 18 February on heavyweight black vinyl and a special edition splatter vinyl which includes an exclusive 7″ of their debut single, ‘Pictures On My Wall’ / ‘Read It In Books’.
The album coincides with the band’s UK and Ireland tour celebrating a remarkable 40 years of magical songs which has witnessed twenty Top 20 singles and nine Top 20 albums and seen the band become a major influence on many of today’s biggest artists.
FEBRUARY 2022Tue 01 Sheffield City HallWed 02 Leeds O2 AcademyFri 04 Bournemouth O2 AcademySat 05 Cardiff St David’s HallMon 07 London RoundhouseWed 09 Dublin Olympia TheatreFri 11 Norwich UEASat 12 Gateshead SageMon 14 Liverpool Philharmonic HallWed 16 Manchester Albert HallThu 17 Nottingham Rock CitySat 19 Cambridge Corn ExchangeSun 20 Bristol O2 AcademyTue 22 London O2 Shepherd’s Bush EmpireWed 23 Northampton DerngateFri 25 Manchester Albert HallSat 26 Birmingham O2 AcademyMon 28 Glasgow Barrowland MARCH 2022Tue 01 Glasgow Barrowland APRIL 2022Wed 16 Bexhill De La Warr Pavilion
Black Sabbath are no doubt one of the most discussed bands in heavy metal history. There’s one era though that, (somewhat unfairly in my opinion) doesn’t seem to get as much love as the much-revered Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio incarnations, and that’s the Tony Martin era. Martin replaced Glenn Hughes in 1987 after the album that was effectively a Toni Iommi solo album ‘Seventh Star’, and we first heard him sing on the ‘Eternal Idol’ album. His fantastic vocal range fitted well within the band and he went on to record another four studio albums with Sabbath – the fantastic ‘Headless Cross’, as well as ‘Tyr’, ‘Cross Purposes’ and ‘Forbidden‘. He also featured on a live album: Cross Purposes Live.
Strangely, his contribution to the band seems to have been almost deleted by the Sabbath camp. Have look on Spotify etc and you won’t find any of the Tony Martin stuff apart from the ‘Eternal Idol’. Tony Iommi has hinted at releasing a remastered box set of the material in the future though, let’s hope that comes to fruition. It makes no sense to me to essentially erase a long period of work from Sabbath that gave us some very strong material. I can only assume it’s because this time in Sabbath’s history was their least successful. Who knows? The late, great Cozy Powell, who played on many of the albums with Martin, has gone on record saying that Martin was Sabbath’s best singer. Praise indeed! I loved the ‘Headless Cross’ and ‘Tyr’ albums myself, and vinyl copies sell for big money online these days, they seem to be very collectable.
Martin has released solo material sparsely over the years, the first effort being 1992s Back Where I Belong which was released when Sabbath had reformed the Dio era line up with drummer Vinny Appice and released the successful ‘Dehumanizer’. We had to wait until 2005 for the follow up: ‘Scream’. He has lent his talents to many different collaborations over the years, he has worked with the likes of Blue Murder, Secret Society, Sonic Overlords, The Cage, Giuntini, as well as teaming up with ex Sabbath and ELO drummer Bev Bevan with his band Quill. He has certainly kept himself busy.
With his latest album Thorns, we find Martin in fine voice, that range is most definitely still there, and he sounds as powerful as ever. He has enlisted a fine array of musicians to accompany him here, Danny Needham (Venom), Magnus Rosen (HammerFall), Scott McClellan (who helped co- write the album) and Greg Smith who performed with Alice Cooper, Rainbow etc.
The album is a real heavy slab of metal. Opening track ‘As the World Burns’ is a full throttle, double bass drum heavy assault with some pummelling riffs, and a superb performance from Martin. I had seen the video for this track floating around on social media and was suitably impressed. A fantastic song! ‘Black Widow Angel’ has a sludgy feel with lots of stabbing accents and some fantastic bass playing from Rosen. ‘Book of Shadows‘ has a gothic feel with its haunting chants and operatic vocals. ‘Damned by You’ features some violin along with the crunching guitars and works well! No Shame is a straight-ahead rocker which will get your head nodding along. ‘Passion Killer’ has an awesome chug along riff with some solid drumming from Venom tub thumper Danny Needham. ‘Run Like the Devil’ showcases Martin’s vocal range, he seems to hit those high notes effortlessly. ‘This is your Damnation’ is strange little ditty strummed aimlessly on acoustic guitar, it’s extremely catchy though and sticks in your head instantly. The album closes on a high point with the epic title track which features a guest appearance from the fantastic Pamela Moore. Queensryche fans will know her as Sister Mary from the ‘Operation Mindcrime‘ album.
