GRAND MAGUS - SUNRAVEN

In a recording career that spans nearly 25 years, with a new opus arriving every couple of years, seems like eternity since we heard anything from the Swedish trio fronted by guitarist/vocalist JB Christoffersson. Actually, there was a pre-pandemic North American tour, in '19, for the Wolf God album, but the longevity of said disc was blunted by the global shutdown. So now JB, Fox (bass) and drummer Ludde are back, with nine new sonic weapons in their arsenal.

Some call it stoner, others doom. The truth? Both are (partially) correct, but Grand Magus offer so much more. The album revolves around the classic Beowulf tale and his adversary Grendel, re-imagined through JB's lyrical lens (the title character re-christened Sunraven herein).

The music chugs along, at varying speeds, from trudge to full-out sprint, but always with that requisite, thundering heaviness. "Skybound" opener bounces and bristles with life, despite the subject matter (relating a flight to the after-life). A "welcome back" calling card moment. More metered and mid-tempo "The Wheel Of Pain" follows. First single/titular tune, "Sunraven" sticks to a similar pace, punishingly, yet melodically, working its way into your head. A recurrent guitar break, courtesy of Christoffersson, does the heavy work. Classic doom, mixed with traditional metal, such is the construct of "Winter Storms".

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – 50TH ANNIVERSARY LIVE: SECOND NIGHT

BLUE ÖYSTER CULT – 50TH ANNIVERSARY LIVE: SECOND NIGHT



Rating: 9.0

review classic rock blue oyster cult



Blue Öyster Cult has certainly issued their fair share of live recordings over the years. 1975's On Your Feet or on Your Knees and 1978's Some Enchanted Evening will probably forever be their best-known live offerings, but quite a few additional in-concert documents have been issued thus far in the 21st century.

And 2024 saw the release of 50th Anniversary Live - Second Night, which features the band performing their classic 1973 effort, Tyranny and Mutation, in its entirety, with quite a few additional BÖC classics tacked on the end for good measure.

Despite the band being in business for well over 50 years and only two original members still remaining on board (Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma), the group still sounds great live, as evidenced by solid versions of such tunes as 'The Red & the Black,' as well as the two songs that immediately proceed it ('OD'd on Life Itself' and 'Hot Rails to Hell').

FORMER IRON MAIDEN SINGER PAUL DI'ANNO DEAD AT 66

Former Iron Maiden vocalist and frontman, Paul Di’Anno, has passed away. Di’Anno's manager, Stjepan Juras, has issued the following statement:

"On behalf of his family, I am very sad to confirm the death of Paul Andrews, professionally known as Paul Di'Anno. Paul passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.

Born in Chingford, East London on 17th May 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English Heavy Metal band, Iron Maiden between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album Iron Maiden, and the influential follow up release, Killers. Since leaving Iron Maiden, Paul Di'Anno had a long and eventful recording career with Battlezone and Killers as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances.

Filme – Os Cabeças de Vento (Airheads) 1994

 

Executivos de gravadoras usando rabo de cavalo e cavanhaque. Groupies com vestidos justíssimos e cabelos descoloridos. Uma rádio chamada ‘rebelde’. Uma fita demo perdida por aí e uma banda tentando o sucesso.

Chazz (Brendan Fraser), Rex (Steve Buscemi) e Pip (Adam Sandler) são os Cavaleiros Solitários, uma banda de hard rock como aquelas que costumavam fazer sucessos nos idos da década de 1990. Eu sei, vendo hoje este filme soa um tanto datado. Apesar disto ele passou no teste do tempo e vale a pena conferi-lo.

Rex trabalha em uma loja de brinquedos de onde costuma subtrair bonecos e armas de brinquedo. Chazz bate de porta em porta à procura de uma gravadora que os aceite, enquanto sua namorada exige que ele arranje um emprego de verdade.

O sonho deles é assinar um contrato, gravar um disco e fazer sucesso. Nem que para isto precisem invadir uma estação de rádio e fazê-los tocar sua demo na marra fazendo os funcionários reféns.

Na trilha sonora, Motorhead, Ramones, Anthrax e Primux além de participações pra lá de especiais de Lemmy, Beavis and Butthead e White Zombie. Uma comédia divertida com atores que ainda eram promessas em atuações competentes. Um prato cheio pra quem curte rock n’ roll – desde que não copiem a iniciativa (acreditem, alguém já teve esta infeliz idéia).

