WARLORD - FREE SPIRIT SOAR

OK, this is album is bound to be contentious. Upon release of the first single, Internet trolls were already abuzz with the "No Tsamis, no Warlord" mantra. Mark Zonder (Fates Warning) who set behind the drums, for the pseudonym outfit (as "Thunder Child"), back in the ‘80s, decided to keep Warlord running, after founder/guitarist Bill Tsamis passed away. While fans were happy with the prospect of more Warlord material (Tsamis was guarded with WHAT he released), the founder's absence was a bone of contention that faces an uphill battle. Hey, Riot were able to pull off a similar, founder-less incarnation, while a "comeback" from Savage Grace soiled their reputation, even with the original guitarist onboard. It's not a perfect science.

There's no doubt that much of the record sounds similar to classic Warlord. There are plenty of bands in the today's scene who wear their influences prominently (directly copy?) the sound of bigger/more popular, and sometimes no longer viable acts. Is that a crime? Depends, often upon a fan's longevity. The younger generation, who never saw the original, and only received the music as a "hand me down", decades after the fact, typically embrace the idea more fervently than the old-timers/gatekeepers, who were there, back in the day. Is it truly Warlord, or more of a Warlord tribute? Same can be said of Pantera, Quiet Riot, take your pick. Some people just want a bucket list checkmark, next to "I got to see (band name) live!"

Just eight selections and a couple were embryonic constructions while Tsamis was still alive. The old classics have a stylized, military cadence drumming and pomp keyboards backing, in the lengthy instrumental passages. These new offerings never seem to completely cut loose. What is disappointing is that the current Warlord seemingly only opted for the pedestrian, mid-tempo, Lordian Guard song structures. There's no speedy "Mrs. Victoria" or "Child Of The Damned" equivalent, or the upbeat pop of "Lost And Lonely Days". Hell, there's not even an "Aliens" around. That said, I find this more enjoyable, start to finish, than The Holy Empire album (2013), which also had but a couple standout cuts (opener and titular closer). Let's take a closer look...

APOCALYPTICA RELEASE COVER OF METALLICA'S "ONE" FEATURING JAMES HETFIELD AND ROBERT TRUJILLO; OFFICIAL VIDEO STREAMING

Finnish cello metal band, Apocalyptica, have released "One", the third single from their upcoming album, Plays Metallica Vol. II, which will be out June 7. Check out the official video below.

Prior to the release, the band shared the following message:

"You will not believe this! It is such a big honor for us, we can’t even put it into words. Our next single will be 'One' - feat. Mr. James Hetfield and Robert Trujillo! Who would have thought, 30 years ago! 'One' will be out May 17th. We are 100% sure – it’s going to blow your mind!!"

LIVE REVIEW: Kill The Lights @ The Bodega, Nottingham

KILL THE LIGHTS, the transatlantic supergroup featuring former members of BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, STILL REMAINS, THROW THE FIGHT and THREAT SIGNAL, have not had the easiest time with their first ever headline tour, especially when it comes to their show in the East Midlands. Those on the inside inform Distorted Sound, pre-show, that the shift in venue from the fairly spacious Rescue Rooms to the more intimate settings of The Bodega was due to low ticket sales, something caused in part by the tour’s fairly late announcement, coming just two months prior; furthermore, three local bands are brought in to support after other plans fell through, one of whom were only confirmed with days to go. All obstacles aside, though, there’s a relaxed atmosphere inside the venue, one slowly filling up nicely as the clock ticks round to 6:35 for the opening band.

Wolves Don’t Sleep live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

Said band are WOLVES DON’T SLEEP, who have their own challenges to deal with, namely that they’re coming on stage just five minutes after doors open. There’s a lot going on in their sound, which centres around metalcore but also invokes moments of metallic hardcore, hardcore punk and the early years of both SLIPKNOT and PARKWAY DRIVE. Tracks like If I’m the Snake, You’re the Ladder and House Of Glass have their moments and the band grow into their set as it goes on, but those watching are absolutely static, either because it’s too early or they’re just not impressed. Furthermore, it becomes apparent that vocalist Steve Bond just isn’t as strong with his clean vocals as his growls; the songs have far more bite when he’s screaming. There’s something there, no doubt, but right now it’s too slight to make much of an impact.