Overall, this is a very strong traditional heavy metal album that will appeal to metal fans across the board. Virtuoso performances, great songs and good production values make the album a very pleasurable listen. Tony Martin still has a lot to offer his loyal fan base, he should pick up many new fans with Thorns. This album really deserves to be heard! The album is released today and is available on CD digipak with a double vinyl LP to be released further down the line.
For those who don’t know Cranford Nix was the singer-songwriter born January 17, 1969 – Died March 12, 2002, of a drug overdose, yup way too soon. I still can’t believe its been twenty years!
Nix was a heroin addict and an alcoholic and had been sent to rehab four times. He escaped from rehab three of those times but stayed and completed it the fourth time. His time in rehab inspired him to write his most infamous song ‘Cigarettes and Heroin’ which isn’t present here on these recordings but if you’ve never heard it you need to. Nix was the frontman for The Malakas (good luck picking up their CD/LP it costs a fortune if you can track a copy down).
If you’re quick you will be able to pick up this live recording from 1990 warts n all but it has charm and has a peter pan cheeky innocence about it but we know that’s not the case. He was a talented songwriter that’s not up for debate it’s a fact. There are parallels to be drawn with Johnny Thunders performances. It seems sometimes chaotic and teetering on the edge of a big black hole and had it fallen that would also have been fine.
I do think about artists like Cranford and wonder what they could have produced had they won their battle with addiction and come out the other side still making music I think Cranford had so much to give. His cover of the Stones ‘Dead FLowers’ is appropriate and heartwarming. Sadly there are only eleven tracks here and I’d have loved to hear more. There have been loads of recordings on the web over the years of demos and live recordings but this is a really cool set that fans will be all over.
You get Ricky Rat joining in on the closing number, ‘Sympathy For The Devil’ but the rough diamonds are ‘You’re Gonna End Up Dead’ which is a beautiful tune, and if you want to hear raw, spilled heart lyrics then this is it. ‘I Just Need A Pill’ is like a wild horse Cranford is trying to harness and get under control and ride it like he knows what he’s doing. ‘Spiders And Snakes’ is a great melody and there’s a lost soul in its spirit one that makes me sad for the loss but grateful that we’ve got the music Rest In Peace Cranford Nix I94 has got your back and this is a tonic for the fans. Great record and tunes – Buy it!
I know one thing about Los Pepes and that’s they don’t make bad records. No, to be precise they don’t make bad songs. ‘The Happiness Program’ is front to back top to bottom an absolute triumph in songwriting. Be it loud power pop, harmony dripping punk rock or just plain simple loud rock n roll Los Pepes do it better than most and do it exceptionally well.
It’s been a while since Ben and the boys got to knock out a long-player and this one kinda crept up on me. When it first showed up on my radar I made a mental note to get ready for the pre-order and then boom the single got delayed in the rush to press old Fleetwood mac albums and Adeles new opus then it fled my mind as quickly as one of their 45’s starts, rocks out, then ends.
Los Pepes have mastered the art of writing songs that sound like you’ve heard them before (but you haven’t) making your heart burst with good vibes because their music is so damn good and wanting to hit repeat and play it all again.
Whilst I await the delivery of my slime green vinyl I’ve been living with the MP3 of the album and going on walks to keep fit and trying to keep up with the beat. It’s not easy I can tell you you’ll be almost running or marching and grinning like a Cheshire cat. I don’t so much say hello to people I bark hi! like their my best mate because that’s what these songs do to you. From the roar of ‘Small Time’ with its awesome one-finger stooges piano and the X-Ray Spex horns it’s a blistering start to a record. You might be thinking it’s all rapid crash, bang, wallop! which they do exceedingly well but it’s not, well, ‘Never Get It Right’ is a bit like that but ‘I Want You Back’ is riff-tastic like the Undertones were with added Feelgood harmonica just for good measure. The guitars trade riffs n licks and it’s like a joyful out-of-body experience – seriously, it’s that good!
‘Sick And Bored’ might just be my favourite song on the record with its slick backbeat and retro groove it’s like a burst of nuclear sunshine and the melody is bursting with goodness. ‘Blur The Lines’ is jacked up on Ramones vibes.
You asked for power-pop well, ‘Anecdotes’ is full of power-pop right up to the brim and the gob iron is a nice touch adding something a little left of center but it’s perfect. If it’s rock n roll you fancy next then ‘I Remember You’ has got you covered. Damn have I said I love Los Pepes? get over it kids we need music like this, played to this standard with these melodies, hooks and choruses. The evolution wheel of rock and roll turns again and again but it might not turn to tunes as good as these often. This is an absolute banger of a record and you do need to check it out.
Where do we sign up for this Happiness Program? I’m all in. What a way to kick-off 2022. I love Los Pepes, no I really do!
Nostalgia is, we all know, a big seller these days. But, usually, a nostalgic album equals a distinct lack of ideas, or rummaging through your back catalogue. Helen Love has managed to not only avoid this pothole, but also to write an album with perhaps more depth than some would give her credit for. Ten new songs, which, while remaining steadfastly pop, eschew the dayglo colours that her work is known for, and which tell her story in a way that is often very moving.
‘My Seaside Town’ sets the scene, acknowledging that your roots might be holding you back. “I think I’m about to choke on the boredom and the fumes…whiplashed by winter rain”. Wishing you were somewhere more exciting, greener grass.
‘Billy Liar’ reminisces about the kid at school who told tall tales, “your dad was a Kung fu black belt master”. ‘Go-Kart’, with its parping keyboards, manages to sound like John Shuttleworth whilst also being quite touching and warm; “we were the queens of our estate”.
‘A Quite Good Time’ remembers that first/early boyfriend, who your sister warned you about. With the wise refrain “why would you listen to anyone when you’re seventeen?”. ‘Let The Sunshine In’ is a celebration towards better times, and is as infectious as you would imagine.
‘Our House’ evokes similar memories to the Madness tune, but in Helen’s inimitable style, and with some pathos; “our history lies in the curtains, the carpets and the walls”. ‘First Day Of June’ echoes the theme of the cloying seaside town; “it can hold you so tight you might never leave”.
And so to ‘Clearing Out Mum’s House’. It’s a first; Helen Love made me cry! If you’ve had to empty your parents’ house, you’ll empathise with the lyrics here. A lifetime of belongings, what to keep, what to throw away. A lifetime of memories.
‘This Is My World’ sees some of Helen’s many achievements; walking with Joey Ramone, but also standing with the miners in the 1980s. That seaside town probably feels like home now, and it helped to create someone special. Helen Love is still here, still spreading joy, but with a broader palette than before. She’s a treasure.
Fast Eddy was born out of the miasma of Denver’s Rock n Roll, and independent music scene in 2014. Formed from members of some notable Denver bands as Dirty Few, and Itchy O, their vision started on a late-night ramble. Somewhat of a side project, without much of a direction, the band named their project after their old drug dealer and took to writing songs about the heartache and challenges that come along with the hedonistic rampage that it can mean to pursue music unabashed. As the band became more of a genuine article, each member brought their own pieces to the table and started writing more genuine, anthem-esque powerpop rock n roll. Micah Morris on guitar and lead vocals, Devon Francy on bass, Arj Narayan on drums, and Lisandro Gutierrez on guitar, had stepped up their game and worked their way into a bigger more encompassing world of rock n roll. After selling their personal belongings, and almost dying from van malfunctions in transit to simply make their first Atlanta recordings, it’s been one bold leap after the other. but their sacrifice hasn’t come in vain, and they’ve simply come too far to turn back now. Look for “Take A Look” at record stores and wherever fine MP3s are sold on January 21st, 2022. Preorder Now
Chuck Norris Experiment – ‘This Will Leave A Mark’
Mike McKinnon – ‘Silent Like A Bomb’
The Boatsmen – ‘Verses The Boatsmen’
Governess – ‘Never Going Home’
Dead Furies – ‘Midnight Ramble’
Johnny Hayward –
Sami Yaffa – ‘The Innermost Journey to Your Outermost Mind’
The Bronx – ‘VI’
Rich Ragany & The Digressions – ‘Beyond Nostalgia & Heartache’
Mike McKinnon – ‘Silent Like A Bomb’
Gary Numan – ‘Intruder’
Nestor – ‘Kids In A Ghost Town’
Table Scraps – ‘Coffin Face’
Green Lung – ‘Black Harvest’
Watts – ‘Shady Rock & Rollers’
Chuck Norris Experiment – ‘This Will Leave A Mark’
Also recommended
Razorbats – ‘Mainline Rock N Roll’, Wonk Unit – ‘Uncle Daddy’, Black Spiders – ‘Black Spiders’, The Limit – ‘Caveman Logic’, Alice Cooper – ‘Detroit Stories’, Death By Unga Bunga – ‘Heavy Male Insecurity’, Bitch Queens – ‘Custom Dystopia’, The Chisel – ‘Retaliation’, Roger Taylor – ‘The Outsider’, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss – ‘Raise The Roof’
Ben Hughes
Vintage Trouble – ‘Juke Joint Gems’
Sami Yaffa – ‘The Innermost Journey To Your Outermost Mind’
Ryan Hamilton – ‘1221’
The Brothers Steve – ‘Dose’
Alabama 3 – ‘Step 13’
Delilah Bon – S/T
Steve Conte – ‘Bronx Cheer’
Jesse Malin – ‘Sad And Beautiful World’
Amyl and The Sniffers – ‘Comfort To Me’
Captain Future – ‘Ghostman’
Dom Daley
Sami Yaffa – ‘The Innermost Journey To Your Outermost Mind’ (Livewire)
Jesse Malin – ‘Sad And Beautiful World’ (Wicked Cool Records)
Richard Bacchus & The Luckiest Girls – ‘Viva La Wattage’ (Sioux Records)
Sonny Vincent – ‘Snake Pit Therapy’ (Svart Records)
Killer Hearts – ‘Skintight Electric’ (Spaghetty Town Records)
There were many bands that got tagged with the New Wave of British Heavy Metal label back in the early eighties. Some of those bands embraced it, Saxon, Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, Samson etc, and some hated being lumped in with it, Def Leppard being the most obvious example. Even bands like Budgie, Judas Priest and Motorhead who had been around long before the NWOBHM moniker was thought up by Sounds magazine, were getting pulled into the whole NWOBHM movement. Of course, Budgie and Priest were nothing to do with it, but it was easy to see why they got caught up in it. Budgie’s Power Supply album was by far their most heavy metal sounding album and was released in 1980. Priest had released their breakthrough album British Steel in 1980 as well. It can be argued that Motorhead were indeed a NWOBHM band though because their seminal albums Overkill and Bomber were released in 1979 just as the NWOBHM got started, and their most successful period started in 1980 with the ‘Ace of Spades‘ album. Anyway, I digress!
Tokyo Blade were forged in the fires of the NWOBHM and released their first self-titled album in 1983. By this time the wind in the sails of the NWOBHM had started to die down. The album is a full-blown classic in my eyes with songs like ‘Powergame’ and ‘Break the Chains‘, it’s just heavy metal personified. The band suffered with many line up changes but continued to release material until the late nineties.
The current line-up of Andy Boulton (Lead guitar), John Wiggins (Rhythm guitar), Alan Marsh (Vocals), Andy Wrighton (Bass) and Steve Piece (Drums) have been together since 2016 and recorded the albums ‘Unbroken’ (2018) and ‘Dark Revolution’ (2020). Their latest release ‘Fury’ was written and recorded in lockdown with Andy Boulton utilising his home studio to record the album.
The end result sounds great with a powerful mix. There is some fantastic traditional heavy metal on offer here with solid performances and some well-written songs. The opening track ‘Man in a Box’ highlights the vocal abilities of Alan Marsh and is polished with some guitar wizardry from Boulton. ‘Blood Red Night’ has an epic feel to it, ‘I am Unbroken’ is a full-on chugger with some tasty drumming from Piece holding the track together. The album flows well but my only real criticism is that is overly long with fifteen tracks.
The album has both a foot in the past and one very much in the present. A solid metal album that deserves to be listened to. There’s plenty on offer here for old and new fans alike. The cover art is fantastic too, let’s not forget that Tokyo Blade had utilised the Samurai on their artwork long before Iron Maiden’s Senjutsu! The album is released via Cherry Red Records in Jan 22.
Those ever-busy folks at Damaged Goods Records are in festive mood, to an extent. So, if you fancy an alternative Christmas compilation, this will fill your stocking. As varied as expected, with Billy Childish, Helen Love, Holly Golightly, The Courettes, and many more…
Wild Billy Childish And The Musicians Of The British Empire kick it off with the decidedly un-festive ‘Christmas 1979’, a Scrooge like tale of Christmas past. The Courettes rescue the spirit with the gorgeous ‘Christmas (I Can Hardly Wait)’, and Holly Golightly brings some some country-fuelled warmth with ‘Christmas Tree On Fire’.
Helen Love is on the E numbers again with ‘Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight)’, which rattles past so fast you might need to play it again. I feel Joey would approve. ‘Silver Bells’ by Cookooland is equally boptastic, while Wat Tyler strangles ‘Oh, Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen’ in record time.
Thee Headcoatees’ ‘Santa Claus’ is yet another version of ‘Davey Crockett’, and Severe tackle ‘Stop The Cavalry’ in Sham 69 fashion, which works surprisingly well. The classic ‘City Of Christmas Ghosts’ by Goldblade and Polly Styrene still sounds great, while ‘Little Stars’ by Holly Golightly is actually quite sweet.
The Singing Loins provide ‘Ding Dong Merrily On High’ for a traditional singalong, and the mighty Buff Medways blast through ‘Merry Christmas Fritz’. And, there’s more. If you’re a regular customer of Damaged Goods, you know what to expect, and will likely add this to your Yuletide collection.
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