The Night Flight Orchestra - London Review

Following an excellent night in Islington with H.E.A.T the previous night - this past Saturday I continued my weekend of live melodic rock with a sold out show by The Night Flight Orchestra at The Garage - also in Islington. It was a rare treat to spend two nights in the same Travelodge. It meant that I had a bit of a lie in after the late night of H.E.A.T - and then spent a rather lazy late morning/early afternoon doing a trawl of the Islington record and charity shops for LPs and CDs. There are better parts of London for such, but as I was close by and it had been a while since I had done the rounds there it seemed like a good idea - and I came away with a couple of LPs and a handful of CDs (including a nice looking copy of the 1983 debut album from Fastway for £4.00 - likely the weekend's bargain). Following lunch at Franco Manca, I headed back to the hotel to finish off my H.E.A.T write-up and watch the football results roll in - so it was not long before I was ready to go back to Islington for the second show of the long weekend. I first got into The Night Flight Orchestra in 2019 - but they become a real favourite during the course of the pandemic. It helped that they released albums in both 2020 and 2021, so they naturally became part of the soundtrack of those years - but I also went back and picked up the back catalogue. I am not sure why it took me so long to give the band a listen, though. I have been a Soilwork fan for many years at this point, and I have also been an AOR fan for a similar period of time. As such, a band which combines the two should really have been on my radar earlier - but I got there in the end. I am not sure what it was that finally made me give the band a listen - but whatever it was I have not looked back. I have not had a chance to listen to their newly-released latest album Give Us the Moon yet, besides the singles, so I am looking forward to digging into it and reviewing it soon - but otherwise I am fully versed in the band's catalogue. Fittingly, too, given their heavy presence as part of my pandemic listening, I saw the band live for the first time at the 2022 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air. As the headliners of the Second Stage on the festival's final night, they were actually the last band of the weekend I saw. Their upbeat and fun music was certainly an antidote to what had generally been a heavy weekend in terms of music, and a very hot one in terms of weather, so their set was one of the festival's best overall in my opinion. Since seeing the band at Bloodstock, then, I had been waiting for them to announce their next headline tour - and the news of such dropped last year alongside the news that their seventh album, Give Us the Moon, would come out around the same time. Only one UK show was included, which was not a surprise, and it was at The Garage in Islington - a venue I had only been to once before when I saw Cats in Space there back in 2021. Given that the venue operates as a night club as well as a venue, those who bought tickets were told that the doors would open at 6pm - but it turned out to be 6:30pm which was frustrating as standing in the cold for an extra half an hour was not much fun. The doors eventually opened at around 6:45pm, too, following a delay - and it was good to get in out of the cold.

Given the 10pm curfew, there was only time for one support act - but, in truth, I wish that there had not been one. I have grown to be fairly open-minded over the years, and can generally find redeeming qualities in most bands - even if to make lacklustre support acts feel a bit more interesting. I have to say, though, that, for me anyway, there was absolutely nothing redeeming about Tragedy's set. I had heard of Tragedy before, a band who play metal covers of disco and pop songs, but I had not heard any of their interpretations. A couple of minutes into their set on Saturday, though, I just wanted it to end. I have seen some bad support acts in my time, and I doubt that Tragedy are actually the very worst - but they are certainly up there. One thing I have realised that I do not really like in my music is comedy - especially childish comedy. I went off Steel Panther pretty quickly after the novelty wore off and I get more tired of bands like Alestorm by the day - but Tragedy was a new level of childish humour. Steel Panther are all top-class musicians, too, but I could not say the same about Tragedy. They were competent musically, but I felt that vocally they left a lot to be desired. If a band is going to cover Bee Gees songs, then they need to be able to harmonise well - but most of Tragedy' harmonies sounded messy and screechy. The overall arrangements were pretty pedestrian, too. There was nothing interesting done to the songs to make them sound more metallic - they were essentially just sped up somewhat with more guitar than would be typical. Throw in a Bez-like figure, who only seemed to be there to jump around and play with silly props - and the whole thing really stuck in the throat. I spent the whole set just wanting it to be over - with each song sounding as bad as the last. I cannot remember all of the songs which were butchered, but we got Tragedy (naturally), It's Raining Men, and the real nadir of How Deep Is Your Love (if any song needs tight harmonies then it is How Deep Is Your Love) and, sadly, many more. What annoys me about this band opening for a good chunk of The Night Flight Orchestra's tour, too, is that they are depriving a 'real' band of a good opportunity. There are lots of newer, younger AOR/melodic rock bands out there who would have likely loved to jump on this tour - but instead a glorified meme was chosen, which says a lot about certain elements of the modern music industry.

By the time that The Night Flight Orchestra hit the stage at around 8:30pm, The Garage was packed. In truth, the band should have played a larger venue - and the overly cramped feeling of the venue did have something of an impact on my enjoyment of the show. The band were still great, and put on a masterful set despite being cramped on the stage - but it is clear that they have outgrown somewhere like The Garage. Why people continually try to push back and forth into non-existent space I will never know - but I tried to put the conditions to the back of my mind and just enjoy the show. For the most part, this was easy. Despite not having heard the new album, and five songs from it were played, the 17-song setlist was a great cross-section of the band's catalogue - and it was a new track, Stratus, which opened things up. It was one of the more majestic of the newer cuts played, and it worked well to kick things off - with frontman Björn Strid making a big entrance in his cloak and beret as the song got underway. This latest album is the band's first without the late David Andersson - and their first with Strid's Soilwork bandmate Rasmus Ehrnborn (guitar/vocals) stepping into his shoes. Andersson rarely toured with the band, so not much has changed on that front - but it was no doubt an emotional time for the band as their new era kicked off. Plenty of Andersson's songs were featured during the night, though, with the oldie California Morning being an early, riffy, highlight - before a couple of Strid's pop anthems in the form of Shooting Velvet and Divinyls saw plenty of singing from the capacity crowd. The former, another new cut, came across particularly well - whilst the sparkling playing of John Lönnmyr (keyboards) carried the latter. It was great to actually see Sharlee D'Angelo (bass guitar) touring with the band, too. Often he is too busy with Arch Enemy commitments to play live with The Night Flight Orchestra - but this tour has the band's full compliment present, and D'Angelo showed a different side to his playing with lots of funky grooves. Strid spoke to the crowd quite a bit, and teased the possibility of a proper UK tour in the future, but generally the band let the music do the talking. The Toto-esque Domino was another highlight - whilst another new cut in the form of Cosmic Tide took the band down a more psychedelic and even progressive path, with plenty of guitar interplay between Ehrnborn and Sebastian Forslund (guitar/percussion/vocals). Things later slowed down via another new track, the ballad Paloma, but this was only a brief moment of respite before the harder rocking older single Satellite and the big AOR grooves of Can't Be That Bad. A surprise late inclusion in the set was the lengthy Transatlantic Blues - a more progressive piece from the band's first album which differed from the soaring melodies found elsewhere. It allowed the band room to stretch out, with Ehrnborn, Forslund, and Lönnmyr all getting spotlight moments - before the main set came to an end with the soaring Burn for Me. A brief step off the stage saw the crowd baying for more - and a three-song encore followed which took the band past the curfew. No-one seemed to mind, though, with the shout-along anthem White Jeans seeing the two backing singers giving it their all - whilst one last new track in the form of Way to Spend the Night was another great representation of the band's easy-going sound. It was left to their anthem West Ruth Ave to bring what was a great set to a close - with many in the crowd partaking in a large conga line around the venue, which was impressive given how packed the place was. The setlist was:

Final Call (Intro)

Stratus

California Morning

Shooting Velvet

Divinyls

Domino

Gemini

Cosmic Tide

This Boy's Last Summer

Paloma

Satellite

Transmissions

Can't Be That Bad

Transatlantic Blues

Burn for Me

-

White Jeans

Way to Spend the Night

West Ruth Ave

Despite feeling that the venue was too full, which meant for an uncomfortable experience at times (especially as one person near me had an enormous bag which kept bashing into me), The Night Flight Orchestra were excellent. Their set was packed with melodic rock anthems, many of which are as good as the classics from the 1980s, and I hope that Strid's talk of a proper UK tour does happen at some point - as it would be great to see the band play elsewhere other than London. The less said about the support the better, but the evening was another great night out - and the middle of what turned out to be a fantastic long weekend of live music.