Rating: 5/10Bad Llama live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

The curiously named BAD LLAMA are also hampered, but this time it’s by the sound system. Like WOLVES DON’T SLEEP, there’s a lot going on musically, but this time it’s in the nuances; mostly drawing influence from the frenetic hardcore punk of CANCER BATS, the guitars often feature a hefty, blues-inspired groove and swing that one would see in BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, for example; there’s even a bit of expansive post-rock too, just for good measure. They’re also extremely tight as a unit and vocalist Kai Jordan boasts a powerful set of pipes, but whilst they play confidently and sparkle at moments, The Bodega speakers just can’t contain the layers and levels, with the sound sometimes reduced to little more than a fuzzy mess. It’s always a shame when a performance has its wings clipped by a factor out of the band’s control, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles, sometimes.

Rating: 6/10Those Once Loyal live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

Main support THOSE ONCE LOYAL have opened in both London and Manchester on this run, so finishing their mini jaunt with a hometown show is all rather poetic. Early impressions, however, suggest they might be on a hiding to nothing with a still stationary crowd, especially when frontman Matt Smith calls them out for their reluctance to move and they do, erm, absolutely bugger all. The quartet, however, continue unfazed and finally – FINALLY – the pit opens up. Musically, there are elements of GOJIRA and HATEBREED within THOSE ONCE LOYAL‘s sound, but their main focus is metalcore, specifically the OG sound of the early 00s; such is their alignment, they even drop a cover of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE‘s classic My Last Serenade halfway through their set; predictably, it goes down a storm. It might have been a slow start, but by the end THOSE ONCE LOYAL have put smiles on faces and raised the energy levels considerably.

Rating: 7/10Kill The Lights live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

Now sure, KILL THE LIGHTS were probably hoping they were in front of more than double the punters and with significantly more room on stage, but as one would expect from a band who comprise a rhythm section that have graced arenas in their time, they know what to do and they do it well; plus, seeing such esteemed musicians in a room this small is a wild sight regardless of your opinions towards their other projects. Entering to The Kids Are Back by TWISTED SISTER and blitzing straight into Hear You Scream from latest record Death Melodies, they’re immediately starting pits and have more than a few people singing the words back at them. Guitarist Jordan Whelan gets a chance to show off his chops in Dead From the Start and Broken Bones – currently their most streamed song – is a crushing mid-set highlight; just prior to this, The Enemy even sees a stage diver, which is no mean feat given there’s about a foot of height difference between the levels.Kill The Lights live @ The Bodega, Nottingham. Photo Credit: Kendall Giles-Davidson

There are, however, a couple of points of contention. The first – and biggest – is that there are so many other bands out there playing KILL THE LIGHTS‘ brand of metalcore. Sure, they play it extremely well and the reaction they get is testament to that, but there’s nothing that makes them truly stand out, which is indicative of how saturated the scene has become in the near 25 years it’s been around.

Secondly, and more telling in terms of this show, is that they’re on stage for less than an hour, which always feels a bit of a mickey take even if they’re the last of four bands playing. However, they do run through fourteen songs in that time and with the speed of a fully loaded freight train; by the time they finish with The Faceless to a rapturous response, nobody really seems to care. A strong performance all round, even if their compositions feel like they’ve been heard a hundred time already.

Rating: 7/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Nottingham from Kendall Giles-Davidson here:



































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HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: This Is Spinal Tap

Bands are often formed by longtime friends who share a passion for all things music. They spend time together sharing their love for bands before deciding to pick up an instrument and noodling away at various riffs they’ve heard, before it becomes a full-blown jam session and something of more substance. These bands will play together in garages or practice rooms before moving to the stage, bringing their dreams into reality and living their dreams. But what happens when this bond and camaraderie was formed through comedy and not music? SPINAL TAP is what happens.



The lore that surrounds the band is rich, formed by its dedicated fans and supporters since its members appeared on screens in 1979 as part of a sketch comedy special called The T.V. Show. The group was created by comedians Michael McKean as singer and guitarist David St. Hubbins, Christopher Guest as guitarist Nigel Tufnel, and Harry Shearer as bassist Derek Smalls. Their first appearance on The T.V. Show was a simple mock promotional video for the song Rock and Roll Nightmare, which was penned by the band. After several appearances on the show, the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap was released, with its own soundtrack album.

In the years following the film’s release, the actors have portrayed the band members at numerous concerts and have released music as SPINAL TAP. The trio that originated the group has toured the United States, played a musical guest slot on Saturday Night Live, performed at Wembley Arena, and has even played Glastonbury Festival. They boast an impressive back catalogue of extremely well-produced songs that draw references directly from other bands at the time, bringing an authenticity to the group’s sound and music and helping them sound like a cohesive unit. The sincerity of what they do paired with their impressive CV makes it increasingly difficult for audiences to separate fact from fiction and realise SPINAL TAP isn’t a real band.

