Following an excellent night in Islington, and something of a welcome lie in the following morning, I headed back to Islington for lunch in a local café before walking down to Euston station to catch the train to Birmingham. It is rare that I go to both of the UK's largest cities as part of the same trip, but that is what the past couple of days involved - and it was great to properly return to Birmingham for the first time since March. For some reason, I do not seem to get to Birmingham as often as I used to. With Wolverhampton now offering a lot more on the gigging front again, I seem to be there a lot more now, via Birmingham of course, and London still often offers more variety when it comes to places to stay. I always enjoy a trip to Birmingham, although my train did not get me there until mid-afternoon - meaning that there was not too much time to explore before heading out for the evening. Still, dinner in an excellent Chinese buffet was enjoyed before taking a brief break back at the hotel. The reason for the trip to Birmingham was a night at the city's O2 Academy with the Georgia-based southern rockers Blackberry Smoke - and band with a sizeable UK fanbase who seem to enjoy visiting these isles. I have not been able to see the band every time that they have come to the UK, but prior to Friday night I had previously seen them live three times - with the most recent time coming in March 2023, also in Birmingham. Due to the pandemic, that tour had previously been postponed - hence the band coming to the UK twice in as many years. They have had a busy few years, then, but their relatively quick return to the UK did not seem to put anyone off - as the O2 Academy was full again this time. Last year I stood, but I opted for a seat this year. I had sat up in the venue's balcony once before, but I think that last time I had sat on the portion towards the rear of the venue - whereas this time I was on the side. The safety barrier did restrict views of the stage somewhat, particularly the part of the stage closest to me, but the view was still reasonable despite this. In truth, the O2 Academy in Birmingham is just not a great venue all-round in my opinion. Due to the balconies being so low, anyone stood under them generally has a poor view - so everyone tries to cram themselves as close to the stage as possible rather than spreading out more. With views from the balconies being somewhat restricted, too, experiences at the venue are generally hampered somewhat - but I have learnt to put up with this over the years as, sadly, it is a venue which many bands choose to play. It is not always the best sound-wise, either, just to add to the venue's negatives - but, in fairness, the sound there on Friday was pretty good. There was a great atmosphere in the venue throughout, too, as everyone in attendance seemed really up for the show. As such, there was lots of singing from the crowd during the night - and that always helps to overcome any venue negatives.
Before Blackberry Smoke's set, though, the growing crowd were treated to 45 or so minutes of raw, bluesy rock from Tennessee-based singer and guitarist Bones Owens and his band. I did not know anything about Owens prior to the evening, but I found myself largely enjoying his old-school brand of percussive blues rock. If there is a criticism which could be levelled at Owens, it would be that after three or four songs it was clear exactly what he was all about. There was very little variety to be found throughout his set, but he was very good at what he did - and for 45 minutes I enjoyed his foot-stomping music which was a little reminiscent of early ZZ Top at times whilst retaining that real percussive punch that a lot of the early blues music was based around. As such, Owens' drummer spent quite a lot of the set reeling off simple bass drum and floor tom grooves - only breaking into a 'proper' beat once in a while, usually as a chorus kicked in. This did mean that a lot of the arrangements were very similar - but Owens' strong voice and fuzzy guitar playing helped to keep each track interesting. A few of the songs had pretty hooky choruses, but it was generally the grooves created by his riffs which helped the set to shine. It is the sort of music which is made to be played live and the large crowd generally seemed to enjoy what Owens and his band got up to on the stage. Unsurprisingly, too, there were quite a few guitar solos throughout his set - and he proved to be a capable blues player with a good amount of feel. Despite enjoying Owens' set, though, I cannot ever see myself listening to his music at home. It is music made for the stage and I am not sure that it would have the same impact whilst sitting on my sofa - and generally I am not a big listener to Owens' brand of blues in general. I can appreciate it when I see it, but generally that is where my relationship with such music ends. Nevertheless, though, I enjoyed Owens' set - and his foot-stomping music was a great way to get the night underway.
Following a fairly swift changeover, the lights went down and the six musicians which currently make up Blackberry Smoke took to the stage - and for the next two hours they impressed the large crowd with their infectious brand of southern and country rock. The band are known for shaking up the setlist from night to night - so it is never clear exactly what they are going to play. As usual, then, the setlist was a good mix of fan favourites, new material, and a couple of deeper cuts - and the band played quite a few songs which I had not seen them do live before. They opened with a couple of old favourites, though, with Six Ways to Sunday and the anthemic Good One Comin' On kicking things off. From the opening riff of the former, it was clear that the crowd were up for it - and there was plenty of singing throughout the night, which frontman Charlie Starr often encouraged. As always, too, the band really delivered. As much I enjoy many of the band's albums, live is where they truly shine. Each song rocks a little harder on stage - with even country pieces like Workin' for a Workin' Man hitting pretty hard early on, before the more melodic Pretty Little Lie proved to be the evening's first big sing-a-long. This vibe continued on through the muscular Waiting for the Thunder, too, with the crowd taking over the vocals during the verses - whilst Brandon Still (keyboards) later laid into his Hammond organ for a lengthy solo. It is hard to pick out highlights in truth, as essentially everything that was played sounded great. I was not the biggest fan of the band's latest album, but even those cuts came across well live - with Like It Was Yesterday and the acoustic-based Azalea, dedicated to late drummer Brit Turner, proving to be gentle moments in what was otherwise a powerful set. As is often the case, though, Sleeping Dogs felt like the set's centrepiece - as it was stretched out with a psychedelic intro and a portion of Charlie Daniels' Long Haired Country Boy was also included as part of the lengthy arrangement of the fan favourite. The band are not the most explosive when it comes to soloing, so these moments where the band stretch out live are always fun - with Starr and Benji Shanks (guitar/mandolin) shining during these moments in particular. These moments sat nicely alongside poppier moments with lots of singing including the whimsical Everybody Knows She's Mine and the acoustic sing-a-long stomp of Ain't Got the Blues. Laid back moments such as the excellent Till the Wheels Fall Off and the ever-present One Horse Town were good counters to these more upbeat moments - with the latter being another big sing-a-long as it always is. The main set then came to a close with the upbeat new number Little Bit Crazy - which was a fun number to go out on, with the band rocking out as the main set ended. A two-song encore followed, though, with Paul Jackson's (guitar/vocals) son Spencer joining the band on guitar for a powerful rendition of Black Sabbath's Fairies Wear Boots, which worked better than might be imagined, before a stretched out version of Ain't Much Left of Me brought the curtain down on an excellent night of live music. The setlist was:
Six Ways to Sunday
Good One Comin' On
Workin' for a Workin' Man
Hammer and the Nail
Pretty Little Lie
Waiting for the Thunder
Hey Delilah
Best Seat in the House
Like It Was Yesterday
Crimson Moon
Sleeping Dogs/Long Haired Country Boy [Charlie Daniels Band cover]
Azalea
Everybody Knows She's Mine
Till the Wheels Fall Off
Ain't Got the Blues
Old Scarecrow
7 O'Clock [The Quireboys cover]/Run Away from It All
Ain't Much Left of Me/Mississippi Kid [Lynyrd Skynyrd cover]
Despite having seen Blackberry Smoke relatively recently, it was great to see them again on Friday. With a new album having been released since the last time and the band's want to keep the setlist fresh, the show this year was very different from last year's - and the band always manage to create an infectious energy whenever they play anyway. It is hard not to get swept along by all the good vibes whenever Blackberry Smoke play live - and I imagine that I will be in attendance again next time they tour the UK.
