INTRODUCING: Lowen

As we approach the denouement of 2024, when music critics are frantically working on their Album Of The Year lists, one thing is for certain: You’re bound to see Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran, the new offering from LOWEN, make an appearance on more than a few metal journo’s lists. An incredible piece of work that combines BOLT THROWER style riffs with Middle Eastern folklore, political rage, and the jaw dropping powerful pipes of vocalist Nina Saeidi, it has turned more than a few heads since its release in October.



One of the most remarkable things about Demons… is just how much of a step up it is from their 2018 debut, A Crypt In The Stars. While there were glimpses of the band’s vision and talent on that record, the leaps forward they’ve made in their songwriting, performance and production are nothing short of remarkable. Nina and her co-writer Shem Lucas have clearly been hard at work in the intervening years. Recruiting a new drummer, Cal Constantine to bring a thunderous backbeat to the band was just the start of it.

“A lot of stuff happened,” Nina confirms. “When me and Shem started the band I wanted to be distinctly Middle Eastern but taking those ideas and expressing them in a way you hear them in your head is not an easy thing to do when you’re just starting out and finding your feet as a musician. It took us years of study. We worked with ethnomusical archaeologists and I did courses in microtonal singing. It’s a constant work in progress and we’re still studying and improving.”

While their debut was very much in the slow and brooding doom metal oeuvre, the way LOWEN have introduced death metal elements in Shem’s intricate riffing and Cal’s frantic drumming have injected an irresistible vitality to LOWEN’s sound. It’s something that Nina was keen on. “I think death metal is one of those genres where when you mix it with another genre of music it really works. A lot of death metal bands already have a middle eastern influence and I really wanted to highlight that by having an authentic Middle Eastern voice in there.”

And authentic it is. Nina is of Iranian heritage, having been born in exile after her parents fled the 1979 revolution that led to an oppressive religious regime taking power. She finds herself a complex dichotomy of having a deep and personal connection to a place she may never get to visit.


“It’s heartbreaking, honestly. During the writing of the album, my grandmother was at the end of her life, and I had a lot of conversations with her while she was literally on her deathbed, and she was like, ‘when are you going to come and see me?’ It’s such a difficult thing to experience. I could get on a plane and just go and see her, but I would be arrested at the airport. I’d get executed. And I remember growing up like I’d be talking to my grandparents and aunts and uncles, and you’d literally hear the phone tapping as your your conversations are being listened to. So yeah it’s a huge part of my identity that I’ve never been able to fully connect with.”

Unable to visit her homeland, instead she found connection through the country’s rich cultural and literary heritage, most notably the epic poem Shahnameh, or, The Book of Kings, a section of which became the title of the new LOWEN album.

Nina laughs at the suggestion that writing the album must have been like studying for a PhD. “It’s funny you should say that as I’m a PhD drop out. Maybe this album is my thesis! But yeah I was searching for a point to start writing and exploring from and I was reading the Shahnameh because it has so much mythology and the foundational myths of Iran in it. I wasn’t even halfway through and I found the chapter Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran. And I was like, ‘this is amazing’. I told the story to Shem, and he was like, ‘that’s going to be the album title!’ It was the perfect springboard for exploring the rest of the album’s themes.”

Those themes are as heavy as the music through which it is expressed. Through the poetry and mythology, Nina explores weighty topics such as oppression, especially of women, with all her rage expressed through a powerful vocal performance that uses the heart wrenchingly expressive singing style Tahir, rather than the death growls one would usually associate with the style of music from LOWEN. “I think sometimes it’s a lot scarier when you hear anger that’s not expressed as a shout or a word or like a screen, I think you know, like when you get in trouble at school, and like the teacher, instead of shouting at you, talks really quietly.”

To be able to express herself in such an articulate and powerful way took a lot of work. When starting LOWEN, she didn’t even see herself as a singer. “I’ve worked with quite a range of vocal teachers. I worked a lot with someone called Lila de Souza in Hertfordshire. I did some vocal training with a woman that does a lot of people in the West End. She was really Christian though and when she realised what the lyrics were about, she dropped me. We also worked with this amazing musician called Saeid Kordmafi, who collects old folk music from specific towns in Iran and is pitch perfect on a microtonal level.”

If studying epic poems and learning microtonal singing wasn’t enough, Nina also taught herself to play exotic instruments such as the Santur, or hammered dulcimer, a 56 stringed cousin of the guitar, which she used to add further depth to the rich sonic tapestry on Demons… “I had that hand made for me in Iran and it was smuggled across international borders. Not in a super illegal way but you can’t just buy them in the UK at that quality anyway.”