The mockumentary and the band’s music treads the incredibly fine line between genius and ridiculousness, utilising all the elements that other bands at that time were using in everything from their song subject matter to their outrageous and elaborate stage shows. These components all come together to create an incredible recipe for comedy, as seen throughout This Is Spinal Tap, particularly during their performance of Rock And Roll Creation. Not only does the song replicate the droning doom riffs of BLACK SABBATH, paired with a synth break that is incredibly THE WHO-esque, but it shows us their visual comedy skills.


The escalation of the scene and its staging malfunction is one of the best sight gags in the film. The increasing absurdity of the tools that are used to try and extract Smalls from the large alien egg that he finds himself trapped within ranges from a hammer to a blowtorch when he finally manages to free himself at the end of the song. It’s one of those scenes that will elicit a giggle from viewers that have already seen it a thousand times before – it truly is timeless, though there is no comparing it to the infamous Stonehenge performance.

Though the film prides itself on visual comedy, it still boasts an incredible number of quotable lines that fans find themselves using in their everyday lives. To keep with the documentary style of filming, the movie is largely unscripted. Actors were left to their own devices when filming scenes, keeping each other on their toes and utilising their improvisational skills to produce a piece of work that truly feels like a real music documentary. This choice benefits SPINAL TAP immensely and adds to the feeling that they are a real band, keeping dialogue authentic and unrehearsed.

Though many music fans can equate This is Spinal Tap and its influence on them to other films like Wayne’s World (1992) or School Of Rock (2003), this film carries an entirely different meaning for the musicians among us as it is an inside look at what it really means to be in a band. It documents the highs and lows of SPINAL TAP, from their puppet show opening slot to topping charts with their music, following the arcs of extreme emotions that many are already familiar with. The intra-band relationships and tensions are reminiscent of real documentaries like METALLICA’s Some Kind Of Monster (2004) – though this film wouldn’t come out for another 20 years, it shows just how right SPINAL TAP got it the first time around with little reference material and inspiration to go off. The long-suffering manager, controlling girlfriend, and found-family tropes are all major, though stereotypical, parts of being in a band, and they are all elements that SPINAL TAP has made sure to incorporate into the band’s story.

SPINAL TAP may not be a “real” band, but the trio that originated it has put everything in place to make it seem as convincing and authentic as possible – from drawing influences from several artists at the time, along with a large production budget to help them sound as close to their inspirations as possible, to appearing outside of their own material on a regular basis. Seriously, Nigel Tufnel once appeared on National Geographic’s Stonehenge Decoded to talk about his insane theories about who was responsible for building it – they are one group that is truly committed to the bit. 40 years on from their initial mockumentary release filming has begun on a sequel, ready to introduce a new generation to the legend of SPINAL TAP and convince a new host of music fans that they are witnessing real history in the making.



This Is Spinal Tap was originally released on March 2nd, 1984

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BAND FEATURESBLACK METALFEATURESMELODIC DEATH METAL

DWARROWDELF mastermind and multi-instrumentalist, Tom O’Dell looks to draw inspiration from the fantasy world of Tolkien (project name aside) but also blend real world weight and emotion into a powerful delivery. Latest release, The Fallen Leaves, has done just that and a whole lot more besides. Since the initial EP release Of Darkened Halls in 2017, Tom has evolved his writing and honed the compositions, each release providing a further step up from its predecessor. The Fallen Leaves feels like a culmination of a musical journey. While earlier works played with more of the fantasy elements, Tom was keen to push the more real-life influences into these new tracks.



Reflecting on the writing process. Tom offers that he was “quite nervous about this one. It’s a very personal album, different to what I’ve put out before.” Not that he has reason to be nervous. Reception for the fourth album has been widely excellent from both critical and fan points of view. Tom highlights the key difference between The Fallen Leaves and previous albums. “The first three albums were made within a year and a half. It was very much I’m making Lord Of The Rings albums, here we go. Then the world changed. DWARROWDELF took a bit of a back seat. When I picked it up again, things were very different. The lyrical front had been explicit Tolkien and I wanted to explore more themes and music. It still felt DWARROWDELF, I didn’t want to make a new project.”

This is very evident, in the tracks of the album. “To Dust We All Return was the first one I wrote and I was experiencing some heartbreak in life and the raw emotion spilled into the music. Deliverance was started around that time as well and their emotion was also in there too. Then Elden Ring came along and the atmosphere was a good way to use a metaphor for my sadness and journey of those few months through a fantasy filter. It was not too much of a departure for DWARROWDELF.”