Ficha Técnica:
Fox Records – produzido por Lonn Friend

01 Born to Raise Hell – Motörhead com Ice-T e Whitfield Crane – 4:57
02 I’m The One – 4 Non Blondes – 3:58
03 Feed the Gods – White Zombie – 4:05
04 No Way Out – D Generation – 4:26
05 Bastardizing Jellikit – Primus – 4:11
06 London – Anthrax – 2:54
07 Can’t Give In – Candlebox – 3:15
08 Curious George Blues – Dig – 4:03
09 Inheritance – Prong – 2:11
10 Degenerated – Lone Rangers – 3:53 *
11 I’ll Talk My Way Out Of It – Stuttering John – 3:40
12 Fuel – Stick – 4:57
13 We Want the Airwaves – Ramones – 3:21

HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Deliverance – Corrosion Of Conformity

By 1994, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY were already deep into their career. Having formed back in 1982 and had released three albums and by that point, and throughout their career, the band’s music had taken on few twists and turns. With their fourth album, Deliverance, they were about to embark on even more.





Going back to the very beginning, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY were very much a hardcore punk band, playing shows all over the United States and bringing fellow hardcore bands to their Raleigh, North Carolina hometown to play.

The following years saw CORROSION OF CONFORMITY retaining their hardcore punk edge but adding more metal influences into proceedings and as a result, the band signed to Metal Blade where they released Animosity in 1985. The natural progression of the music of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY continued and on their third full-length Blind, the band added more riffs and grooves while still retaining the political edge and energetic fury of their past, particularly on the albums biggest tracks: the monstrous Vote With A Bullet. Blind also added another new vocalist in Karl Agell and a new vocalist in New Orleans native Pepper Keenan (formerly of GRAVEYARD RODEO), who handled vocals on Vote With A Bullet in a taster of what was to come next.

That next movement from the band was the removal of Agell (among other lineup changes, something that had been one a commonplace for the band) and Keenan taking over on vocals/guitar alongside a returning Mike Dean, Mullin and Weatherman and the resulting album was the next step on the vast COC journey; Deliverance.


This album (produced again by John Custer who worked with the band on Blind as well) kept the metal stylings of what had come before, but injected much more Southern/stoner rock stylings throughout. This change and the influence of Keenan definitely worked in the band’s favour.



Deliverance is fourteen tracks of Southern fried metal. Tracks like the opening Heavens Not Overflowing, Clean My Wounds, Señor Limpio and Broken Man were instant metal classics, while epic songs like Albatross and Pearls Before Swine showed the band’s ability to craft huge songs with their LYNYRD SKYNYRD-meets-BLACK SABBATH sound reigning supreme.


The heartfelt and utterly beautiful instrumental Without Wings is undoubtedly a high point as it segues into the gargantuan Broken Man. It echoes and pays pays tribute to how SABBATH brilliantly preluded the monstrous Children Of The Grave and Lord Of This World with the similarly beautiful instrumentals Embryo and Orchid on the legendary Master Of Reality.

That BLACK SABBATH influence was a huge one in this record alongside bands like LYNYRD SKYNYRD and BLACK OAK ARANSAS. The huge grooves and even huger riffs were testament to how great Deliverance sounds. Pepper Keenan‘s distinctive and soulful howl provides perfect foil for the rest of the band, with Dean‘s huge bass sound, Weatherman‘s scorching guitar playing and Mullin‘s pounding drums resulting in a truly vast sounding record.

Deliverance was an instant smash and saw the band’s profile raise even more and alongside the likes of KYUSS, CLUTCH and MONSTER MAGNET, they helped spearhead a new wave of riff heavy and groove laden bands.

With the band’s profile raised, they toured the globe extensively with tracks from Deliverance playing a big part of their live set, gaining plaudits from the likes of METALLICA who hand-picked CORROSION OF CONFORMITY to open up their headline set at Donington in 1995, which the band did with some style.



With Deliverance, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY‘s groove-laden riffage really struck a nerve with fans, and the fact that it still sounds as good thirty years later is testament to the power of the songs contained within. Crank it up loud and enjoy some good ol’ fashioned Southern fried metal!



Deliverance was originally released on September 27th, 1994 via Columbia Records.

INTRODUCING: Vower

There is a really exciting moment at the beginning of a band where there are no preconceived notions on what something should sound like. For VOWER, a project amalgamated from the bare bones of Rabea Massaad [TOSKA], Josh Mckeown [PALM READER] and Joe Gosney and Liam Kearley [both formerly of BLACK PEAKS], with bassist Rory McLean, sonically they rest on heavy foundations of the bands that came before, but have instead created something entirely ferocious and new.





Bringing the best out of the post-hardcore supergroup, they released their new EP Apricity earlier this year, which we ranked a solid 9/10 in our review and appear to be one of the most promising voices in alternative music. Ahead of their Radar Festival set, we chat to Joe and Josh about the direction of the band, their evolution of their sound and new music on the horizon.

The project started when Liam and Rabea started making music instrumentally, putting the bare bones together for what would become VOWER. Through a few different iterations, with the band almost putting the project to bed entirely, it was picked up again as Joe was asked to play some shows with PALM READER. From there, the stage was set to start recording new music.

As most of the band were based in Brighton, vocalist Josh would come down to do recording sessions of “intense energy”, with Shroud being the first song he recorded the vocals for. However, it was In The Wake Of Failure that made them realise that the project was worthwhile. Joe says, “I got sent a demo straight afterwards and I remember really clearly where I was walking. I listened on my headphones and I got full goosebumps.”


For Josh, who had recently played their last show with PALM READER (on the same day VOWER performed their first festival), his “inspiration for vocals and melodies have come easier than I’ve ever known it to,” with In The Wake Of Failure allowing him to explore “a lot of really different vocal techniques, and utilise my rage in the song in a way that wasn’t contrived.” For both Josh and Joe, this became the stand-out track on their new EP.




Their four track record Apricity – meaning the warmth of the sun in winter – was the benchmark for their new sound, constructed from Rabea’s prog background and unmistakably riff-heavy sections descended from BLACK PEAKS. Spearheading their music, Josh’s vocals reminisce and build upon the intense vocals from PALM READER. The EP is daring, with bursts of unpredictability and soaring choruses. In terms of the band’s overall direction, Josh comments that they are “not aiming for a sound necessarily, it’s just what we think sounds cool. What we want to play.” Regardless, VOWER is a true passion project, pushing into uncharted territories in heavy music. It is clear the band are very enthusiastic and excited about this new chapter for the band.

Supporting KARNIVOOL for two dates on their Tri Continental Drift Tour, the band properly got together for the first time to rehearse a few days before their set. They’ve later taken this show on the road in the UK at ArcTanGent, 2000trees and Radar, as well as further afield at Cologne’s Euroblast progressive music festival.

The reception of the project has been really positive for the band with Joe commenting that they’re “all very lucky to be in a band driving to a show to perform to a bunch of people, playing music that we all really care about and all really stand behind.” Josh adding with a smile , “it’s absolutely outrageous. We expected with the notoriety that the other bands have that we had, we thought there would be a bit of a reception, but we never expected it to be received as well as it had been!”

Apricity is out now via self-release.

Like VOWER on Facebook.

SACRED BLADE - OF THE SUN + MOON

I love me some Canadian metal history, and here's a great one, Sacred Blade's Of The Sun + Moon seeing vinyl release for the first time since 1986. And what a story this Vancouver-based band has to tell, having the interest of Roadrunner back in the day but then telling the label to walk when the band refused to budge on their vision. That vision is something else, involving a spaceship and lots of odd spellingz of wordz.

And the music? After a couple false starts, the first song proper, the title track, kicks things off with a strong American power metal vibe, Crimson Glory coming to mind immediately, never a bad thing. “fieldz the sunshrine” features Hetfield/Hammett-worthy riffing and soloing, while the singing finally hits the stratosphere, succesfully, in “salem”. The guitar work shines throughout, be it the incredibly strong rhythm work on the title track or the more gentle, atmospheric sounds of interlude “the reign of night rainz”, the Frehley's Comet glory of instrumental “to lunar windz...” or the incredible solos of prog-rock closer “moon”.

But there's a reason they held the pole position on 1983's Metal Massacre IV, and this record—originally released on Black Dragon—shows why, the only weak point being the vocals, which are often a bit flat, although that appears to just be vocalist Jeff Ulmer's style. Lots to read here in the booklet, history and photos galore, a whole evening of Canadian metal history brought back to life, best paired with a couple beers of your choice and a pair of headphones you can play this one loud on.