I mentioned recently that I was looking forward to, following a relatively quiet summer gig-wise, getting back on the road and seeing bands live again this autumn. Summers are generally quieter when it comes to gigs, but they allow for a bit of a recharge before the autumn/winter run up to Christmas - which is often busy and packed with tours. I am currently in the middle of a run of three gigs in five days - with two having taken place over the previous two days with another one to follow on Monday. Gigs are well and truly back, then, and it was great to get back to London and Birmingham over the past couple of days after short times away from both. Birmingham will be covered in my next post, as this piece is going to cover Thursday's trip to London - and an evening spent in the O2 Academy in Islington in the company of two American rock bands in the form of Tyketto and Little Caesar. Before that, though, there was time for quite a lengthy walk through Soho, where I visited some of my favourite record/CD shops to make a few purchases, as well as lunching in a nearby Wetherspoons. The weather was generally good, despite a brief shower, so I had a pleasant late morning/early afternoon in what can only be described as Central London - before heading out east to where I was staying. I stayed in the somewhat soulless Docklands are of the city, which has been significantly rebuilt over the past two or three decades - and a far cry from either Soho or Islington. Nevertheless, it was cheap to stay in a new Travelodge there - and not far from Islington via both the DLR and the Northern Line. Following something of a refresh at the hotel, then, I headed back into the city proper for a night of both melodic and hard-hitting rock - joining a rather small queue at the venue around 20 minutes before the doors opened. I hoped that more would turn up, and they did - meaning that the overall turnout was strong and no doubt encouraged the bands on the first night of their UK tour. The draw for me was Tyketto, a band which I had seen a number of times before - and, in fact, it had only been a month or so since I last saw them. They were easily the band of the night on a melodic rock triple bill at Chepstow Castle in August - and they are one of those bands who never disappoint. They always deliver live, so seeing them again so soon was not an issue. Less known to me, though, were Little Caesar - the California-based five-piece which Tyketto had arranged a co-headline tour with. I had heard the name, but that was about it - so I picked up the band's first two albums in advance of the show and found myself enjoying both for their bluesy riffing and relatively soulful approach to late 1980s/early 1990s hard rock. I was certainly keen to check them out live - so it was with excitement that I ascended the stairs in the O2 Academy to settle in for my night of music.
Before Tyketto or Little Caesar, though, the growing crowd were treated to half an hour or so of music from Dan Byrne and his band. I saw Byrne a few years ago fronting Revival Black when they opened for Vega - and remember somewhat liking their sound but struggling with their lack of strong hooks. Byrne has since left Revival Black and gone solo, though, and this set was my first exposure to him since that 2021 appearance with Vega. I remember that his previous band were very bluesy, but I think that it is fair to say that Byrne's solo material is much more in-keeping with what is currently popular in the modern British hard rock scene - so muscular riffs, a slight post-grunge edge, occasional synths, and an approach to hooks which usually means they sink in after two or three goes. For example, some of Byrne's material would not sound out of place on a Stone Broken or a recent Kris Barras Band album, and that is no bad thing, but I am not sure that I found the songs as memorable as those aforementioned other bands tend to be. I felt the choruses were a little lacking at times, which was also something I felt about Revival Black's sound incidentally, and I would have also liked some more guitar solos - as at times it felt as if one was about to be launched into only to never come. Despite this, though, I quite enjoyed my time with Byrne and his band. At 30 minutes, the set did not outstay its welcome - and Byrne is an excellent singer and a strong presence on stage. I enjoyed his solo set more than I remember enjoying Revival Black's set three years ago and I think that there is certainly potential in Byrne as a solo artist. His sound and songwriting will likely develop over time, but for me I would like to see some more anthemic moments - with killer choruses becoming something more common for him, as the hooky moments of the set did stand out. His early singles are already doing well on Planet Rock, though, so I am sure that Byrne's profile will continue to rise - and I will certainly keep an eye on what he does going forward.