H.E.A.T - London Review

It is always nice when long weekends away gigging are somewhat themed. It does not happen too often, as planning when bands tour is not down to me, but it always feels like the stars align somewhat when it does happen. I am currently in London and one show into a long weekend which is somewhat themed - as last night was and the next couple of nights will be filled with some of the best AOR and melodic rock of the current era. Whilst this type of music sprung from the 1980s, it has remained popular - particularly again over the last decade or so. There are whole record labels dedicated to pumping out this sort of music and some of the bigger bands in the scene have become pretty big names. Tonight I will be seeing The Night Flight Orchestra in London before heading to Birmingham to catch one of the legends of the sound in Toto - but this review will focus on last night's trip to the Islington Assembly Hall to catch the Swedish rockers H.E.A.T play to a pretty large and very enthusiastic crowd. I first listened to H.E.A.T over a decade ago, around the time that 2012's Address the Nation came out - but I did not fully get into them properly until I saw them opening for The Quireboys in 2018. I played catch-up from then - and have since seen the band another four times (including last night). Another shorter set came first, this time opening for Skid Row, before I finally got a chance to see the band as a headline act in 2022 - after the show had been postponed a couple of times due to the pandemic. Apart from last night, my last H.E.A.T show came last year - when I saw the band, alongside Tyketto and Dare, at Chepstow Castle. Despite my love of H.E.A.T, I actually found their set at Chepstow Castle somewhat underwhelming. All three of the previous shows had been great, but that one felt somewhat lacklustre. The sound mix never quite seemed right and the band also seemed to be suffering from some technical issues throughout the show. I think they struggled to follow a rampant Tyketto, too, who really blew the doors off with a stunning set packed full of anthems. Sometimes things like that happen, but I was not going to be put off - and when the band announced a UK tour for 2025 I picked up a ticket as soon as I could. I opted for the London show, despite closer options, due to it fitting in with the other aforementioned gigs which I already had booked. The Islington Assembly Hall is a good venue, too. It is not one that I get to all that often, but this was my second visit in a few months - having recently taken in Robert Jon & The Wreck there back in November. I was sat upstairs then, but I was standing this time - and the place was pretty full. The balcony was not that busy, but the floor was - so the turnout was decent and likely comparable to the 2022 show in Brixton. Following some dinner at the packed nearby Wetherspoons, I joined the queue outside the venue. We were soon let in and out of the cold - and I took my spot ready for what was to come.

There were two support acts before H.E.A.T took to the stage - and up first was Chez Kane and her band. I had previously seen Kane as part of her old band Kane'd, opening for Tyketto, but this was my first time seeing her as a solo artist. I enjoyed both of her solo albums, which are just pure AOR/melodic rock, so I was looking forward to see her bringing some of those songs to life - and she rocked the stage for 40 or so minutes, delivering a nine-song set with ease. Backed by a band featuring Tyketto's Harry Scott Elliott (guitar/vocals) and Walkway's James Ready (guitar/vocals), Kane put on a great set which got the evening off to a fine start. The setlist was pretty evenly balanced between both of her solo albums, and she kicked off with the big single Too Late for Love. It was clear from the off that many of those in attendance were also fans of Kane's - and those down at the front especially were really into it. Kane did not have to do much to get the crowd going, then, and at times she received reactions which some headliners struggle to attain. Her easy-going stage presence and powerful voice helped, but it was the strength of the songs which really sold it. Essentially everything she played was a real anthem - with chorus after chorus filling the room as the place filled up. Groovier hard rock tracks like All of It and Get It On sat nicely side-by-side with more AOR anthems like I Just Want You and Rocket on the Radio - and the overall vibe never dipped during her time on stage. It helped, too, that her band were really tight. I have seen Elliott a few times now with Tyketto, as well as with Kane'd in the past, so I knew about his guitar prowess - but Ready also impressed with some bluesier playing. I did see Walkway at one of the iterations of the Cambridge Rock Festival - but that was many years ago so I did not remember much about Ready. He and Elliott made for a strong guitar duo, though, with contrasting styles, and the few times they teamed up for unison leads were very enjoyable. Kane's set came to an end with one of her faster, more hard-hitting tracks in Powerzone - with the high-energy rocker certainly leaving the crowd wanting more. I am sure that most in attendance would not have minded hearing another couple of songs, but sadly by this point it was time to move onto the next band. I really enjoyed Kane's set and I am glad that I have now had the chance to see her having enjoyed her solo albums previously. I would certainly like to see her performing a longer set in the future - and I am also looking forward to where she goes from here musically. The setlist was:

Too Late for Love

All of It

I Just Want You

Nationwide

Ball n' Chain

Love Gone Wild

Get It On

Rocket on the Radio

Powerzone

Another Swedish band in Art Nation were up next. Strangely, though, the four-piece played a shorter set than Kane, at just under 30 minutes, and there was a bit of a long gap between the two. I thought that, perhaps, there had been some technical issues, hence the shorter set, but looking back at the band's setlists for the previous shows on this tour this situation seems to be the norm. Kane should have really followed Art Nation, then, especially as she received a much stronger reaction, but the Swedish four-piece still put on a decent set - even if their sound mix was never as good as either Kane's or H.E.A.T's. A bit heavier than most modern AOR bands, and looking more like a power metal band, Art Nation added a metallic edge to the night. With the big synth backing relegated to a backing track, the standout musician on stage was Christoffer Borg (guitar) - who filled the set with plenty of razor-sharp riffs and a lot of shredded soloing. The guitar firepower during Art Nation's set was much more high-octane than anything else during the night - and the high-pitched vocals of frontman Alexander Strandell complimented this guitar assault perfectly. It was a shame, then, that Strandell's voice was low in the mix for most of the set. When he unleashed a high-pitched scream he could be heard pretty well - but when he was singing more normally he was generally buried. This was a shame as I could not get a full sense of the band's melodic choruses, which were likely impressive - but as things stood the sound mix did not allow the band to fully flourish. Strandell clearly has a great voice, though, and Borg is an impressive guitarist - but it feels as if the band is somewhat caught between two camps and are not sure which sort of band they want to be. They might be a band who would actually benefit from being a bit heavier. They could transition into a pretty smooth power metal band quite easily, which would likely make better use of Strandell's voice, rather than ploughing AOR-esque furrows which others tend to do better. The closing track, Need You to Understand, was easily the best song they played - with a tougher approach yet a soaring chorus that lots in the room latched onto. By this point the sound was a little better, too, which helped - and the song left the good final impression even if Art Nation never fully impressed.

By the time the lights went down again and H.E.A.T took to the stage, the room was pretty full and everyone was up for a great night. Following the aforementioned underwhelming showing at Chepstow Castle, I was hoping for the band to really bounce back - and from the off it was clear that the show was going to be a special one. Due to the performance and a great setlist, last night was easily the best H.E.A.T show that I have seen to date - with the fast-paced new single Disaster getting things underway with its John Sykes-esque riff and a barnstorming chorus. Unlike Art Nation, H.E.A.T did not suffer from muddy sound. They sounded clear all night, with frontman Kenny Leckremo turning in a rousing performance as he soared above the rest of the band. Since he re-joined the band he has gradually improved over time. When I first saw him with H.E.A.T I thought that he perhaps lacked some of the power of his predecessor - but I did not feel that at all last night. He handled his material and the material he did not originally sing with ease - as was established early on with a version of one of my personal favourites Emergency. All of the band's albums, including the upcoming Welcome to the Future, were represented in the set - and there was a good balance between faster pieces, mid-paced AOR anthems, and slower numbers. Early on the vibe was more fast-paced, with the riffy and tougher Dangerous Ground continuing on the energy of the opening two tracks - but much of the set's first half which followed was generally more mid-paced. A more groovy Rise was an early highlight, and a song which I had not heard the band do live before. There were a few songs in the set which I had not heard live before, which is always good, with the newer Harder to Breathe and an old favourite In and Out of Trouble being two of such. The great thing about seeing H.E.A.T is that they always look like they are having a great time. Jimmy Jay (bass guitar/vocals) always covers every inch of the stage whilst throwing a number of old-school rockstar poses - and the more laid back Dave Dalone (guitar/vocals) oozed plenty of cool. As is common at a H.E.A.T show, Beg Beg Beg became a bit of a setlist centrepiece - and it was stretched out somewhat with some jamming and a portion of Black Sabbath's War Pigs. This led into a big solo from drummer Don Crash, before another newer cut in Back to the Rhythm saw plenty of singing from the crowd during the fist-pumping chorus. This last part of the set felt like a bit of a victory lap, with signature pieces like Living on the Run and 1000 Miles impressing as they tend to do. Perhaps the real treat of the latter part of the set, though, was getting a chance to hear another track from the upcoming album - with the catchy Bad Time for Love sounding like a real throwback to the 1980s. By this point there was only time for a couple more, and one last anthem in One by One, with plenty of pompy synths from Jona Tee (keyboards/vocals), had everyone rocking out - before the big power ballad Tearing Down the Walls was left to close things out, as the chorus was sung back at the band by the crowd as the night came to an end. The setlist was:

Disaster

Emergency

Dangerous Ground

Hollywood

Rise

Nationwide

Harder to Breathe

In and Out of Trouble

Beg Beg Beg/War Pigs [Black Sabbath cover]

Drum Solo

Back to the Rhythm

Living on the Run

Bad Time for Love

1000 Miles

One by One

Tearing Down the Walls

Overall, last night's gig in Islington was a great way to kick off my weekend of melodic rock. It was great to catch Chez Kane live considering that I have previously enjoyed her albums - and H.E.A.T put on a masterful showing that was the most powerful set of theirs that I have seen to date. It was great to hear such a different set from the band, as it is vital to ensure that things stay fresh, and it is always good to see a band like H.E.A.T playing to a decent sized crowd. I am sure that H.E.A.T will return soon - and I am already looking forward to hearing their new album when it drops in April.

Bullet for My Valentine/Trivium - Cardiff Review

I am used to bands that have been around for many years celebrating milestone anniversaries of their classic albums. I have been to many shows which celebrate anniversaries of albums released in the 1970s, 1980s, and even the 1990s - but given that 2005 was 20 years ago it should come as no surprise that some classics of my teenage years are now reaching landmark milestones. Nothing showcases the crawling passage of time quite like loved albums from our youth aging and being celebrated like many of the classics released before I was born have been in the past. I am not sure that I was aware of either of Bullet for My Valentine or Trivium in 2005, when The Poison and Ascendancy respectively were released, but it was not too long after that I started to pay attention. Trivium's The Crusade, which dropped at the end of 2006, was likely the first 'modern metal' album I bought - so it was probably not too long after I got hold of that album that I started to listen to both The Poison and Ascendancy. The videos from the former were certainly all over Kerrang! TV at the time, so they were hard to ignore, whilst Trivium fuelled my interest thanks to their inclusion of some more progressive influences into their metalcore sound. I saw Trivium in 2007 and Bullet for My Valentine in 2008, both in Plymouth, and, with the exception of seeing Lamb of God open for Heaven & Hell also in 2007, they were easily the heaviest concerts I had been to at the time. Metal purists will no doubt scoff at that, but young metal fans need to start somewhere - and Trivium's show in particular stands out as a memorable formative concert experience. Over the years I have followed both bands, but I think that it is fair to say that I followed Trivium more closely. I have always stuck close to the Florida-based band, lapping up each new album as it dropped, whilst also managing to catch them live a few times - taking in two concerts in 2023 alone. The band's heavier and more progressive sound has always spoken to me - and the technicality of their music has always kept me coming back. Whilst I never truly went off Bullet for My Valentine, I just found that they spoke to me less as time moved on. I kept up with them for a while, but started to somewhat lose interest during the mid-2010s - so much so that I did not pick up 2018's Gravity until much later. I enjoyed the band's 2021 self-titled release (which I reviewed here), and saw them live again around that time, but I have not returned to their music often since. Despite this, though, when a lengthy tour by the two bands was announced last year to celebrate their breakthrough 2005 releases I was all in. I do not need many excuses to see Trivium live, and getting a chance to hear The Poison in full was also tempting - and I am not sure that Bullet for My Valentine have ever bettered that caustic debut. I opted for the first night of the tour at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff - which soon sold out, prompting another show to be added. The venues booked were the biggest that either band have played in the UK for a number of years - and healthy ticket sales show that there remains plenty of love for both albums, even if there was no doubt a healthy amount of emo nostalgia at play.

Being a Sunday, the venue opened early and the evening's sole support act, Orbit Culture, took to the stage at around 6:15pm. The Swedish melodic death metal band only had around half an hour to play with, and battled somewhat boomy sound, but they delivered a strong set to a pretty receptive crowd. With an all-white stage set, which was rather grand by support band standards, the band made a strong impression from the off with their bludgeoning sound - which is different to most Swedish melodic death metal. There is a strong groove metal influence to be found within Orbit Culture's music - and there is little of the traditional lead guitar approach pioneered by bands like At the Gates and In Flames. As such, there is very little light to be found amongst the shade of the band's core sound, which does lead to limited variety - but I enjoyed the band's 30 minutes on stage. I had previously seen them live opening for Trivium two years ago - but I have not explored their work that much since. I have heard their two most recent albums, as well as a recent EP, but I am certainly no expert in their work - and the sound mix was a bit muddy at times to truly pick out some of the nuances. That being said, though, the riffing throughout was powerful, with a few circle pits opening up towards the end of the set, whilst the vocals of frontman Niklas Karlsson were generally pretty powerful. There were a few more lead guitar-based moments, which allowed Richard Hansson (guitar) to shine - but generally his showcase moments were solos rather than in-song melodies. Orbit Culture certainly have a very oppressive sound, both live and on record, and I do wonder whether breaking this up somewhat at times would help. They are the sort of band that can really fatigue the ears after a while, and this would have certainly happened on Sunday had their set been much longer. I like what the band do, but I struggle to fully connect with them for that reason - and I feel that there are times that their music could be more melodic. That being said, they went down pretty well at the show. A large crowd had got there early and the band even managed to get a decent-sized wall of death going during one of the songs - so I think that it is fair to say that Orbit Culture did their job of warming up the crowd well.

I get the impression that Trivium and Bullet for My Valentine are rotating who is in the headline slot each night - but for the opening night of the tour it was Bullet for My Valentine who topped the bill. This made sense given the band's Welsh roots, so it was Trivium who followed Orbit Culture. I have seen Trivium a few times over the years, but there were still a few songs from Ascendancy which I had not seen them do live. Unlike Bullet for My Valentine, I think that Trivium have since bettered their breakthrough album - but Ascendancy nevertheless remains a high point in their catalogue, and it is an extremely mature album considering how young the band were when it was recorded. Drummer Alex Bent was not part of the band at the time, but the other three all were - and as soon as the first riff of Rain crashed in it was clear that the band meant business. Trivium are always great live, but in terms of pure performance this might be the best yet in my experience. The main reason for this were the vocals of Matt Heafy (vocals/guitar) - who sounded the best he has live for many a year. He recently stated that he had managed to re-learn how he used to scream, although this time without damaging his voice. I had somewhat raised my eyebrows at this when I read it - but I was blown away by how great he sounded. He has always managed to adapt songs well live, but he really roared through the set - with Corey Beaulieu (vocals/guitar) singing less, despite still having a strong presence. The two headliners had just over an hour each, which meant that there was time for their respective album and a little more. Ascendancy was played in full from start to finish as the set kicked off, then, with Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr hitting the crowd early on and the soaring title track being an early highlight. Before A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation got underway, though, Bent laid into his kit for a bit of solo whilst a large inflatable version of the figure on the album's cover rose behind him - bring the set really up to arena standards. This, combined with a large catwalk which the band made great use of, really made the set feel like a spectacle - and anthems like A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation and Like Light to the Flies really filled the room with everyone singing along. The guitar solo trade-off between Beaulieu and Heafy during the latter was excellent - and the band just went from strength to strength as things progressed. The only song on the album which I do not think has aged all that well is Dying in Your Arms, and it felt a bit overtly emo compared to everything else - but the thrash of The Deceived and a rare outing for the strange and off-kilter Suffocating Sight showcased the band at their best. With the album's deeper cuts sitting towards the end, too, the set stayed interesting throughout - with the more acoustic-based Departure and the lengthy Declaration, neither of which have been played live too often over the years, bringing Ascendancy to a close. There was time for one more, though, and as Capsizing the Sea played over the PA it was clear what was to follow - and the groovy riffing and big chorus of In Waves brought a masterful metal set to a powerful close. The setlist was:

The End of Everything

Rain

Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr

Drowned and Torn Asunder

Ascendancy

Drum Solo

A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation

Like Light to the Flies

Dying in Your Arms

The Deceived

Suffocating Sight

Departure

Declaration/Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr

Capsizing the Sea

In Waves

It was always going to hard for Bullet for My Valentine to top Trivium's set and, in my opinion, they did not manage to do so. I still enjoyed the Welsh band's set, but in my opinion The Poison has not aged anywhere near as well as Ascendancy - and it very much feels rooted in 2005 thanks to its angsty lyrics and overall emo vibe. That being said, it remains a strong album of the time - and hearing many of the songs live for the first time was fun. I moved further back during Bullet for My Valentine's set, so I enjoyed it more casually, but the sound mix was powerful - with Matt Tuck (vocals/guitar) sounding great vocally, whilst Jamie Mathias (vocals/bass guitar) added plenty of throaty screams. The thrashy Her Voice Resides and the anthemic 4 Words (To Choke Upon) sounded great as always - and it is fair to say that the hometown crowd were really up for the show. There was a lot more singing during Bullet for My Valentine's set than there was during Trivium's - with the soaring power ballad Tears Don't Fall, sitting far earlier in the set than it usually would, eliciting a big sing-a-long. I would argue, though, that the band did not fulfil their brief - as they did not play The Poison in full as advertised. This is because Spit You Out was not played, which has been left off some reissues and overseas releases in favour of Hand of Blood (which was played), but I would assume that most in attendance grew up with the original version of the album which included Spit You Out. I was looking forward to hearing the song live, too, as it is one of my favourite deeper cuts on the album - so when it was not played I was disappointed. Hand of Blood could have still been played, perhaps as part of the encore instead of being inserted into the album where it never really belonged, but either way I think it was a mistake to leave out Spit You Out. That said, though, many of the deeper cuts still sounded strong. Hit the Floor sounded pretty anthemic - with Room 409 being another unexpected highlight later on. Michael Paget (guitar/vocals) found plenty of time throughout the set to solo, although he sadly seemed quite rooted to his spot on the stage - with only Tuck really making significant use of the catwalk. Trivium had been all over it, so it seemed rather like the Tuck show as a result - with the others knowing their place. This was a shame, and the set had a different overall vibe, but the performance was still strong. When it was time to play Cries in Vain, though, the band had to stop twice due to issues in the crowd. I am not sure what was happening but there was an awkward silence for what was probably a couple of minutes and the band tried twice to start the song before finally getting to play it at the third attempt. The main set then came to a close with The End, a much more atmospheric song overall, and the band briefly left the stage to loud cheers. The screens on the stage soon crackled back to life, though, and a two-song encore followed. The newer Knives showcased the band's current sound, before the anthemic Waking the Demon brought the night to a sing-a-long close - and the band took their bows to plenty of love from the Welsh rockers in attendance. The setlist was:

Intro

Her Voice Resides

4 Words (To Choke Upon)

Tears Don't Fall

Suffocating Under Words of Sorrow (What Can I Do)

Hit the Floor

All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)

Hand of Blood

Room 409

The Poison

10 Years Today

Cries in Vain

The End

-

Knives

Waking the Demon

Overall, I enjoyed all three bands. Orbit Culture put on a strong showing for half an hour and Bullet for My Valentine were a lot of fun - playing what remains their best album (mostly) in full. For me, though, the evening belonged to Trivium. They are one of the leading lights of the modern metal scene in my opinion, and they have gone from strength to strength since Ascendancy dropped in 2005. They remain a creative and vital force in metal and even on this nostalgia-packed night they showcased why. This tour is likely to be hugely successful for all involved - and both bands deserve to reflect on what they achieved 20 years ago.

Magnum - Wolverhampton Review

I think it is fair to say that, when the band's founding guitarist and songwriter Tony Clarkin died in January 2024, I thought that I would never see Magnum live again. I had a ticket to see them live last year, but the tour was cancelled a month or so before Clarkin's death due to his ill health - and at the time it was suggested that that might be it as far as touring was concerned, even before his sad passing. Founding frontman Bob Catley confirmed as much not long after Clarkin's death, too, and I do not think that anyone could really be surprised. Whilst Catley had fronted Magnum since the beginning, Clarkin essentially was Magnum - at least in terms of songwriting and production. Whilst Catley was the focal point on stage and brought Clarkin's songs to life - Clarkin essentially wrote everything Magnum ever put out on his own, and also became their producer during the second half of their career. Nothing could ever replace that force - and Catley seemed broken by the death of his friend and long-time associate. A few months ago, though, it seems that he had a change of heart - and it was announced that, in agreement with Clarkin's family, Magnum would reunite for a short run of tribute shows in 2025. In place of Clarkin would be his long-time guitar tech Brendon Riley (guitar) - with Catley leading the charge alongside the rest of the last line-up of the band. Whilst this left Catley as the only founding member (and, indeed, the only long-term member) in the band - I am not sure that many people minded. Many of Magnum's other founding or long-term members have been out of the band for some time by this point - and the last line-up of the band was likely the strongest of the the reunion era, at least in terms of drumming and vocal support for Catley. It would have been nice to have seen some other key older members join this run of shows, but Catley and Clarkin's family clearly just wanted to be surrounded by those they gelled with - and it made sense to pick up where things left off. Of the handful of dates announced, I opted for KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton. The show ended up selling out quickly, so a second date was added - alongside other shows in London, Manchester, and Glasgow. The Glasgow show ended up being postponed due to the recent storm, so there is at least one more Magnum show to come somewhere down the line - but as I write the tour is over and Magnum have no other plans. It did feel as if this tour would be it, and it makes sense to bow out here. Catley is 77 and is known to struggle with his voice at times - and without Clarkin there are not going to be any other new albums to promote. As such, this triumphant final tribute tour featuring many of Clarkin's best songs from over the years seems like a good way to close the Magnum book - and KK's was packed on Saturday night in anticipation of such. The band likely made a fortune in merch sales, as the queue for shirts and a limited edition LP snaked around the venue, and there was a great atmosphere in the room from the moment the doors opened - with the band's dedicated fanbase looking forward to singing along to their favourite songs one more time.

It turned out to be quite an early one, too. There was no support act, and the band played two sets with a 15 or so minute interval - which all kicked off at 8pm and was done by just past 10pm. There was little in terms of hanging around, then, particularly after standing in the merch queue for quite a while - and when the lights went down the place went wild. Magnum fans are very loyal and that showed throughout the next couple of hours as the band essentially played through a greatest hits set. Shows in recent years have, rightly, generally be filled with newer material, particularly from whatever the latest album was, but this setlist largely focused on the band's original 1970s - 1990s run - with just a couple of fan-favourite newer cuts included. Pictures of Clarkin were flashed up as the show got underway, before the familiar atmospheric keyboard intro of How Far Jerusalem filled the venue. Generally the song sits towards the middle of a Magnum set, but it worked well as an opener - with the band slowly taking to stage as the synths swirled around and Catley sang the opening lyrics. Having had quite a lengthy period off the road, his voice sounded pretty strong for the most part. He still struggled at times, but he is nearly 80 so some cracks should be expected. His classic tone and emotive delivery was intact, though, and Dennis Ward (bass guitar/vocals) ably helped him out at times with some strong harmonies. Riley also filled Clarkin's shoes nicely. Clarkin was never a flashy or technical player, rarely truly soloing, and Riley kept his playing to Clarkin's blueprint - and it looked like he was having a great time up there on stage with people he has worked with for many years. Following How Far Jerusalem, which did feature a little soloing from Riley, the first of two post-reunion cuts in Lost on the Road to Eternity was played - which really highlighted the playing of Rick Benton (keyboards). He has always been very statesmanlike behind his keyboards since joining the band a decade or so ago - and he added plenty of flourishes to the evening. His keyboards were always high in the mix, too, with the synth pulses of Wild Swan bringing the off-kilter rocker to life - before Riley had a few more chances to show off with the swelling hard rock of When We Were Younger, which featured maybe his best solo of the night. It was also the last 'newer' cut played - with the rest of the set made up of classics. There was something of a deep cut which followed, though, in the form of the acoustic-based The Tall Ships - which had not been played live for a few years. This, and The Flood which followed, were probably the two main surprises of the set - but the die-hard fans treated these slightly deeper cuts like old friends. It was the two WWI-influenced pieces which rounded out the first set which brought the loudest cheers, though, with the piano ballad Les Morts Dansant seeing phone lights held aloft as Catley ran through the poignant lyrics with ease - before the monstrous Don't Wake the Lion (Too Old to Die Young) brought the night's first half to a close. I had not see the band do the song live before - and the 10 minute-plus epic was one of the night's overall highlights.

Following the break, the band came back for what felt like a victory lap. With a couple of deeper cuts and newer numbers in the first half, the second half and the encore which followed were very much just chock full of classics. It would have been nice if a couple of extra deeper tracks were included, or even a song from the band's last album which was never toured, but it was hard to argue with the anthems chosen given that this could well be the band's last tour. More swirling synths heralded the band's arrival back on stage - but this time the vibe was much more dramatic, and they soon launched into Soldier of the Line. This hard-hitting and melodic piece has always been a favourite, so it was great to hear it live again, before the band pulled a couple of favourites out which I had never seen them do live before. Both Just Like an Arrow and Need a Lot of Love have been played live by the band many times over the years, just not at the handful of shows I had seen before. It was great to hear Just Like an Arrow in particular - as the song was one of the first Magnum tracks I got into many years ago when I was introduced to both Princess Alice and the Broken Arrow (their newest album at the time) and On a Storyteller's Night at the same time. The smooth 1980s rocker has always been a favourite, then, as has the latter's title track which followed - which featured one of the biggest sing-a-longs of the night. In truth, the crowd were vocal throughout - but the second half of the show just seemed to get bigger in terms of crowd participation, with the song's chorus really ringing around the venue. This was also the case with the chugging and proper hard rock of All England's Eyes, which is ever-present in the Magnum set, before the one-two punch of Vigilante and Kingdom of Madness were wheeled out to round out the main set - as is often the case. Vigilante was a particular highlight, with Benton's keyboards filling the Steel Mill - as Lee Morris (drums) provided lots of tight fills. He is easily the best drummer to sit behind the kit during the band's reunion years. I personally never felt that Harry James was right for Magnum, despite him suiting Thunder and, strangely, The Quireboys, but Morris has that slightly grander edge to his playing which suits Magnum's pomp rock sound. A rousing Kingdom of Madness brought the main set to a close, then, and the crowd were left wanting more - which was soon given to them. A two-song encore followed, with an emotional The Spirit nailing the atmosphere of the night perfectly. Catley was clearly full of love for his lost friend at this point, and he led the crowd perfectly through one last sing-a-long in the form of When the World Comes Down - with the ballad being the perfect way to close out the night. The setlist was:

How Far Jerusalem

Lost on the Road to Eternity

Wild Swan

When We Were Younger

The Tall Ships

The Flood

Les Morts Dansant

Don't Wake the Lion (Too Old to Die Young)

-

Soldier of the Line

Just Like an Arrow

Need a Lot of Love

On a Storyteller's Night

All England's Eyes

Vigilante

Kingdom of Madness

-

The Spirit

When the World Comes Down

It is very likely that this past Saturday contained my last ever Magnum show. It was my fifth time seeing them, which does not seem all that many considering how long I have been listening to them, but each show was memorable - and I was glad to be there at the end. It seems that the band are leaving things open as to whether they will do any more. They have a cancelled Glasgow show to fulfil, but otherwise there are no plans for anything else. It seems the right time to bow out, but should the band want to tour again at some point then I am sure the fans will support them - but for now was can just reflect on a great career and a triumphant final setlist filled with classic tracks.