With the lyrical content exposing a heavy weight subject matter. The musical compositions on the album can often juxtapose the raw, bleakness with at times uplifting melodies. This is very evident in the final passages of Deliverance. Tom readily picks up on this idea, with a grin explaining, “the final choir there uses the cheesy four chord progression of power metal that I’m contractually obliged to use.” Going on to say, “I didn’t want to just write seven tracks of I’m very upset. I wanted to come out the other side and find acceptance.”


It is also this compositional style that has helped with the well-rounded reception of this album. The happier melodies do tend to stick in a listener’s mind more and as Tom opines “…create that memorable hook, that the listener will find themselves humming. Having written power metal as well, it’s quite an easy space for me to adopt.”

What is always interesting with a long-standing solo project is how the project grows as a reflection of the musician behind it. Tom is no different, he freely admits, “DWARROWDELF is me. It’s the albums I wanted to make at that particular time. I’ve grown up as a person as well, each album has got more and more unique. The first one in hindsight might be my attempt at a SUMMONING album but Evenstar is mine and The Fallen Leaves takes that a step further.” While it is possible to identify specific genre/artist influences in his work, DWARROWDELF doesn’t fit into a neat category per se and that helps keep Tom’s musical identity secure.

One of the pitfalls that can face a solo artist is the solitude of creativity. With a band, there are sounding boards of influence and other instrumentalists to add dynamics and textures that may otherwise have been missed. Tom’s approach to navigating this though is having a close group of people to bounce ideas off of and send out drafts for review. “Being my own critic is the biggest issue, but sending files to four or five of my trusted confidants who wouldn’t shy away from criticism really helps. I couldn’t be a solo artist who didn’t take feedback, there’d be too much tunnel vision.”

“This album more than any other would work live, the early material wouldn’t translate too well.” This is thought process when posed with the idea of taking DWARROWDELF on the road. It does have the hooks and riffs for an audience to pick up on and while there are artists out there who do take these types of projects to audiences. While there are logistical issues to be considered amongst many other things, Tom is not totally against the idea. “It’s more likely than it has been in the past.”

Whatever the future may hold for the project, Tom has certainly been able to produce a highly engaging body of work. An approachable artist with multi-faceted influences who is able to draw together fantasy and cold reality and weave a relatable narrative. Tom sums much of it up, “the man who wrote The Fallen Leaves is a lot happier now than what is reflected in those songs.” With a laugh he continues, “it does get better. You may feel crap and things may be going badly wrong but it does get better, you will get through it.”

The Fallen Leaves is out now via Northern Silence Productions.

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RIOT V - MEAN STREETS

Riot have really stuck to their guns since the debut Rock City in 1977, unfortunately never making it to a household name, any commercial hit songs (ok, "Swords And Tequila") on the radio, or regulars on MTV in the ‘80s. The love of creating music has kept Riot going despite no mainstream success. Was it the inconsistent lineups, odd mascot, cheap looking album covers, ever changing logo, all the above?

Guitarist/original member Mark Reale was the only mainstay until his death in 2012, with guitarist Mike Flyntz (1989 - present), bassist Don Van Stern (back since 2008) picking up the pieces, adding the V to the band name for fifth singer Todd Michael Hall in 2013. Like Hellloween are to European power metal, Riot have championed the American branch with the classic Thundersteel in 1988, and many moments since on following albums. But once getting Hall behind the mic for the last two albums, these mean streets are now lush with triumphant power packed power metal, "Hail To The Warriors"!

"Feel the Fire" could have been a flawless second track if they just went right to the verse riff, but at its start it’s too much Priest like “Grinder”. You guys should know better. Regardless, once it kicks in a solid fist in the air rocker. Hall’s higher vocal just adds spirit and good feel to every song. Nice tasty guitars in the solo section, too. Twin guitar melodies begins that meaty riff to "Love Beyond The Grave" which is one of my favs. Again, Hall shines, and I can't say that enough. Great backing vocal melodies, and the darker chorus. "Higher" and "High Noon" drive with quickened drums and double bass. "Before This Time" is another well-constructed melodic one with complimenting guitar leads

UNLEASH THE ARCHERS RELEASE "BLOOD EMPRESS" SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO May 8, 2024, 20 hours ago

Canadian modern power metal icons, Unleash The Archers, recently announced the upcoming release of their massive sixth studio album, Phantoma, out this Friday, May 10 via Napalm Records. Following theirlatest singles "Green & Glass", “Ghosts In The Mist” and “Seeking Vengeance”, today, the band ushers in release week with epic album closer anthem "Blood Empress". The track tells a bittersweet tale with spine-tingling, grooving choruses before closing with a grandiose blastbeat attack amid a sea of voices.

