Author: UberAdmin

Orbit Culture – ‘Niji’ (Seek & Strike Records)

Orbit Culture – ‘Niji’ (Seek & Strike Records)

Posted by | Aug 7, 2020 | ,

People who know Jase W in person know he’s got a real bad habit of literally not shutting the fuck up about stuff that he’s passionate about, whether this is a TV series, anime – and especially music. So when a Swedish mate of his, who shall not be named, cornered him about Orbit Culture in the lead up to a gig at Manchester’s Rebellion venue he figured he may as well give them a look in. The gig itself was a pretty stacked lineup with Rivers of Nihil headlining, Black Crown Initiate, Møl, and Orbit Culture as the opening support act; so JW was right in there at doors ready to see what they had in store – and they absolutely blew his head off: their live sound is BIG. So when he got a prod from one of the editors saying “Fancy this?”, his response was nothing short of a hearty “Fuck yes I do…”

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Scars – ‘Predatory’ (Brutal Records)

Scars – ‘Predatory’ (Brutal Records)

Posted by | Aug 7, 2020 | ,

Brazilian thrashers Scars are one of those bands who’ve been knocking around for ages, but rarely manage to get any official releases out. They formed back in 1991 but called it a day seven years later with no more than a split CD to their name. Since then, they’ve reformed twice; in 2004 and again in 2018. In all that time, they’ve only brought out one full length album – 2008’s ‘Devilgod Alliance’ – and with major success eluding them thus far, it sadly seems unlikely that ‘Predatory’ will change that.

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Howling Giant/Sergeant Thunderhoof – ‘Turned to Stone Chapter II’ (Ripple |Music)

Howling Giant/Sergeant Thunderhoof – ‘Turned to Stone Chapter II’ (Ripple |Music)

Posted by | Aug 7, 2020 | ,

As you have guessed from the title, ‘Turned to Stone Chapter II’, this is the second of a series of collaborative split albums devised by RIpple Music to uniquely combine bands from the underground metal scene. The first chapter featured Italians Mr Bison and Spacetrucker, of St Louis, and this time we’re treated to another transatlantic pairing of underground metal bands. Hailing from Nashville, Tennessee, we have the psychedelic metallers Howling Giant who deliver a 20-minute epic for their side of the album. Then from the sleepy county of Somerset, we have the fuzzy grooves of Sergeant Thunderhoof with their 20-minute contribution to this epic piece of music.

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WoR – ‘Prisoners’ (Bungalo Records/Universal)

WoR – ‘Prisoners’ (Bungalo Records/Universal)

Posted by | Aug 6, 2020 | ,

Groove metal’s a funny thing. It’s one of those genres that seems to be in the middle of a venn diagram of multiple other genres and straddles a mix of thrash, death, hardcore and in some cases djent. WoR are someone new to my ears and I’m always down with the idea of giving new music a punt because you never know when you might find a bit of a gem hidden amongst the swathes of new music that’s around now.

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Misery Signals – ‘Ultraviolet’ (Basick Records)

Misery Signals – ‘Ultraviolet’ (Basick Records)

Posted by | Aug 6, 2020 | ,

‘Of Malice And The Magnum Heart,’ the debut album by Misery Signals, has enjoyed a dramatic reputation enhancement since its release in 2004. When it first dropped in the music world’s lap, it received decent reviews and had some moderate success, but take a look online nowadays and the general consensus is that it’s an overlooked classic. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but it does indeed stand up. It’s a well-crafted record that’s stood the test of time and it’s not surprising its stature has grown. The band themselves have recognized this. In 2014 they welcomed original singer Jesse Zaraska back into the line-up and played it in full on an anniversary tour, introducing it to a lot of fans who missed out on the original run. The promise of new material has hung over them since, but it’s taken a full six years for ‘Ultraviolet’ to take shape, the band refusing to rush in and fart out a subpar legacy-breaker. It’s been a long time coming and expectations are high to say the least, so is it any good?

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