Tremonti's 'The End Will Show Us How' - Album Review

Despite his last year or so consisting of an extremely successful Creed reunion tour, the post-grunge band's first since 2012, Mark Tremonti still found time to write and record his sixth solo album. I have said on this blog before that both Tremonti and his Alter Bridge bandmate Myles Kennedy are some of the most prolific songwriters in the modern hard rock and metal scenes. They are always working on something new, either together or separately, and generally what they put their names to is excellent. Alter Bridge are scheduled to record a new album this year, too, so I imagine that 2026 will see them back on the road, but 2025 also sees Tremonti return to his self-titled solo band whilst also remaining on Creed duty. It could well be that Creed also end up writing and recording some new material, too, and Kennedy has already said that he plans to record another album with Slash this year - so the next couple of years are likely to be stacked with new releases from the duo. The End Will Show Us How, then, Tremonti's sixth solo album, could be seen as the first release of this upcoming glut - although it should also be noted that Kennedy released his third solo album The Art of Letting Go (which I reviewed here) late last year, which was probably the true start of this on-going series. The point that I am trying to make is that there is a lot of good music to look forward to - and The End Will Show Us How is another strong slab of heavier songwriting from Tremonti. It is his first solo album since 2021's Marching in Time (which I reviewed here) and it maintains the core sound he has been injecting into his solo work since he debuted as a solo artist back in 2012 with All I Was. The End Will Show Us How, though, does feel different to what has come before. Whilst it is still very much a metal record, some of Tremonti's grungier influences from the past have crept into the songwriting and arrangements this time. Having spend much of last year playing those Creed classics again for the first time in over a decade, it is perhaps unsurprising that elements of that sound have crept back in his writing. That is not to say that The End Will Show Us How sounds like Creed, as it does not - and the album's overall sound still sits within that alternative modern metal sound which has served him so well. There are just tones throughout the album which feel dirtier - and there is less of a razor-sharp sheen to the overall production. Michael 'Elvis' Baskette produced the album as he generally does when Tremonti or Kennedy are involved. I can be a bit lukewarm on him as he has been known to brickwall albums, but I actually think that this album's oppressive sound actually works in its favour. There is a good balance of clean-sounding riffing and a dense murkiness which helps to set the album apart from the rest of Tremonti's solo work. It sounds pretty heavy as a result, then, but generally there is less of the fast-paced approach heard previously - with more of a mid-paced feel and less of a thrash influence which sets it apart from its heavier predecessor. It is the second album with his current solo band line-up, too, with guitarist Eric Friedman, bassist Tanner Keegan, and drummer Ryan Bennett all returning.

This grungy sound establishes itself right from the off. The album opens with The Mother, the Earth and I - a pretty anthemic piece overall, but one that is packed with snaking 1990s grooves and less of the typical thrashiness as mentioned. The opening clean guitar melodies feel somewhat Alice in Chains-esque, and the main riff that later kicks in is not too far removed from that band's style either - with the track generally being a mid-paced effort with Bennett's punchy drum grooves and Keegan's pulsing bass playing. The guitars are less metallic than usual, with snaking and surprisingly bluesy riffs and leads building on the grooves of the rhythm section - whilst Tremonti's rich vocals sound as good as ever. He has, wisely, not leaned into a grungier vocal approach, though. His melodic and powerful delivery is present and correct - with a later bridge section featuring some soaring vocal hooks, whilst the slow-burn of the song's chorus is brought to life by his lower tones and some screaming guitar leads. The closing guitar solo is a bit different from the norm too, despite some high-octane runs, and it often fades into the riffing behind it - leaning into that grungy approach further. Upping the heaviness, though, One More Time feels a bit more typical for Tremonti. Despite the more metallic sound, though, there remains a grungy edge - and the riffing throughout has more of a southern feel than is typical - with Pantera certainly referenced at times. The opening guitar barrage is tight and oppressive, with Bennett's fast double bass drumming matching up nicely with Tremonti's riffing, whereas the verses feel more roomy - with a strong mid-paced groove and heroic vocal melodies. Whilst some of the songs here feel a bit more involved, this track feels like it was written to be a live favourite. The chorus packs a real punch as a result, and there are a few pretty overt guitar leads throughout which act as build-ups to the next key part of the track - whilst the guitar solo is more typical and shreddy. It is a sing-a-long piece, then, and one which will feel pretty familiar to fans of Tremonti's previous work. Just Too Much is another riff-heavy piece - and it is another song which is pretty mid-paced overall. Despite some faster riffing during parts of the previous song, the album's first three tracks are generally pretty mid-paced. This is a bit of a surprise given the pace of much of Tremonti's previous work as mentioned - but the core approach does not feel all that different. His riffing is still just as strong, even if it feels bluesier, and his vocals are given plenty of opportunity to shine during these mid-paced pieces. The chorus is another which is easy to latch onto, which will likely see the song becoming a live favourite, whilst the riffing is packed full of headbanging grooves alongside a hint of grunge and even stoner rock at times - leading to another strong effort.

Nails is also pretty mid-paced, but it has more of an urgency to it overall - and it feels much more like an old-school Tremonti track as a result. The main riff is less grungy this time, with some screeching harmonics throughout, whilst the drumming of Bennett is hard-hitting and full of the all the punch which characterised older Tremonti releases. There are some effects-heavy guitar leads, which return to some of those stoner-esque sounds previously referenced, and the verses are a little more atmospheric, but generally the track feels much fatter overall - and there is more pace in the riffing and drumming despite it not picking up speed for much of the song's duration. As things move on, though, the speed does increase - with the guitar solo taking place over a pretty thrashy backing which is the album's highest-octane moment up to this point. Throw in a really hooky chorus, though, and some juddering riffing towards the end, and the track becomes something of an overall highlight for me. It's Not Over opens much more slowly, with Tremonti's rich, emotional voice sitting atop some chiming clean guitar melodies. Following the ever-present riffing up to this point, something more slow-burning is welcome - and an unsettling tone remains behind the clean guitar melodies thanks to some strange bass additions and a cold use of synths. Parts of the song feel warmer, though, as the overall soundscape expands somewhat - opening up during the song's chorus to feel like sunlight shining down on the bleakness which came before. As a ballad, then, the song works well. Tremonti has always written strong ballads, in whichever context he is operating, and this song is no different - with its evolving arrangement that gradually grows in scope. It does feel heavier as it moves on, with the rest of the band adding some weight - but it never feels truly heavy, with a grungy harder rock sound instead rearing its head briefly. It is shame that there is no centrepiece guitar solo, but not every ballad needs to have one. The title track follows, which also opens quite slowly. The clean guitars which open The End Will Show Us How feel busier, though, and it is clear that the track is going to be one of those growing rock tracks which Tremonti has written many of over the years - and with which Alter Bridge has essentially made a career out of. A tight drum groove sits behind the hypnotic clean guitar melodies during the verses, which feature some more excellent Tremonti vocals - and the song generally moves through a couple of different verse iterations with subtle tweaks in guitar melody, with a slow-burning chorus feeling less anthemic than might be expected also providing a point of difference with a little warmth. The song keeps threatening to explode, though, and it later does with a big guitar solo - and it somewhat maintains this heavier approach for the rest of the song with a strident closing section with screaming guitar leads and a bigger version of the previous chorus.

Tomorrow We Will Fail opens with a percussive drum groove, which is soon built upon by Keegan and his bass playing, before the guitars kick in and the song becomes another slightly cleaner-sounding piece. It feels tougher and more hard-hitting than the previous song, though, and it is one that grows a lot more as it moves along - with more variety in general in the arrangements. Some of the riffing here feels a bit bigger, but it still is not all that metallic - despite some more chugging moments acting as part of a chorus as the song moves along. Bluesier guitar moments and a slightly psychedelic feel characterise parts of the track, too, which only adds to the grungy and stoner vibes which has already been present on the album up to this point. The chorus does hit harder, with some bigger riffing, but elsewhere this album's core sound dominates more and adds to that strange warmth the album can sometimes have. Those missing the heavier Tremonti of old, though, will love I'll Take My Chances. This is a much faster and thrashier piece, with perhaps the album's most venomous riff - and the much more overtly metallic approach is certainly welcome following a few more restrained pieces overall. There has been plenty of riffing on the album up to this point, but the riffing here is much different to that of most of the rest of the album - with crunchier tones overall and a really tight rhythmic style which reminds me a little of the style of Jon Schaffer (and this is not the first time I have compared Tremonti to Schaffer). The chorus is pretty anthemic, too, in classic Tremonti fashion. It is perhaps not as fast as the rest of the song, but it still feels pretty urgent overall - and there is a great guitar solo here, too, which is pretty lengthy and filled with a lot of different feelings. It is the sort of song that just kicks in and does what it needs to with little fuss - and it is great to have some no-nonsense metal here given the overall vibe the album sets. The Bottom somewhat sits half way between the heaviness of the last song and the songs which preceded it. In some ways, the track is similar to the more anthemic approach of songs like One More Time earlier in the album. There are more organic moments, with cleaner guitars and something of an atmospheric feel, but there is plenty of heaviness, too - with one of the album's best choruses that recalls Tremonti anthems of the past. It is an easy song to latch onto melodically, then, with many of the hooks and vocal arrangements harking back to All I Was in style - which was a much more straight up anthemic metal album. It is great that Tremonti's overall sound has evolved over the years, and he has not really sat still despite his core sound generally remaining true, but this more old-school piece is certainly welcome. I do like this album quite a bit for its differences, but I do miss some of Tremonti's riffing prowess this time - so hearing a track like this with a massive chorus and some big guitars reminds me of the best of his work.

Those who want big guitars, though, will love Live in Fear. There is very little of the grungy side of Tremonti's playing here - with the song instead being overtly metallic with lots of knotty double bass drumming from Bennett and some guitar tones which are not too far removed from those used by Tool. There is something fat and mechanical about some of the riffs utilised throughout this track - and the pace is generally upped, too. It is not as thrashy as some of his work, but there is an urgency and energy to the piece - with a fast-paced chorus and riffy sections sitting nicely alongside some more mid-paced and organic verses. It might not be as hooky vocally as some of Tremonti's best songs of the past, but the chorus still feels memorable and the guitar riffing is a big overall highlight. There is a lot of headbanging which can be done to this track - so I imagine that it will feature in the set for the album's tour. Returning to the album's grungier core sound, though, Now That I've Made It is more of a cinematic and bluesy piece. It returns to the mid-paced sound which generally characterises the album, with clean guitars dominating during the verses, aching leads sitting atop them at times, whilst Tremonti sings with all the gravitas he can muster. The chorus feels heavier, but it does not really up the pace - although there is a strong, slow-burning guitar lead which sits atop the riffing as Tremonti sings which gives the track a bit of a strange overall feel. It works well, though, and there is some heaviness later on thanks to a more strident vocal-led bridge section before a final reprise of the chorus. The album then comes to a close with the slightly lengthier All the Wicked Things. Whilst not exactly an epic, it is a song which feels like it has a bit more time to stretch out - and it crosses a number of bridges that the album up to this point has crossed. It opens slowly, with chiming guitars and a somewhat cold atmosphere, before Tremonti starts to sing - his bluesy voice sitting nicely against this calm. Much of the song is more up-tempo, though, and when the rest of the band kick in things really get going - and there a pretty big chorus here which is backed by some strident guitar chords, alongside some chugging instrumental sections with really staccato guitar stabs. The riffing here is not as consistently heavy as it has been during the album's toughest moments, but there is still plenty of weight here - alongside another pretty expressive guitar solo, which is also quite lengthy. The piece generally rocks out pretty hard, then, but it does slow down towards the end, though, which means that the song finishes out as it started. Given that the album itself started quite slowly, too, this fade out is fitting - and it suits the overall more restrained feel of much of the album. Whilst I do miss some of the more overt heaviness of Tremonti's best solo work throughout The End Will Show Us How, I do like the album for its somewhat different approach. The change is not drastic, but it is enough to stand out - and I think the grungier approach works well for the most part. Artists need to evolve to stay fresh and this is certainly a fresh-sounding album for Tremonti - even if it feels more of a slow-burner and a grower than some of the more anthemic releases of the past.

The album was released on 10th January 2025 via Napalm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Just Too Much.

The Halo Effect - Bristol Review

In some ways, January 2025 has been dominated by the Swedish melodic death metal supergroup The Halo Effect. My first review of the year, which I wrote last week, was of their second album March of the Unheard (which can be read here) - and they also turned out to be my first gig of the year, too. Januarys can sometimes be quiet, but January 2025 is proving to be pretty busy. Whilst I have not yet been swamped with new releases to cover, the second half of the month is busy gig-wise - and I am away this coming weekend gigging. Whilst this upcoming trip will be more epic in terms of miles covered, feeling like one of my classic action-packed long weekends, 2025 as a gigging year got underway slightly more conventionally last night - with The Halo Effect bringing their March of the Unheard tour to The Fleece in Bristol. Unless I am forgetting something, too, last night's show was also the band's first ever headline show in the UK. More are to follow as part of this European tour - but the Bristol show was the first of the UK run, meaning that those who were in attendance last night were the first in the UK to see a headline length set from the band. This tour is not the band's first ever visit to the UK, though, as they played in a few UK cities back in 2022 as part of a lengthy tour opening for Machine Head and Amon Amarth - which took place not long after their debut album was released. I caught that tour in Cardiff, and The Halo Effect were excellent - so when this headline tour was announced quite a few months ago I picked up a ticket immediately. I think the shows were announced back in May 2024 - so it is one that I have been looking forward to for quite a while. Shows in Bristol rarely disappoint, too, particularly at The Fleece. It is one of my favourite venues of its size to visit, despite its pillars, and a good night is essentially guaranteed there. I have spent many a memorable night there in the past, but it had been a few months since my last visit - which I think was for Sylosis back in April 2024. Like Sylosis' show, though, The Halo Effect sold the place out. I think the venue was on the smaller side compared to some of the others which the band are playing on this tour, but selling out a show is always an achievement in these uncertain times - and The Halo Effect are still a new band despite the pedigree of its members. Brining along the Swedish industrial act Pain and the Finnish melodic death metal band Bloodred Hourglass certainly helped I am sure - and the bill is proving to be a popular ticket around Europe, with some of the other shows selling out and many others down to the last few tickets. Following a morning's work, then, it was with excitement that I headed up to Bristol yesterday afternoon. Despite struggling to shift a lingering cold which has been hanging around for a couple of weeks, I was ready for a gig after a few weeks without - and a customary trip to the Wetherspoons just outside Bristol Temple Meads helped to blow away the cobwebs. I think I had something of a nap in the hotel before the show, which was likely needed, so I was feeling fresh by the time I got to the venue 10 minutes or so before the doors opened and joined the queue. It was not long before we were all inside and out of the cold - and there was not long to wait before the action started.

I knew very little about Bloodred Hourglass, but I had listened to one of their songs online in the lead up to the show which did nothing for me at all. The song I heard, which I think came from their latest album, was a very up-tempo and screechy deathcore-adjacent piece which was not what I was expecting - and it put me off listening to anything else. Following the band's 40 minute set last night, though, that song very much seems to be an outlier - and I really enjoyed much of their pretty traditional take on the Finnish melodic death metal sound. Whilst the songs were not as anthemic as they could have been, there was a huge amount of melody coming from the guitars throughout - with Joni Lahdenkauppi (guitar) in particular impressing. As a three-guitar band, the two other guitarists did sometimes take lead duties, but Lahdenkauppi took the lion's share of the leads and solos - and he really stood out. His playing was always tasteful and melodic in that mournful Finnish fashion. There was one song about halfway through the set which had a really slow-burning mid-section where he laid down some Pink Floyd-esque melodies - whilst other songs did include some more metallic shredding which was also really well done. Vocally, I thought that frontman Jarkko Koukonen was strong - although sadly he was a bit low in the mix at times. Perhaps the band would have sounded a bit more anthemic had he been higher in the mix - but I heard enough to think that Bloodred Hourglass deserve more investigation. Nothing they played sounded like the song I remember hearing, which I assume they did not play, so it seems strange that it was released as a single. Sometimes bands can really do themselves a disservice with which songs they choose to release as a single - and hearing the song I did, which I assume was the newest single that came up when searching on YouTube, essentially put me off hearing anything more by the band, when, in truth, it was not representative of what appears to be their core sound. It is always worth going into gigs with an open mind, then, and I felt that the excellent guitar leads and gloomy atmosphere of Bloodred Hourglass got the show off to a fine start.

It was only around 20 minutes later that Pain took to the stage - and for the next hour or so the large crowd was treated to a 13-song set packed with groovy metal and pulsing beats. They were certainly the odd ones out on the bill, and it perhaps took sections of the crowd a while to get going, but I had a good time with Pain - even if they have never wholly been my thing. This was my third time seeing them, as I previously saw them opening for Nightwish in both 2009 and 2012 - but I never really kept up with them. I did review I Am (which can be read here) last year, and did spend a bit of time listening to some of their other albums in the lead up to the show, but I am certainly no Pain expert. Most the band's songs, though, or, at least, those they chose to play live, are easy to latch onto - and The Fleece was soon full of big choruses and pulsing synth beats. Led by the death metal legend and producer extraordinaire Peter Tägtgren (vocals/guitar), Pain fit in around his day job as the frontman of Hypocrisy and running The Abyss studio - so I think that this was likely their first proper tour in a while. I certainly do not remember seeing one advertised for a few years - and I enjoyed catching up with them again since it was well over a decade since I last saw them. Early anthems such as Don't Wake the Dead and Call Me, which guitarist Sebastian Svalland sang part of in place of Sabaton's Joakim Brodén who sang on the original, were all packed full of energy - but I think my favourites early on were the creepier Zombie Slam, which brought the best out of Tägtgren vocally, and the much faster metal of I'm Going In. Pain's sound is quite varied, but it is rarely out and out metal - which helped I'm Going In to somewhat stand out. Despite the plentiful synths, though, the band's music is still very guitar and bass driven. Bassist Jonathan Olsson did a lot of heavy lifting throughout the set, even playing the bass on a keytar during one song, whilst the riffing from Tägtgren and Svalland felt generally pretty heavy. The band clearly do not take themselves too seriously, either, with a few costume changes during the show - particularly during the smoother, dancier Go with the Flow. Later on, anthems like The Great Pretender and Party in My Head got the crowd going, who seemed more on side by this point, but late highlight for me was Have a Drink on Me with its slide guitar and blues vibe. It was a song which showed Pain's variety - before a big sing-a-long rendition of Shut Your Mouth brought the band's set to a close. The setlist was:

It's Only Them

Don't Wake the Dead

Call Me

Zombie Slam
Suicide Machine

I'm Going In

Go with the Flow

Same Old Song

The Great Pretender

Party in My Head

Have a Drink on Me

Let Me Out

Shut Your Mouth

The changeover between Pain and The Halo Effect was also quite quick. There was very little hanging around all night, which made the evening fly by, and it was less than half an hour before the lights went down and the instrumental piece This Curse of Silence played over the PA as the musicians of The Halo Effect took to the stage. For just over an hour, The Halo Effect then delivered a 14-song set which included most of their debut album and some choice cuts from the new album. Given that they only played for a just over an hour, with everything over by around 10:30pm, I imagine that a couple more from the new album could have been squeezed in - but it is not uncommon for sets by heavier bands to be shorter than average, and The Halo Effect's set was a high-energy one which kicked off with March of the Unheard. Generally the sound mix was good, although frontman Mikael Stanne fluctuated. At times he could be heard clearly, his powerful growls filling the room, but sadly at times he was quite buried in the mix - and it seemed to vary quite considerably throughout as if those at the desk were struggling to get the mix right overall. The rest of the band sounded tight and powerful, though, with Niclas Engelin's (guitar) leads nicely cutting through the mix. Given The Halo Effect's core sound, this guitar focus in the mix was welcome - and both Engelin and Patrik Jenson (guitar) drove the band with their interlocked riffing throughout. As mentioned, older favourites dominated. The mid-paced anthem Feel What I Believe was an early highlight - but it was perhaps The Needless End which impressed the most during the early part of the show. Another big favourite for me during the first few numbers was the explosive new single Detonate - which is one of my favourite cuts from the new album. It is another real anthem, with Stanne's chorus prompting plenty of singing, and I feel like the song will likely be a setlist staple going forward. Cruel Perception was another new song which came across well live, but it was followed up by a monstrous take on the slightly gothic A Truth Worth Lying For - which allowed Stanne to showcase his clean vocals briefly. There were other songs in the set which included such, but he tends to focus on his growls with The Halo Effect - and his harsh voice still sounds strong despite how long he has been at it by this point. The crowd were really into what the band were doing, too. They were perhaps more reserved than I expected, but there was a lot of love shown in between each song - with even the non-album track Become Surrender receiving plenty of cheers, before a final new cut in What We Become showed that the new album has its fair share of anthems. It was left to a suite of older tracks to finish the show off, then, with Last of Our Kind feeling quite poignant given how long all of these guys have been playing this type of music for - and the soaring guitar leads in Days of the Lost felt as good as ever. Without leaving the stage and coming back again, Stanne announced that things would come to a close with their first ever track - with old single Shadowminds bringing the hour or so of heavy music to an anthemic and melodic close. There was a lot of love shown to the band as they took their bows - and I imagine that The Halo Effect will want to return to the UK again soon should the rest of their shows be as well received. The setlist was:

This Curse of Silence

March of the Unheard

Feel What I Believe

In Broken Trust

The Needless End

Detonate

Conditional

Cruel Perception

A Truth Worth Lying For

Become Surrender

What We Become

Gateways

Last of Our Kind

Days of the Lost

Shadowminds

Coda

Whilst a couple more songs would have certainly been welcome, it is hard to criticise what was a strong showing from The Halo Effect. Whilst the band had something of a head start due to their collective reputations, they have not relied on anything from the past and are certainly standing on their own feet with this latest venture. Those who turned up to Bristol yesterday certainly saw that - and I hope that the band remain a going concern despite the other commitments the members have. Pain and Bloodred Hourglass were good, too, so the whole evening was a great one - and it was great to get 2025's calendar underway.

The Halo Effect's 'March of the Unheard' - Album Review

Following a break of a couple of weeks to see 2025 in and get back to normal following the Christmas holiday, business as usual returns to this blog. When it comes to new music and concerts, January can be a bit unpredictable. I did not get to any gigs last January, and it was also fairly quiet for new album releases, but the second half of this January promises to be quite busy. I have four gigs coming up, which I am very much looking forward to following a relatively quiet December, and there are also a few new albums which I have earmarked to cover. I think that new music releases will really kick off in a big way in February, along with my concert calendar, but I have already picked up two 2025 releases which I have been enjoying. Expect another album review to follow sometime next week, then, but up first for 2025 is March of the Unheard, the second album from the Swedish melodic death metal supergroup The Halo Effect. The band can seemingly trace their history back to 2019 - but I think it was 2021 when news of their arrival became common knowledge, and they released their excellent debut album Days of the Lost (which I reviewed here) the following year. Supergroups can often disappoint, but I enjoyed Days of the Lost from the off. I am sure that some had higher expectations for The Halo Effect, particularly given the pedigree of those involved, but the band just have the feeling of a group of old friends coming together and writing music for their own enjoyment - in the style which they all collectively helped to pioneer in the 1990s. To re-cap, all five members of The Halo Effect have been involved with In Flames at some point - with four having been members of the band, whilst frontman Mikael Stanne sang on the their 1994 debut album Lunar Strain on a session basis. Stanne, of course, would find fame on his own terms fronting Dark Tranquillity - so The Halo Effect is very much a meeting of the sounds of In Flames of old (particularly 1997's Whoracle through 2002's Reroute to Remain) and Dark Tranquillity. Days of the Lost was not exactly a massively original album, then, but it was packed with well-crafted and performed songs which stuck in the brain. It is an album that I have listened to quite a lot over the past couple of years - and I also saw the band live opening for Machine Head and Amon Amarth in 2022. I did wonder if the album would end up being a one-off, but March of the Unheard proves that there is more life in The Halo Effect yet - and the band recently kicked off their debut headline tour in support of it. Stanne clearly wants to find the time for this band, alongside Dark Tranquillity and his many other projects, and the others are happy to come along for the ride when he has the time. In many ways, March of the Unheard picks up where Days of the Lost left off - with the classic Gothenburg melodic death metal sound very much present. If there is a point of difference, though, I would say that the Dark Tranquillity vibes are stronger this time. This album feels a little more atmospheric than the debut, but the plentiful harmony guitar leads from In Flames' DNA remain, and, conversely, Stanne's clean vocals are heard less. The overall songwriting style is similar, though, and there are a number of memorable cuts here - building nicely on the good work done on Days of the Lost.

The synth work of Örjan Örnkloo (Misery Loves Co.), himself a contributor to many of In Flames' albums, is perhaps more important this time than it was before, then, but March of the Unheard is still very much a guitar-driven album - with Niclas Engelin and Jesper Strömblad teaming up throughout for many excellent riffs and leads. A warm synth melody does kick the album off, though, with Conspire to Deceive opening slowly - but once the band join in and the synth melody is replaced with a guitar lead The Halo Effect's core sound roars from the speakers. This album might be a touch more melodic overall than the previous album, at least in terms of guitar leads, and the overall production feels a touch warmer - thanks to the increased synth presence. Conspire to Deceive is certainly not as heavy as some of the tracks here, though, and it reminds me somewhat of Dark Tranquillity's last few albums - with dense keyboards and a bit more space in the mix with the rhythm guitars somewhat in the background. Stanne's growled vocals have plenty of space to shine, then, and he sounds as good as ever during the verses and the memorable chorus - whilst Engelin and Strömblad constantly lay down hypnotic guitar melodies, backed nicely by Örnkloo. It is certainly a song which eases the listener into the album as it is not as hard-hitting as it could be - but the band's core sound is still very much on display despite a slight lack of overt heaviness. The song remains dense thanks to the ever-present synths and the knotty guitar leads - and Stanne's vocal hooks shine. Detonate, which follows, is different, though, and kicks the heaviness up a notch. It was the album's lead single, released last year to introduce it, and I loved it from the off. It reminds me of some of the best anthems from the first album - with tougher guitar rhythms throughout and a tighter overall sound. Guitar leads kick in when they need to, such as during a heroic pre-chorus, but the verses here feel much faster and heavier overall - with the thrashy drumming of Daniel Svensson keeping the overall energy levels high. Where this song really shines, though, is during its chorus. There are a few strong choruses on this album, but Detonate showcases the really anthemic side of melodic death metal - and Stanne's ability to craft a memorable vocal hook. It is hard to get the melodies out of the brain and the track is sure to become a live favourite as a result - whilst a screaming guitar solo ups the heaviness further later on. Our Channel to the Darkness is somewhat similar, but the song opens slowly with some of its later core melodies being played on an acoustic guitar - before Svensson's double bass drumming kicks in and the track becomes another pretty heavy anthem. Structurally, the song is quite similar to Detonate - but it feels a little punkier overall, particularly during the verses which feature some frantic drumming. Whilst there is a bit of a smoothness to the album overall, which was also present on the first album, there are still plenty of heavier moments here - and the spiky verses here mix nicely with the chorus, which is another pretty soaring melodic feast with strong vocal hooks and a piercing guitar lead. The melodies are easy on the ear and the riffing is full of energy - which is always a good combination.