On the new concept album, listeners join protagonist Phantoma, a Phase 4 / Network Tier 0 unit - model A, on an inspiring yet harrowing journey as she discovers the brutal truths behind the manufactured sheen of social media posturing on a dystopian, near-future planet earth. With the band’s one-of-a-kind blend of power metal, traditional heavy metal, modern prog and pop sensibilities, Phantoma spins a web of sharp musicality, high sci-fi concept and important social commentary.

Brittney Slayes of Unleash The Archers says about “Blood Empress”: "This was the last song that we wrote for the album and we wrote it together in our Airbnb while we were recording. We always like to save one song to write together in the studio to give a kind of snapshot of the headspace we were in while recording, and this one was a ton of fun. We wanted to do a bit more of a radio rock track and have it be something simple that would be a blast to play live and potentially end the set with. The album story ends with Phantoma having destroyed both The Collective and the Human Council that once stood against her, but now she had all of robotkind and humankind looking to her for where to go next. We wanted the song to feel dark but also triumphant, and to hopefully be catchy enough to make the listener want to start the album all over again. The video was filmed once again by RuneGate Studio and they did an awesome job with finding a set that could parry between both the synthetic and the human sides of the story. We all love this track in UTA and hope that you all can bang your heads to it too!"


Watch the official music video for “Blood Empress”:



Intertwining reality with imagination, Unleash The Archers were inspired to utilize elements of AI during the creation of Phantoma, in keeping with its innovative theme. Frontwoman and lyricist Brittney Slayes conjured the album's concept in 2021; before the swarm of pressing commentary surrounding AI began to reach an all-time high.

The band weaved electronic and synthwave elements throughout the album’s 10 colossal anthems, which - in line with its theme - prove much darker and heavier in comparison to the bright positivity of Abyss. Album opener “Human Era” sets the tone with imagery of a bleak, windswept futurescape that crescendos headlong into the breakneck pace of power metal bastion “Ph4/NT0mA” - a masterwork of dueling guitar solos and vocal acrobatics. Trad-metal influenced “Buried In Code” lights the way with pummeling rhythms before the album’s path turns dark on heavy metal hardened “The Collective”, with Brittney Slayes’ warm tones inviting the listener to ‘join or stand aside’! Hair-raising first single “Green & Glass” unveils the truth before the upbeat 80s flavored “Gods In Decay” and the extraordinary balladic anthem “Give It Up Or Give It All” showcase the varied song writing prowess of Unleash The Archers’ modern era. A trifecta of concept closers begins with the moody “Ghosts In The Mist”, leading into the soaring yet menacing “Seeking Vengeance” before closing with the bittersweet tale of “Blood Empress”.

Mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen, and with lead guitarist Andrew Kingsley at the helm as both principal songwriter and producer, Phantoma is an exciting advancement in Unleash The Archers’ songwriting and storytelling mastery, and a giant leap forward in their towering musical trajectory.



Phantoma will be available in the following formats:

- Earbook Edition with 2CD (2 Bonus Tracks and instrumental version of the album), 7" Single (2 bonus tracks on Black vinyl), 60 pp booklet (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 1000)
- -2LP Gatefold in Phantoma Cristallo Multicolored Splatter (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300) - NEW!
- 2LP Gatefold in Marbled Orange Red with 24 page vinyl booklet and artprint (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300) - SOLD OUT!
- 2LP Gatefold in Glow In the Dark (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Splatter Aquamarine Orange (Napalm International Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Transparent Lime Green (Napalm North American Mail Order only - limited to 300)
- 2LP Gatefold in Silver (North American indie retail only - limited to 700)
- 2LP Gatefold in Black
- Cassette Tape Edition in Fluorescent Green with White Print (Napalm Mail Order only - limited to 200)
- Jewel Case CD Edition
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.



Phantoma tracklisting:

"Human Era"
"Ph4/NT0mA"
"Buried In Code"
"The Collective"
"Green & Glass"
"Gods In Decay"
"Give It Up Or Give It All"
"Ghosts In The Mist"
"Seeking Vengeance"
"Blood Empress"

“Seeking Vengeance” video: