Let’s just set this out from the start. Some of the views of Emmure front man Frankie Palmeri are something I could never get on board with. However, that doesn’t mean we should ignore his musical output. I am personally of the opinion that Dave Mustaine spouts an incredible amount of shit and yet I love Megadeth. I wanted to set that out so I could make it clear that my views on this album are by no mean affected by the fact that Palmeri is a massive cunt.
Black Label Society – Catacombs of the Black Vatican
Pointing out that Zakk Wylde is a good guitarist is the equivalent of stating the sky is blue or that James Hetfield is cooler than you, it’s just too obvious to require stating. Taking that into account I’m going to attempt to review the latest Black Label Society album without ever feeling the need to express that opinion, because quite frankly if you need me to tell you Zakk can play guitar, you’re probably reading the wrong site.
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Wilko Johnson w/ Roger Daltrey – Going Back Home
The story of Wilko Johnson’s last year is an incredible one. Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in January 2013, he was told he would have around nine or tenths month left to live. Rather than fight it with chemotherapy Johnson elected to go on a farewell tour of the UK and record one last album with The Who’s Roger Daltrey. Over a year later Johnson is still with us and recently underwent surgery to have the pancreatic tumour removed and in fact there is still a chance he may survive. In that time he did record with Daltrey and Going Back Home is the product of that labour and hit number 3 in the UK album chart.
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Combichrist – We Love You
“Please don’t forget we love you, but now you have to die.” We Love You is an album that doesn’t take long to establish it’s themes. Whether you want to call it aggrotech or electronic death metal, Combichrist are a band that are at home in an angry world full of jagged electronic sounds that are designed to have fans flipping tables.
Nine Inch Nails at The Hydro, 20/5/2014
Some bands are made to play small dingy clubs, others are meant to fill arenas. While I’m sure Nine Inch Nails would destroy your average club, their set at the Glasgow Hydro shows that they are very much in the later camp. It was hardly a surprise to see Trent Reznor return to the Nine Inch Nails model, after taking several years out on hiatus during which he won an Oscar, but the return of the band that made the man was still greeted with joy by fans. Nine Inch Nails are a band that transcend genres, being as equally loved by fans of Joy Division and Depeche Mode as they are fans of Slayer and Black Flag.
Animals as Leaders – The Joy Of Motion
Some albums defy reviewing, you can say what you want about them but at the end of the day what you get and what you find within it is a completely personal experience. This is more true amongst instrumental music than anything else and Animals as Leaders are the perfect example of it. Now on their third album, this American instrumental prog-metal band create music that is as difficult to place as it is to review, in saying all that we are about to give it a go.
Architects – Lost Forever//Lost Together
Architects have had an unusual career path. At one point they seemed like they could do no wrong and were heading for the big time. Then they released The Here and Now, an album which despite some initially positive reviews, slowly saw fans turn against it and then even the band themselves turn their back on material they discovered they had little passion for. Since then the release of Daybreaker has seen them begin the path to redemption and Lost Forever//Lost Together may be the album that seals that return.
Steel Panther – All You Can Eat
Born with the mission to remind people that the 80’s were cool once and Vince Neil wasn’t fat, Steel Panther’s rise to success has been spectacular. Going from a LA hair metal cover band to arena playing, globe trotting superstars is a remarkable achievement for a band who many assumed would fade away when the joke got old. Their third album All You Can Eat is their latest attempt to prove this is far from the case.
Chuck Ragan – Till Midnight
Some time in the last few years it became cool for old punk rockers to ditch the band, pick up an acoustic guitar and go all folk troubadour on our asses. It’s probably not that much of a leap to believe that this trend was inspired by Chuck Ragan and the Revival Tour, his touring acoustic shows that feature everyone from punk singers to bluegrass to country. By creating a sense of community around these shows Ragan has turned a great idea into a yearly event that many look forward to. This event has also seen him releasing several acoustic records and the latest, Till Midnight, hit our shelves earlier this year.
Savage Messiah – The Fateful Dark
Some bands can be figured out by one glance at their name. Savage Messiah are one of those bands. With a name like that and an album title like The Fateful Dark, you know you’re in for old school heavy metal, widdly guitars and all. These London thrashers are now onto their fourth album and despite their ever growing success are still very much part of the metal underground.
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