It was only around 20 minutes later that Little Caesar took to the stage - and they did so with no fanfare whatsoever, as they did not even leave the stage after finishing setting up. This no-frills approach certainly suited the band's attitude, though, and for the next hour or so the crowd were treated to some excellent riffy rock and roll from a band who looked to be having a blast. Little Caesar have not always been regular visitors to the UK, with this tour looking like their first here since 2018. There were plenty of Little Caesar shirts to be seen in the crowd, though, and the band received a warm reception as they launched into the powerful opening one-two punch of Piece of the Action and Rock-n-Roll State of Mind. Much of the set was culled from the band's first two albums, so I was familiar with most of the material played - with the songs which were unfamiliar to me being easy to latch onto thanks to the band's bluesy attitude and the swagger of flat-capped founding frontman Ron Young. With two other founding members in Loren Molinare (guitar/vocals) and Tom Morris (drums) remaining in the band's ranks - Little Caesar felt like the real deal. Young took a few opportunities to speak to the crowd, but generally the band were just one to let the music to the talking as they tried to cram in as many songs as they could into their allotted time. Of the handful of songs I was not familiar with, 21 Again was a lot of fun early on - but the song that really grabbed hold of me was Wrong Side of the Tracks from the debut album. I had been enjoying the set up to that point, but it was with the song's main riff that everything about Little Caesar really fell into place. The loose groove conjured up by Molinare and Mark Tremalgia (guitar/vocals) made the track come alive - and I was on board fully from this point on. Young's voice may not have the power that it once did, but he still sounded strong - and he was also a likeable character, injecting plenty of soul into tracks like Chain of Fools and the following ballad In Your Arms which saw the pace slow somewhat mid-set. These moments showcased a bit of a different side of the band, one that differed from the biker rock of the bulk of their set, but the slightly funky Cajun Panther and the frantic hard rock of Real Rock Drive returned things to normal - and by the time the set came to a close with an anthemic rendition of the semi-melodic rocker Drive It Home I think that it was fair to say that everyone in attendance had had a great time. I will certainly be looking to pick up the Little Caesar albums that I do not have - and I hope I get the chance to see the band again live one day. The setlist was:
Piece of the Action
Rock-n-Roll State of Mind
American Dream
21 Again
Hard Times
Wrong Side of the Tracks
Rum and Coke
Chain of Fools [Aretha Franklin cover]
In Your Arms/I Wish It Would Rain [The Temptations cover]
Cajun Panther
Real Rock Drive
Down to the Wire
Mama Tried [Merle Haggard cover]
Drive It Home
The changeover between Little Caesar and Tyketto was longer, and I got the impression that there were quite a few technical issues being ironed out until the moment the band hit the stage, but once things got underway the next 70 minutes showcased Tyketto at their melodic rock best. Considering that I had only seen the band a month ago, the setlist was extremely different - with the band transitioning away from many of the favourites which had graced what was essentially a festival-friendly set to deliver a 14-song set which included some pretty deep cuts. There was also a change to keyboard player Ged Rylands' role - as he now also doubled up as an additional guitarist on some songs. I am not sure the reason for the change after all these years, but Tyketto have never been the most keyboard-heavy melodic rock band - so perhaps additional guitar weight during songs which do not require a lot of keyboard playing was desired. I thought that Rylands' expanded role generally worked well, though, and the dual guitar approach of the bluesy opener Nothing but Love certainly sounded heavier than it would have done otherwise. Frontman Danny Vaughn spoke to the crowd more than Young had done, but given the tight set time Tyketto also generally just cracked on. Despite the changes made to the setlist, though, there were still plenty of favourites included - with the modern anthem Reach bringing the best out of Harry Scott Elliott (guitar) early on thanks to its soaring opening lead, whilst Wings' chorus was a reminder, as always, that Tyketto should have been huge. There was a bit of a focus on newer material throughout the set, so it meant that the band played a few songs which I had not seem them do live before - or had not seen them do for a long time. No-one had seen them do Tearing Down the Sky live before, though, as it was played live for the first time in London - whilst the groovy hard rock of Dig in Deep and the acoustic-led ballad Circle the Wagons also received relatively rare outings. This was certainly not a setlist for a casual fan, but the large London crowd did not seem to mind - with the newer tracks greeted warmly. Older favourites such as the juddering and anthemic Rescue Me and another more plaintive piece in Catch My Fall did likely receive louder cheers - but there was certainly no let up in the atmosphere whenever something newer was played. It was also clear how well this latest line-up of the the band has already gelled. Rylands adapted to his new role seamlessly whilst delivering tight harmonies with Johnny Dee (drums/percussion/vocals) - with Elliott a real guitar hero to do the songs justice. The ever-reliable Chris Childs (bass guitar/vocals) held everything together nicely, too, and the power of the band was realised throughout the set's heavier moments like the muscular Kick Like a Mule. As the end of the night was reached, though, some big hitters where wheeled out. Standing Alone had been strangely absent last month, but it was returned to the set on Thursday to provide its customary emotional sing-a-long - before the country-esque The Last Sunset proved to be a gentle lull in proceedings. The acoustic-based number allowed set-closer Forever Young to really hit hard - with the band's signature song bringing the evening to a powerful close. The setlist was:
Nothing but Love
Reach
Wings
Tearing Down the Sky
Dig in Deep
Circle the Wagons
Rescue Me
Catch My Fall
Kick Like a Mule
Seasons
The Run
Standing Alone
The Last Sunset
Forever Young
Any evening which includes Tyketto is always going to be a great one, and the band did not disappoint. They are such a reliably-fun live act who continue to deliver - and generally manage to keep the setlist fresh despite not having the biggest catalogue. The night's bonus, though, was Little Caesar. I went into the venue a casual enjoyer of their early work and came out a fully-fledged fan. On paper, the two bands are quite different - but the double bill saw the two complement each other nicely. I imagine that fans of one will end up being fans of both by the end of this tour - and I hope I get to see both bands live again in the near future.
I have alluded to this before, but I have been enjoying my exploration of death metal this year. Extreme metal has certainly not taken the blog over, but it has enjoyed significantly more coverage this year than it has previously. Whilst I have been digging deeper into death metal in particular over the past few years - 2024 has seen that exploration expand, and I have also made a lot more effort to keep up with some of the genre's biggest new releases since the turn of the year. My investigations, though, have only scratched the surface. Perhaps more than any other metal subgenre, extreme metal is likely the largest - with new releases from bands big and small continually dropping. Death metal in particular seems to thrive within something of a DIY aesthetic - so much so that I will never catch up. Despite this, though, what I have been listening to I have largely enjoyed - and today it is the turn of South Carolina's Nile to feature. Far from that DIY aesthetic referenced, I think that it is fair to say that Nile are one of the biggest death metal bands in the world - and since forming back in 1993 they have impressed many around the globe with their technical and brutal riffing, as well as their lyrical themes which generally tackle Egyptian mythology. Not many bands cover such topics or use such imagery on their album artwork in such an overt way - and Nile is a band that I have been interested in from afar for years because of their awesome artwork and lyrical themes. Egyptian mythology seems to be less popular and discussed than Greek or Norse mythology - and a childhood interest in Ancient Egypt certainly made me respect Nile when I was first exposed to them in my teens. I even remember picking up a copy of 2007's Ithyphallic in a charity shop some years later - but at the time I was not ready for such brutality. During the last couple of years, though, I have given the band a bit more of a listen and have sampled albums from both ends of their career - with both 2002's In Their Darkened Shrines and 2019's Vile Nilotic Rites both receiving a few spins. A new album dropping seemed like the perfect time to jump on board the Nile train properly, though, so I picked up the band's tenth studio album The Underworld Awaits Us All when it was released last month. It is their first album in five years, since Vile Nilotic Rites, and it feels like the second album of the band's current era - which started back in 2017 when vocalist and guitarist Brian Kingsland replaced long-time member Dallas Toler-Wade, whom had left the previous year. Kingsland's different vocal style helped Vile Nilotic Rites sound evolve a little whilst the core Nile sound was retained - which was ensured by the presence founding guitarist and vocalist Karl Sanders and long-time drummer George Kollias. Nile have often experienced line-up changes, and The Underworld Awaits Us All debuts the band's current five-man line-up, with Sanders, Kollias, and Kingsland joined by guitarist and vocalist Zach Jeter (Olkoth; Imperium) and bassist Dan Vadim Von (Morbid Angel). Sanders, Kingsland, and Jeter team up here for the band's trademark three-man vocal attack - with the three guitarists also adding plenty of technical riffs and solos to the album's intense sound.
At just under 55 minutes, The Underworld Awaits Us All is a pretty intense listen - but it is an album that does not outstay its welcome despite the furious speeds and riffing found throughout. There is a lot of variety here, as is typical thanks to Nile's progressive approach, with the six minute-plus opener Stelae of Vultures kicking things off. A pretty slow and doomy riff opens the song, but once Kollias launches into one of his trademark lengthy drum fills it is clear that things are going to speed up - and when the vocals kick in the track becomes a fast-paced thrasher, with blast beats sitting side-by-side with thrashy riffs to create a great kinetic feel as the pace chops and changes. The doomy riffs from early on are revisited occasionally, albeit with a much faster drum pattern behind them - so the slower guitars and the fast drums create an unsettling tone, usually whilst Sanders unleashes some of his trademark deep growls. I think that Kingsland handles the majority of the vocals, with Sanders and Jeter chipping in when needed - but the main growls are pretty consistent, albeit with Sanders' low frequency rumbles adding plenty of depth. I love how his voice seems to slow the songs down, even when the drums are still crashing away - and they help to keep the tracks interesting. There are a lot of riffs and tempo changes - but generally the pace is fast. Chaotic riffing characterises this piece, and it is one that showcases the band's more progressive side in a big way. A lengthy solo section sees the guitarists trade fast-paced licks bank and forth later on - and this moment is a great example of the band's overall intensity. There is no real let-up here, although some doomy riffs do kick in again towards the end of the piece - adding a sludgy crawl to brief moments before the pace speeds up once again. The ludicrously titled Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes follows and it acted as the album's lead single. It is shorter than the previous track and perhaps a little more straight ahead arrangement-wise. There is a lot less chopping and changing here riff-wise, and the main verse feels a bit more typically metal with repeated riffing and some relatively hooky vocal melodies. Clearly the pace is still extremely fast, with the track being very intense throughout, but it is an easier track to latch onto than the opener - as it feels less frenetic overall and tends to build on fewer ideas. A lot of the riffs here are pretty memorable, with a thrashy approach taken overall - whilst Kollias impresses as always thanks to his non-stop drumming. The songs here to generally take a few listens to fully appreciate - but this is one of the more immediate pieces thanks to the more straight ahead riffing and the machine-gun vocal hooks during the verses and the chorus.
To Strike with Secret Fang reins it in further - delivering a death metal thrasher in under two minutes. Progressive-sounding duelling guitar leads open the track up, before a much deeper and bass-heavy sound takes over - with growling vocals atop a jackhammer drum pattern and a darker overall guitar tone. Despite the song's short length, there is still quite a lot going on here. The vocal-led sections are pretty straight forward - but an excellent guitar solo section later is extremely melodic, with even Kollias reining it in a little to allow the soaring leads to shine. Naqada II Enter the Golden Age changes things up somewhat, and the song is one of my favourite cuts here thanks to the excellent use of choral vocals - alongside the fact that the arrangement is perhaps a little less frantic than some of the other songs of a comparable length. There are also some comparatively mid-paced sections here, too, which rein in the relentlessness which tends to permeate the rest of the album. There is still a lot of fast-paced riffing here, but the track has a little more light and shade, relatively speaking, than is typical - with mid-paced riffs allowing the drums to rein it in a little during some sections, which makes the extremely fast sections feel all the more powerful. A shredding guitar solo later is packed full of the band's trademark impressive instrumentation - with at least two of the band's guitarists taking lengthy solo spots. The closing moments of the song are my favourites, though, which is when the choir kicks in. They add such an epic edge to the last vocal-led parts of the song - harmonising well with the growls from the rest of the band, whilst mid-paced riffing allows for a different type of heaviness to settle during this section. Following the short instrumental The Pentagrammthion of Nephren-Ka, which is one of Sanders' typical acoustic-based atmospheric pieces, Overlords of the Black Earth returns to the band's core sound - with a frantic blast beat settling in from the off. Unlike some of the songs here which chop and change their riffing style quite a lot as the song progresses, this song is very much a fast-paced chug. There are a couple of big power chords used to accent some of the vocal lines, which helps the song to produce some hooks, but generally the verses are pretty one-note and crunchy - with a gang vocal-led chorus injecting a surprisingly punky attitude into the piece at times, whilst the choir from before are also used to add some gothic drama to a couple of sections which do actually slow the pace somewhat. The epic choirs are used well here and clean vocals are generally not something associated with Nile. They give the song a grandness, though, especially during a mid-section which transitions from the earlier chug to something more doom-influenced - although it does speed up again later.