With this level of dedication, passion, and sheer devotion on an artistic and human level it’s no surprise that LOWEN are making such waves across the UK underground metal scene at the moment, and will surely continue to do so for years to come.

Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran is out now via Church Road Records.

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WHITE TOWER - NIGHT HUNTERS

Been two years since the Teutonic-minded Greeks released a highly enjoyable debut. While their musical geography hasn't changed, the intensity of the delivery has multiplied, adding a thrashy consistency to the old Accept (circa Restless & Wild) template. Cranking and dive bombing guitar runs scream from the speakers, on the introductory "Total Evil" (which follows a 93 second "Blood" sound effect).

Guess they wanted to show off the upgraded (and totally new) guitar tandem, right away! The title track follows, another hot blast of hyper riffs. Subtlety, thy name is not White Tower...everything about the presentation (including the occasional high pitched yelp: see "Knife In The Back") is OTT.

Somehow, the aggressive, no-holds-barred, borderline thrash construct recalls the early mentality of the ‘80s underground and sub-genre defying speed metal of Savage Grace, in particular. "Banshee" possesses more melody than its sequential neighbors and despite the title, never unleashes its namesake vocal inflection.

CAUSTIC - SCENE OF A CRIME

Debut album from Argentine speed metallers, whose '21 Arrowfire demo impressed these ears. No hold-overs from that initial foray (which featured a cover of Venom's "Witching Hour"). Nothing here approaches that, just nine new compositions of an old school variety, with occasional falsetto vocal accents (as on opening "Riding Tonite"). The English vocals are heavily accented and at speed, sometimes a little difficult to differentiate (even under headphones). No matter, it's the music that matters most.

That said, mid-tempo "Sweet Prisoner" possesses more groove than is usually associated with so-called speed metal. Think maybe an Atlantic-era Raven outtake, although it does get a little "messy" towards its conclusion. Back to the beat with "Lethal Force", a pre-release single. "Road Rage" at least has some rage to it, both in terms of vocal and musical delivery, while "Take Myself" once again opts for slower, more melodic territory. Not bad, just a bit too far afield of the speed metal signpost.

"F.A.D.S.A.N.", which, according to the lyrics, stands for "fighting all day surviving all night" has more urgency and a catchy hook. More frenetic, with chaotic, high pitched vocals, "Kick Your Teacher" rides a shuffling bass line and dissonant guitars. "Made Out Of Lies" barrels down the highway, right out of the gates, but briefly slows to a stroll, midway through the journey, only to finish as it began. Closing "Cold Metal Night" is the most musically muscular cut: plenty of guitars.

TODAY IN METAL HISTORY 🤘 DECEMBER 21ST, 2024🤘 FRANK ZAPPA, INTO ETERNITY, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, THE WHO

TALENT WE LOST

R.I.P. FRANK Vincent ZAPPA: December 21st, 1940 - December 4th, 1993 (aged 52)




R.I.P. Robert “Rob” Doherty (INTO ETERNITY, FINAL DARKNESS) - December 21st, 1970 - May 4th, 2012 (aged 41)

INTRODUCING: Giant Walker

GIANT WALKER have been one to watch for a while now, after their debut record All In Good Time. With the meteoric rise of their second album Silhouettes, we caught up with drummer Alex Black about the surprise inspirations, and the ease of writing.



From the first moment, Silhouettes pulls you in with a groove that perhaps more soul than you would normally merit to a progressive sound. That’s the reason GIANT WALKER blow it out of the park for being such an exciting band to add a different dynamic to the music world. Songs like Round And Round We Go and Time To Waste have spades of feel and swing to them that you don’t normally associate with big proggy sounds.

“To be honest with you, that one, that one came together really, really quick from what I remember,” he recalls about Time To Waste. “It’s heavily, heavily, heavily inspired by a GARY CLARK JR tune called Bright Lights, the drum groove in that it’s just amazing. It’s got this, like, swung, swung groove all the way through. We all love that track, and we’ve all listened to a lot, and I’m like, ‘I wish we could have something at that similar tempo; It’s just got such a nice backbeat, you can just follow it really well. And I remember Jamie‘s criteria for it was, ‘I just want to write the sludgiest, grooviest riff where the drums just sit in that kind of groove. So well, yeah, very heavily inspired by GARY CLARK JR.”

“Yeah, no, it’s the kind of writing process and stuff is been, you know, it really organic,” Alex explains about the album coming together. “And it never ever felt forced at all, which was just obviously the best position to be in when you write music. It never felt like we’re banging our heads against a brick wall. Obviously, there was some ideas that took longer than others, some arrangement ideas, things that were talked over. It very, very easy this time around which was nice.”


There’s a heart of connection in GIANT WALKER that blooms into these massive songs. While each member, from the glorious vocals to the riffs and melodies, all prioritise what the song needs, it’s evident they are all coming from the same places creatively when making music. “Well, for starters, Jamie‘s really, really good at bouncing ideas off as well,” Alex tells us about their writing. “He’s secretly a drummer, like he plays guitar, but he’s got a drummer’s mind which is awesome just to collaborate with him and bounce ideas back and forth. I can tell when he likes something and I can tell when he doesn’t, you know? So, it’s we always kind of a gauge what direction to go.”

“Collaborating especially with Jamie, me and him have been playing for a long time together. We kind of give and take from each other, we know what each other’s going to do in that respect. But from a drum perspective, I always try and try and do as much as I can get away with without it being, you know, totally over the top.”

GIANT WALKER’s latest release plays around with huge soundscapes, bold groves and almost psychedelic. Part of that hypnotic element comes from the way the band are able to blend through ideas with rhythm as a corner stone of the way the songs are constructed. “I always kind of enjoy – even if it’s just something subtle – linking up with a vocal hook, or guitar stab or something like that, it just makes it a little bit more interesting, I guess. Plus, I always love to link up in terms of syncopation and rhythmically as well,” Alex agrees. “I really enjoy doing that sort of stuff, and it just makes it kind of more fun to play live as well, if you’re all kind of locked in and you’re all playing a similar rhythm or upbeat or something.”

GIANT WALKER have such a way with capturing a feel and a story that they’ve immediately made a huge impact in the scene. With their first record turning heads, there’s been a lot anticipation of their second release Silhouettes. The coherency of the record also comes from a streamlining of how the band are able to work away from each other. The ability to be clear with their ideas separately before honing in on them as a group is seemingly the most contemporary way of generating the right sound for modern bands. When asked how that process actually starts, Alex notes how simple it really is.

“So, I’d say 99% of the tracks either start with kind of riff or hook. In the last two years since doing the first album I’ve been able to have kind of more of a setup at home where I can track acoustic drums, which is awesome. I was sending Jamie a lot of the ideas that I’ve recorded, and then he would try and write something to that, and vice versa, that’s the process that we’ve used for a while […] Rather than be all on top of each other in a room trying to get ideas across. We literally do everything remotely now which is pretty cool, and it works well for us.”

Silhouettes is out now via Church Road Records.

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ALBUM REVIEW: XX Years Of Steel – Nanowar Of Steel

On their expansive, multi-decade spanning career retrospective Italian parody rockers NANOWAR OF STEEL prove that, despite their solid musicianship, brevity still remains the soul of wit. Founded in Rome in 2003, five-piece NANOWAR OF STEEL take aim at power metal acts such as MANOWAR and classic metal greats like IRON MAIDEN with galloping riffs and tongue-in-cheek lyrics in both English and their native Italian. Recorded live during a sold-out show at the 3000 capacity Alcatraz in Milan, XX Years Of Steel takes the listener on a thirty seven track, two and a half hour long, self-indulgent journey through their twenty year history which struggles to justify such an extravagant length.



While parody metal has managed to find an audience with bands like TENACIOUS D and STEEL PANTHER making their impact on the mainstream, XX Years Of Steel stands out as exhaustingly unfunny, dragging one-note jokes out into songs that last far longer than any novelty. After a brief introduction in Italian the band launch into their first full track Sober which sees the members of NANOWAR OF STEEL take on the guise of pirates who, rather than throwing back mugs of grog, prefer to stay sober and drink milkshakes or mineral water, a premise with maybe a minute’s worth of comedy potential that’s stretched out to over four minutes of energetic shouting. While dedicated fans may enjoy a live career retrospective such as this, XX Years Of Steel spends its two and a half hour runtime fighting an uphill battle to find an audience outside of the crowd present for the album’s recording.

Props have to be given to NANOWAR OF STEEL for their appropriately solid musical chops, delivering chugging riffs and scorching leads against a backdrop of thunderous rhythms. If not for its tiresome and unfunny lyrics the track Tricycles Of Steel could pass itself off as a rejected JUDAS PRIEST B-side with suitably grandiose guitar solos and wacky percussion bouncing off dual vocalists Carlo Alberto Fiaschi and Raffaello Venditti’s falsetto leads. While XX Years Of Steel shoots for the lowest hanging fruit comedically, NANOWAR OF STEEL’s musical competence at least softens the blow when their jokes fail to land.


While the first twenty eight tracks of XX Years Of Steel cover NANOWAR OF STEEL’s extensive back catalogue through energetic live recordings, the final nine bonus tracks are brand new studio recordings with a few covers, a couple of originals and some hits re-recorded with special guests. As a career retrospective this bonus CD sums up NANOWAR OF STEEL far better than the previous two hours of live hits despite sharing the same bland, toothless comedy songwriting.

This ranges from an IRON MAIDEN parody that’s decades too late to the punchline to chugging covers of MARKUS BECKER’s German novelty song Das Rote Pferd and VENGABOYS’ We’re Going To Tortuga which do little more than throw distorted guitars into already ridiculous novelty songs. Perhaps as a standalone release celebrating NANOWAR OF STEEL’s twenty year history this collection of bonus songs would’ve been a treat for longtime fans, however, stapled onto the end of a two hour live album these extra tracks just act as a reminder of how much the band have outworn their welcome.

If you’re not already a fan of NANOWAR OF STEEL from the beginning of XX Years Of Steel then go and listen to something else, this two and a half hour, thirty seven track slog is sure to put you off the Italian parody metal crew for life. While NANOWAR OF STEEL nail the power metal aesthetic and deliver a handful of solid riffs, their self-serving repetition drains every ounce of humour or joy from what should be a celebration of their history.

Rating: 3/10



XX Years Of Steel is out now via Napalm Records.

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ALTERNATIVELIVE REVIEWSMETALCORENU-METALPHOTO GALLERIESREVIEWS LIVE REVIEW: Thornhill @ The Key Club, Leeds December 17, 2024James Weaver

Reaching the middle of their European and UK headline tour tonight, THORNHILL took to the stage in Leeds, at the well known rock and alternative venue The Key Club, supported by LOVE IS NOISE and GRAPHIC NATURE.

Love Is Noise live @ The Key Club, Leeds. Photo Credit: Jessica Bowden

First up are LOVE IS NOISE, described to have a heavy layered sound and shoegaze melodies. They immediately bring the crowd to life with their first song In the shadow of your former self., followed closely by their newer single, and what seemed to be a fan favourite from their performance, Jawbreaker. The room reacted immediately, opening up the first of many mosh pits to appear throughout the night, this continues on until the crowd settle for a moment, as vocalist Cam Humphrey introduces one of their slower tempo songs Boutique, one by one the room is lit up with a sea of flashlights, creating a powerful atmosphere from start to finish. As the final notes of their set reverberated through the venue, it was clear that LOVE IS NOISE had set the tone for the night.

Rating: 9/10Graphic Nature live @ The Key Club, Leeds. Photo Credit: Jessica Bowden

Next in support are GRAPHIC NATURE. They are known for their heavy breakdowns, with an almost menacing sound that certainly caught everyone’s attention. The venue had now filled from front to back and the stage was engulfed in eerie green lighting. It seemed they had many fans in the crowd as there was an amazing reaction and immense energy in the room as soon as they stepped out to their songs Locked In and Blinded from their most recent album Who Are You When No One Is Watching?.

The vocals and lyrics are full of emotion and grit, which all comes to light as vocalist Harvey Freeman takes time to speak on mental health awareness between songs, which was followed by loud applause and appreciation from the audience. As well as covering a lot of their new album during the set, they also included a few tracks from their older album, last year’s a mind waiting to die, such as Killing Floor, which had everyone on their feet, head banging, moshing and two-stepping along until the very end. Exhilarating!

Rating: 9/10Thornhill live @ The Key Club, Leeds. Photo Credit: Jessica Bowden

With the venue full of eager fans, basked under the haunting green and orange stage lights, it was finally time for Australian metalcore crew THORNHILL to take to the stage of their sold out headline show. Walking out with a one-two punch of The Hellfire Club and Arkangel, the band ignite chaos from the first note and as fan favourite songs, such as Coven and Views From The Sun, get airtime, it didn’t take long for their first mosh pit to break out.

As the night progressed, the pits surged in size, doubling and splitting the room in two. As well as the favourites, they also played newer single Obsession, that a lot of their fans seem to have quickly fallen in love with, as well brand new single, nerv, a bruising number that we’re confident will follow closely in its footsteps.Thornhill live @ The Key Club, Leeds. Photo Credit: Jessica Bowden

The first crowd surfers of the night appeared not long into the set, gliding one after another on to the stage, screaming the lyrics back at the band, before leaping back into the chaos. The style and stage presence of THORNHILL was like no other, their enthusiasm and passion was clear, they had the room captivated from start to finish. A triumphant set from one of Australia’s leading lights in metalcore.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Leeds from Jessica Bowden here:

































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