Under the Curse of the One God is possibly the fastest and most abrasive track on the album up to this point - at least at first. There are some riffs here which sound mushy and grind-inspired - with the track opening in this fashion. The whole song is not like this, but production-wise the song certainly feels very grimy - although some mid-paced sections later break through the gloom to throw in some anthemic riffing and strident vocals. This mid-paced part is pretty lengthy and a strong contrast from how the song opened. The song does return to its roots, and Sanders is generally the principle vocalist during these grinding parts - his really low growls perfectly suited to such a sound. More typical growls are utilised during the more anthemic sections - with the choir once again used occasionally, too, and the song ends with a percussive sound and some acoustic instruments to break up the pace before Doctrine of Last Things kicks in. This next track reins in the pace of the previous track, instead laying more heavily on a doomy and groove-based aesthetic. There are faster sections, but they rarely reach the intensity levels seen elsewhere - and the fast sections are generally used for effect rather than to dominate, with slower riffing and a fatter guitar tone generally used instead. The riffing here is a bit more memorable than it is in some of the other songs and there is a classic heavy metal approach used at times with some of the main riffs - which helps to break up the chaos which generally permeates the album. The song still feels feral, as the slower pace allows for some strange drum arrangements, but the variety is welcome - with the mix of gothic choirs, doomy riffing, and Kollias' usual drum approach slowed down creating an unsettling atmosphere. The two songs which follow are the longest and most progressive pieces here. True Gods of the Desert, at just over seven minutes, builds on some of the doom sounds of the previous song - and really goes for a slower and heavier sound in a big way. There is little of the band's general break-neck pace on show here - with death/doom riffs mixing with Kollias' busy drumming perfectly, whilst the vocal lines are much more drawn out to really inject some anguish into the piece. Aching guitar leads often add to the song's surprisingly atmospheric sound, with subtle keyboards and the choir further deepening the overall sound when needed. Kollias might lay into his double bass drums at times, but the riffing atop his busy playing is slow so that the song retains its doomy vibe perfectly - and it is great that the riffs can really breathe here. Chaotic drum fills and the occasional burst of speed are utilised well to shake things up - but the drawn out vocal lines and the occasional guitar leads are perfect at creating an atmosphere which is unlike anything else here really. The doomy pace and the focus on tight riffing has made the song a real favourite of mine over repeated listens to the album - and the band's more adventurous side is continued on during the eight minute-plus title track.
It picks up the pace following the slower previous song, but it does not return to the album's early chaos - at least early on. The pace still feels a bit slower overall than is usual for Nile, despite a few controlled blast beats, with grinding riffing sitting nicely behind Kollias' busy and fast-paced drumming. The riffing is not as doomy, though, with the song instead feeling more varied - with the multiple guitar players approaching the song's rhythm a little differently to give things an off-kilter feel. The riffing definitely stands out, then, and it creates a grinding feel early on - whilst more space is given to instrumental moments this time, with a few extended guitar-led sections featuring progressive-sounding guitar leads. The bursts of pace are faster than during the previous song and the track is overall much more intense - but it still maintains a more restrained overall feel, despite a pretty chaotic guitar solo crashing in later on. The song generally snakes on at this slower pace, though, with creepy choral vocals becoming more and more prevalent as it progresses. The album then comes to a close with Lament for the Destruction of Time - another instrumental. This is more of a fully-formed piece, though, rather than one of the band's acoustic interludes, and it picks up on some of the doomier vibes of earlier to deliver a lot of slow-paced riffing and some melodic guitar breaks. In terms of Nile's usual busy sound, though, this song is much more straight ahead. The arrangement is much simpler and this works nicely to allow the riffing to really kick through the speakers - and the solos to soar. Being an instrumental, there is a lot of lead guitar playing here - but there are also moments which focus on Kollias' big drum fills. Following the chaos of elsewhere, the song does wind the album down nicely despite the fact that it is still heavy - and it feels like a fitting closer following the two previous lengthy songs. Overall, then, The Underworld Awaits Us All is another very strong and intense album from Nile. I cannot compare it to all of their previous work, but their core sound is very much present - and the choir which has been used throughout adds a bit of an edge. There is a lot of great riffing and some very interesting arrangements here for those of a more progressive persuasion - and I am looking forward to feeling more at home with the band's heralded discography moving forward.
The album was released on 23rd August 2024 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces by the Four Apes.
After a relatively quiet couple of months on the gigging front, despite a little spurt during August, the next few months are going to get quite busy again. September is not going to be the busiest, despite three shows coming up over the next couple of weeks, but October and November are going to be hectic - and there are lots of excellent things filling my calendar which I am looking forward to. June, July, and August always feel like the summer months and they are generally on the quiet side when it comes to live shows - with bands instead tending to play festivals rather than their own shows. I have been to a few great shows over the past couple of months - but now that September has rolled around it feels like autumn is here and it is time to get back out on the road. September will be my busiest month on the road since May, with a weekend away for a friend's wedding planned alongside some gigging trips, and it kicked off last night with a five minute walk up the road to The Junction on Mutley Plain in Plymouth. As far as local pub venues go, The Junction is one of the best. Since living in Plymouth I have had quite a few memorable nights there - and the venue tends to keep busy despite Plymouth not being an attractive proposition for many bands. Those who do make the effort are generally greeted warmly - and The Junction has hosted a fair few bands over the years who would generally play larger rooms. I have seen bands like Diamond Head, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, and Inglorious there over the years - all of whom could have played somewhere bigger - but there is something exciting about seeing bands in venues which are too small for them. I am not sure that last night quite falls into that category - but The Junction certainly seems like a venue made for the attitude and music of someone like CJ Wildheart. Known as one of the founding members of the dysfunctional yet powerful The Wildhearts, alongside his membership of bands like Honeycrack and The Jellys, CJ has been really pushing himself as a solo artist since his involvement with The Wildhearts ended in 2022 - when what is likely the band's 'classic' line-up broke up following a chaotic 2021 tour. I caught that tour in Exeter and the show was a bit of a shambles sadly, with frontman Ginger Wildheart clearly not wanting to be there. I had previously seen the band deliver a barnstorming set at the 2019 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air, so the Exeter show was a sad thing to see - and they played their last show together a few months later following lots of negativity throughout the tour. Drama is nothing new for The Wildhearts, but CJ seems to have made the best of a bad situation - pushing himself again as a solo artist following a few previous solo releases. He has been relatively busy of late with new releases and shows here and there - and seeing him live locally seemed like a no-brainer. I checked out some of his recent releases in the weeks leading up to the show, so I was prepared for the night despite not having an in-depth knowledge of CJ's solo work.
I did not exactly rush up to the venue, so the opening act Misled were already part-way through their set when I arrived. Given that I did not catch all of their set it would be unfair to review them properly - but what I heard did not really grab me. Their sound was quite a generic brand of gritty pop punk that was all the rage with young local bands when I was a teenager - and they looked like a real relic of the late 2000s in that regard. During Misled's set, though, the place started to fill up nicely. It was not as busy as it had been for those aforementioned shows which were packed out, but CJ certainly drew a healthy and enthusiastic crowd - which is always good to see. The place also filled up further whilst the second support act, The Experimental, were playing. The relatively local three-piece had a very distinct and heavy punk rock sound which was quite different from anything I had heard before. Despite only being a three-piece, the band had a pretty intricate and interesting sound which differed from most punk thrashing - with the bass being used like a guitar thanks to a very clear and precise tone, whilst the guitar added riffs and colour elsewhere. As such, the band sounded much larger than a three-piece, with interesting vocal arrangements which saw the drummer adding plenty of harmonies and counter-point lines which, again, were out of the ordinary. As such, I found The Experimental's set very interesting. They essentially played a posh brand of punk, which is not really my thing, but they had a great stage presence and their sound was so interesting and different from the norm that it was hard not be impressed. The bass playing in particularly was impressive, with some lead playing at times which rivalled some guitar players, whilst the band overall were tight - with a powerful sound that jumped out of the venue's recently upgraded sound system with ease. They received a fairly strong reaction, but sadly the show was plagued somewhat by incessant talkers. The Junction's size does tend to give these sort of people a platform to really be heard - and I remember a Blaze Bayley show there in 2021 being particularly bad for those wanting to shout to their friends, particularly between songs. CJ's set was marred somewhat by this, too, but The Experimental battled through it - which is always sad to see. That being said, they did receive a warm reception - and I imagine that some others were similarly impressed by the band's off-kilter sound and unusual use of instruments to create music which was a lot more interesting than your average three chord punk.
CJ and his band then took to the stage to set up for their show - and when they were done CJ, without any fanfare, announced that they were going to just crack on, and what followed was an hour or so of poppy, punky rock music. Joined by Dean McCreadie (guitar/vocals), Lee Wray (bass guitar/vocals), and Craig Mackay (drums), CJ powered through a 15-song set with ease - which largely pulled from his solo albums, whilst a few older songs from his other various bands were thrown in. CJ's solo material is pretty similar to The Wildhearts' classic sound, which shows that he probably had more of an influence on the band than the writing credits likely suggest, and the night got off to an excellent start with the barnstorming Kick Down the Walls - with McCreadie laying down some tasteful guitar leads whilst CJ belted out the anthemic chorus with ease. Despite the talkers sometimes making it hard to hear what CJ was saying between the songs, something which he actually remarked on at one point, the band were thankfully loud enough to drown them out - and those down at the front were certainly into the show, and plenty of singing from the crowd could be heard throughout. CJ filled the frontman role naturally, laughing and joking with the crowd throughout, and there were a few times that he encouraged the crowd to sing along. The anthemic Butterfingers early on was one which the crowd really latched onto and it was the first big sing-a-long of the night, before CJ dipped back into his past and pulled out Lemonade Girl from his time with The Jellys - as was Milk 'n' Honey earlier in the set. Despite CJ generally chatting between each song, the set flew by. Most of his songs are on the short side - so the night was one which was full of energy. Fast-paced punk numbers like F.U.B.A.R packed an almost metallic punch, whilst the more mid-paced power pop of The Wildhearts' b-side Hit It on the Head allowed for a more melodic sound. This sound was continued later on with two Honeycrack tracks, Go Away and Sitting at Home - but in between all of these poppier pieces were more cuts from CJ's more recent albums, which were much tougher. S.D.E. in particular was pretty potent, as was the chanting punk of All You Rude Boys. These newer songs represent some of CJ's heaviest material to date and it is great to see that he does not seem to want to slow down. Rather than head off and come back for an encore, the band just pushed through - with two more The Wildhearts songs bringing the night to a close. The newer Little Flower prompted quite a lot of singing before another older deep cut O.C.D brought the night to a rousing close. The setlist was:
Kick Down the Walls
Milk 'n' Honey [The Jellys material]
State of Us
Butterfingers
Lemonade Girl [The Jellys material]
All the Dough
F.U.B.A.R
Hit It on the Head [The Wildhearts material]
Give the Dog a Bone
Go Away [Honeycrack material]
S.D.E.
All You Rude Boys
Sitting at Home [Honeycrack material]
Little Flower [The Wildhearts material]
O.C.D [The Wildhearts material]
As much I enjoy a lot of progressive and more complex music, there is something about seeing a live band crash through an hour or so of punky rock and roll - and that is exactly what CJ and his band brought to The Junction last night. The four musicians on the stage were tight and they seemed to be enjoying themselves despite CJ admitting that it was hard for him to return to tiny venues again following years of playing bigger stages with The Wildhearts. I am sure that he felt the love in Plymouth last night, though, and I hope that he decides to return one day - as I would definitely be up for seeing him live again.
In a way, I am surprised that it took until 2024 for Epica's frontwoman Simone Simons to release a solo album. Epica have been going for 22 years at this point, with Simons fronting the band from essentially the start, during which time they have released eight studio albums, a handful of EPs and live albums, and have been extremely active when it comes to touring. Being one of the two primary lyricists for Epica and arguably their focal point, too, Simons has become one of the most recognisable faces in the metal world - with Epica now one of the best-loved symphonic metal bands going for their knack for making complex songs seem accessible and their infectiously joyous live shows. During that time, Simons has lent her talents to many other artists - and she has made a number of guest appearances on others' albums, including those by the likes of Kamelot, Primal Fear, and Angra. Despite this willingness to collaborate, though, Simons had never branched out on her own. I can only assume that she felt creatively satisfied in Epica - and the band's busy schedule likely meant that undertaking her own project was tricky. With Epica's ninth album on the way, which has been recently recorded, I assume that the band will be extremely busy on the road again when it likely drops next year - but Simons clearly also found a bit of downtime recently to work on something of her own, and last month she released her first solo album Vermillion. Whilst Vermillion is billed as a solo album, though, it is very much a collaboration between Simons and the famed Dutch composer and multi-instrumentalist Arjen Anthony Lucassen (Vengeance; Ayreon; Ambeon; Star One; Stream of Passion; Guilt Machine; The Gentle Storm; Supersonic Revolution) - and the album feels as much his as it does hers. Simons is no stranger to working with Lucassen, having sung on three of Ayreon's studio albums as well as appearing with them live - so collaborating with him to create a solo album was a no-brainer. Lucassen's songwriting sets the album apart from Epica's core sound and, despite his prog background, he has as a knack for writing vocal-driven pieces. Lucassen is responsible for all of the album's guitars and the vast majority of its keyboards, whilst Rob van der Loo (Sun Caged; Delain; MaYaN; Epica) handled the bass and Koen Herfst (I Chaos; Dew-Scented; HDK; Vandenberg; Supersonic Revolution) played the drums. Herfst played live with Epica back in 2007, so Simons has certainly kept it in the family when it comes to this album - and Mark Jansen (After Forever; Epica; MaYaN) also adds some harsh vocals to two of the songs. Despite this, though, Vermillion does not sound like Epica-lite - and the album it actually reminds me the most of is Stream of Passion's 2005 debut album Embrace the Storm, which Lucassen co-wrote. The two albums have a very similar mid-paced, gothic, and slightly restrained symphonic metal style - although Simons is certainly a different singer to Marcela Bovio, with Vermillion feeling more overtly symphonic in character and perhaps a little more up-tempo overall, too. Regardless of the finer points of the album's sound, though, it is great to hear Simons in a different context to usual.
Lead single Aeterna kicks things off, with a synth drone opening up the symphonic and expansive piece - which gets going proper once the drums, Lucassen's doomy guitar riffing, and dancing strings which conjure up Eastern melodies kick in. The song is dynamic and mid-paced, with heavier sections sitting nicely side-by-side with more melancholic and string-led moments - and the arrangements are designed in such a way to really push Simons' voice. The album lacks Epica's technicality, but there is enough going on to provide interest - despite the album very much being vocal-driven. The Eastern-tinged melodies really hark back to that aforementioned Stream of Passion album - with the slower verses particularly sounding like that band's core sound as Simons sings alone against some delicate strings and plenty of synths. The chorus is heavier and much more choral by design - and it is this use of a choir which sets Vermillion apart from Embrace the Storm. This is definitely a similarity to Epica's core sound. It is still used for dramatic effect, but it is perhaps not as ominous and as grand as Epica's use of such - with the choral chants contrasting nicely with Simons' mix of poppy vocal hooks and more classically-trained moments. Pulsing synths later in the track, which add a slight pop edge, also help to set Aeterna apart from Epica - and the dense, yet accessible, piece is both familiar and different. In Love We Rust opens very slowly, with Simons singing against some gently swirling strings - and the track gradually builds in stature as it moves along. The rest of the band kick in once the chorus is reached, with the guitars and drums laying down a simple, yet weighty, chug, but the verses are very low key - with strings and occasional piano melodies adding depth behind Simons' sweet delivery. It does feel very restrained at times, with a simple percussive loop adding to the soundscape, but I like the fact that this album moves away from Epica's core sound. This is certainly an album of the same broad genre, but it does not seek to ape Epica's progressive sound - as is clear once Lucassen launches into a controlled and emotive guitar solo later in the piece, which builds on some of the chorus melodies somewhat. The mix of mellow verses and a more gothic chorus works well as a vehicle for Simons' varied vocal delivery. Cradle to the Grave features the vocal talents of Alissa White-Gluz (The Agonist; Arch Enemy), so it is perhaps unsurprising that the piece is more up-tempo and heavier overall than the previous two cuts. Pulsing synths and a barrelling riff open the track up, and soon the piece settles into a mid-paced chugging groove - over which shimmering keyboards and the occasional folky melody are added. The verses are slower again, though, with Simons' sweet vocals shining against a simple keyboard backing - but once White-Gluz unleashes some harsh vocals the opening groove returns and the chorus takes a much heavier path, with the two ladies trading vocal lines back and forth. The occasional use of harsh vocals on this album is another link back to Epica, but White-Gluz adds a lot to this gothic piece - and the chorus has more bite thanks to her growls, with Simons adding a slightly shriller delivery to match.
Opening with some murky clean guitar melodies, Fight or Flight continues on the darker tones which have generally been present throughout the album to this point and Simons soon starts to sing against this gentle backing. Acoustic guitars are slowly brought in to add depth, and Herfst starts to lay down a percussive and distant drum pattern - over which some carefree guitar leads are added. As is typical of many of the songs on this album, though, it grows in stature as it moves along. The chorus is another pretty heavy moment, with tougher guitars backing Simons' more operatic delivery - before the percussive and swampy verse returns to lower the tone again. More guitar leads are used for effect, too, which showcase Lucassen's prog roots in quite a big way - before a soaring violin solo from regular Lucassen collaborator and session player Ben Mathot adds an emotional bent to the dynamic piece. Weight of My World is a bit more riffy and much more straight ahead metal than most of the other tracks here. Many of the songs are much more dynamic, with light and shade, but this track is generally much less varied - with Lucassen throwing in quite a few guitar leads and riffs throughout the song, whilst Herfst also gets the chance to really pound the drums. There are slower moments, but they are generally very brief - with Simons singing with a lot of effects on her voice against a somewhat industrial backing. Screaming guitar leads are thrown in for effect, whilst the strings and atmospheric depth are kept to a minimum this time. The synths generally just boost the guitar and bass weight - although the chorus is a bit more atmospheric thanks to subtle strings as well as the return of the opening song's choir. Pseudo-title track Vermillion Dreams follows, and the slow-burning piece returns more to the album's core sound. The riffing of the previous song is generally absent - with pulsing synths setting an unsettling tone early on, over which Simons starts to sing. Her beautiful voice clashes nicely with these synths, and with the clean guitars which later join in, before a more expansive chorus later features marching drums as well as the occasional busy guitar lead. Generally, though, this is another piece written to really showcase Simons' expansive voice. She has always shone in Epica, but perhaps this album allows her to show off a few different sides of her voice - and this song's chorus goes all in for a multi-tracked performance to widen the dramatic scope. The Core is the first of two songs to feature Jansen's harsh vocals - and in fact he actually opens the song with some machine gun growls, set against some synths and fast-paced drums. The industrial band Pain is referenced a little here in my opinion, and Simons soon joins in with Jansen's screams - before a snaking verse takes over which features a pulsing bassline and a hooky guitar lead which breaks up the vocal melodies. Like Weight of My World, then, this song is a bit more straight ahead and heavier. There is a lot more prominent guitar work on display here and the chorus is one of the album's hookiest moments in my opinion. It very much contains the hallmarks of Lucassen's melodic style and Simons delivers it nicely - with Jansen adding some growls here and there for effect.
Dystopia is another track which harks back to that first Stream of Passion album somewhat - with the opening mid-paced riff and Eastern melodies sounding very familiar. The symphonic/gothic metal scene of the mid-2000s was a very distinct place, and the genre has gone off in many directions since, but this song feels like a bit of a deliberate throwback to that time - with Lucassen's chugging guitars sounding very gothic in tone and Simons' wordless vocal melodies backed by simple choral harmonies again feeling like a reference to that time. The floatier sections of the verses feel different, though, and more akin with some of Epica's ballads, but as soon as the guitars loom back into the view that mid-2000s sound very much returns. The song does take a turn part way through, though, and morphs into something more atmospheric and prog-inspired - with Lucassen laying down a floaty guitar solo which makes use of sustained notes, before the song becomes heavier again and the solo continues on at a faster and more metallic piece. This is not generally an album with lots of extended instrumental sections, but this solo works nicely. R.E.D. is the other song to feature Jansen's growls - and it also features some gang vocals at times. The song is a bit of a mix of sounds, and at first it sounds as if it is going to be another up-tempo and more industrial-sounding piece, with Jansen again getting things underway - but once Simons starts to sing things take a more synth-driven path. The verses are formed of spiky synths, then, which build towards a chorus which features Fear Factory-esque guitar tones - alongside the aforementioned gang vocal chants and some powerful barks from Jansen. The harsh vocals are not overused on this album, but do give a handful of songs the occasional kick - and Simons later uses her voice as instrument, singing what almost sounds like a bluesy guitar lead with lots of strange effects on her voice. It is a song that has a lot going on within, so it is one of the overall highlights thanks to the multitude of vibes. The album then comes to a close with the delicate ballad Dark Night of the Soul - featuring Joost van den Broek (Sun Caged; After Forever; Supersonic Machine) on piano and Perttu Kivilaakso (Apocalyptica) on cello. Given the variety on display throughout this album, ending things on a ballad seems fitting - and it is the most organic piece here, with Simons singing in her typically emotional way against rolling piano melodies, whilst occasional soaring cello lines add depth. It is a very simple song which does not become any grander as it moves along. The piano and cello melodies, with some additional strings for backing, are all that sit behind Simons' excellent voice - and it is one last showcase piece for her, with Kivilaakso in particular really complimenting her delivery with some intricate cello lines. It is nice way to end the album - and it is a contrast to the denseness which came before. Vermillion, then, is a surprisingly varied album from Simons - which touches on her past whilst also presenting her vocals and lyrics in a more restrained manner. There is less bombast here than is typical, but there are moments of heaviness to kick things up a gear when needed - but overall the album is a welcome vocal-driven set of songs from one of metal's current best-loved vocalists.
The album was released on 23rd August 2024 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is Simons' promotional video for Aeterna.