Cruel Perception does not stand on ceremony, opening with a hard-hitting guitar riff - built around a tough backing from the rhythm section and a memorable guitar hook. The track is not as fast as parts of the previous couple of songs, but the mid-paced vibe gives the song's opening a heavier feel - before the first verse kicks in to strip away some of this feel and present a more atmospheric sound. There are strong Dark Tranquillity vibes during the verses, with the synths more prominent and the bass playing of Peter Iwers pushed more to the fore, whilst the chorus is faster overall - returning to the opening barrage of the song's intro with Stanne's barked vocals sitting nicely atop it. In some ways, then, the song is the opposite of many of the others here structure-wise - with a heavier chorus and more melodic verses. This change works well, though, particularly given the more intense couple of tracks which came before. What We Become returns to the heavier sound of tracks like Detonate - with a pretty thrashy opening riff, although synths are also used to double the main guitar hook which helps the song to stand out somewhat and give it a different edge. There is a bit more of a synth presence throughout the song despite its overall heaviness, which gives it depth, and the later chorus features a flashy synth hook instead of a more traditional guitar melody - which contrasts nicely with Stanne's growls. Elsewhere, the song feels a bit more mid-paced and crunchy. The opening riff and the chorus up the pace a little, but the verses have much more of a tougher approach - the band slowing down a little and riding on something more groove-based. The band are not the grooviest in general, so this change is noticeable and welcome - and it creates a heavier sound overall which is then tempered later on by the hooky chorus and the more prominent use of synths. The brief instrumental piece This Curse of Silence follows, which is essentially an extended intro to the title track which comes after. Marching drums, wordless vocals, and guitar melodies slowly build towards what follows - which then explodes with Svensson's double bass drumming and one of the hookiest guitar leads of the album. This title track was another single which dropped last year - and it is likely one of the album's most straight ahead pieces, harking back to the sound of the last album in a big way. The opening guitar lead is very much classic Gothenburg in sound, which is later repurposed during an anthemic chorus, whilst the slower chug of the verses is sure to get heads banging live. There are some slightly slower moments, which feature more of a bass-heavy sound for a brief period, but these moments are short-lived, with the track generally more focused on melody - including an instrumental mid-section built around some guitar leads. Forever Astray returns to a bit of a heavier sound, at least initially, with a thrashy opening riff and some extreme metal-adjacent tremolo guitar leads, but the song as a whole is a real mix of feelings. A big guitar melody is never too far away, but the verses are pretty thrashy - containing some of the album's heaviest and fastest riffing. These parts of the song are a real throwback to the 1990s, then, but the chorus is sung clean - and it is one of the few times on the album where Stanne does so. This helps the song to stand out - and the mix of thrashiness and gothic melodrama is one works well.

Between Directions opens in a grander fashion, with some strings backing the main riff - doubling up with the guitar hook within. Whilst not exactly turning the song into a symphonic metal anthem, it nevertheless gives it a different edge to many of the others here. The opening guitar melody really soars, then, whilst the quieter verses are given a string backing to set them apart from the rest - with synths utilised less here. The mix of Iwers' grounding bass and the strings during the verses provides a strong backing for Stanne's throaty growls - whilst the chorus goes for a lusher overall sound with the strings soaring in a big way, whilst Stanne sings clean. It does seem strange that Stanne waited until the album's final half to introduce any clean vocals, and then utilise them on two consecutive songs, but his clean vocals always sound great - and they fit in with the string backing introduced here, whilst his growls during the rest of the song still sound as biting as ever. A Death That Becomes Us opens with some hypnotic guitar and synth lines - which are then expanded upon when the rest of the band kick in, creating a strong mid-paced feel with hooky melodies sitting side-by-side with heaviness. This is another song which is somewhat similar to the more anthemic feel of Detonate - although there is a slight smoothness here thanks to a strong synth halo which surrounds everything. There is a good mix of mid-paced metal and thrashier sections, though, whilst the slower chorus is very much out of the modern Dark Tranquillity playbook - with mournful guitar leads backing Stanne's rumbling growls. There are essentially guitar leads throughout the whole song, with the thrashier moments introducing some faster leads - whilst more melodic ones are present elsewhere. Guitar leads are such a big part of the Swedish melodic death metal sound that it is great to hear them so represented during this song - and it makes the track a late album highlight as a result. The last 'proper' song here is The Burning Point - a thrashier song overall which opens with plenty of double bass drumming from Svensson and duelling guitar leads. Much of the song is very reminiscent of old In Flames, then, with the faster verses in particular harking back to that sound, and the old-school feeling of the riffing with subtle guitar leads included never really gets old when it is executed well. The chorus does slow everything down, though, introducing the mournfulness of Dark Tranquillity and the more crooning end of Stanne's growls. In some ways, then, this song is a perfect mix of the two bands which feed into The Halo Effect. There are perhaps more interesting songs here, but as far as pure influence goes The Burning Point is a great representation of the band's core sound - so it fittingly acts as something of a closer, with strong melodies and a thrashy, heavy vibe landing nicely. The album then comes to a close with the instrumental Coda - which takes melodies from some of the album's songs and plays them acoustically with a string backing. It works nicely as a fade out to the album as a whole and it does not outstay its welcome despite it being longer than a typical outro. It ends the album on a gentle note - and allows for some reflection. March of the Unheard builds nicely on the core sound of the last album whilst introducing some variety and a few points of difference without reinventing the wheel. It is nice to see a bit of progress here despite many of the real high points here just being anthems - but The Halo Effect is clearly a band with legs and I am looking forward to hearing some of the these songs live next week in Bristol.

The album was released on 10th January 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Detonate.

Music of 2024 - Part 2

With 2025 now officially underway - it is time for my customary last look back at the previous year and highlight my albums and concerts of the year. As I mentioned in yesterday's post which discussed a few albums I did not have the chance to review and highlighted my favourite live release of the year, 2024 was another very strong year for new music. In truth, every year since I started properly paying attention to new music releases has been a strong one. There are so many bands in the world, likely more than there ever has been, that the chance of hearing a lot of exciting new music is essentially guaranteed. Whilst some of the old favourites have long ceased releasing anything new, or have become shadows of their former selves, there are plenty of exciting other bands putting out great new albums - and some of the old guard still deliver with fantastic music from time to time. 2024 was no different, as can be seen from the number of albums I covered this year, and there have been a few others which I picked up over the Christmas period which I have not even yet had a chance to hear. When it comes to new music, I will always be playing catch-up, no matter how on the ball I seem, and that is partly the joy when it comes to it - there is always something else to check out. Before starting to writing this I looked back at my equivalent post from the start of 2024, and it seems that 2024 was quite a similar year to 2023 - in the sense that there were a vast number of really strong albums, but relatively few absolute stand-outs. Some years there are two or three albums which you know from the off are going to top the list, but last year, and seemingly the year before, that was not the case. In the list you are about to read, it was not clear from the off which album was going to top it - and the album was only chosen once I had whittled my shortlist down to 10 and then tried to order them. Given that both Mostly Autumn and Dream Theater will be releasing albums this year I have a feeling that 2025's list might come together more naturally, assuming that both bands deliver as expected, but 2024's list could have included a number of other releases - such was the consistent standard of the year's best efforts in my opinion. It is a heavier and a proggier list than 2023's, though, which was very hard rock dominated. Despite my efforts with extreme metal, no genuine death metal made the list - but I am intending to continue my forays into the genre this year. With that preamble out of the way, then, I present my Albums of 2024 - which, as always, includes no EPs, live albums, or compilations of any kind.

10) Magnum - Here Comes the Rain

Kicking off this list is the first album of 2024 which I reviewed - as all the way back on 20th January I covered Magnum's Here Comes the Rain, which will likely be their final one. The album was released under a cloud, due to the band's guitarist and driving force Tony Clarkin dying a few days before it came out, but the band chose not to delay things - and the early part of the year very much became about Magnum for me. I spent a lot of time with this album and the wider Magnum catalogue during the spring - and Here Comes the Rain feels like a fitting closing note on the band's immense legacy. Perhaps a little more concise than many of the band's other recent albums, Here Comes the Rain is nevertheless classic sounding modern Magnum - with frontman Bob Catley in fine voice and the songwriting and arrangements of Clarkin on point. The band's melodic and majestic sound has been long-established at this point, and it is sad that January 2026 will not see a new Magnum album - as they, like clockwork, have tended to release a new album every other January. This is their first inclusion in such a list, too, and I have often included the band's albums on my shortlist before they are removed to make way for other things - so this inclusion is for all those missed opportunities and to showcase how much I have enjoyed their work over the years.

Listen to: Run into the Shadows, Here Comes the Rain & Blue Tango

9) Myrath - Karma

I do not listen to many bands from Africa, but Tunisia's Myrath is one of them - and their sixth album Karma, which dropped back in March, is easily their most fun release yet. The band started out as a Symphony X tribute band, and shades of that band can be heard throughout their early work, but the tough heaviness has receded over the years - with a more symphonic and power metal sound instead taking hold. Myrath have always been a progressive metal band, and this has continued throughout all of their albums, with 2019's Shehili being particularly knotty, but Karma is their most straight ahead release yet - and it is full of soaring power metal hooks with enough of that North African and Middle Eastern flavour which has always helped the band to stand out. I imagine that Karma will be a divisive albums for some. There will be people who see the album as too poppy, and one that lacks the band's trademark progressive flair, but there will be others, like me, who just get sucked in by the endless hooks. There are still progressive moments here, and guitarist Malek Ben Arbia is still clearly influenced by Michael Romeo, but this album really sees frontman Zaher Zorgati really shine. He has, of course, been great for the band since he joined following their debut album's release, but seems to really fly on this album - with the simpler arrangements (relatively) and the power metal-esque approach allowing for a lot of big choruses.

Listen to: To the Stars, Into the Light & Child of Prophecy

8) Dark Tranquillity - Endtime Signals

The closest thing to extreme metal in my list, Dark Tranquillity's thirteenth studio album Endtime Signals is one of the heaviest things to make the cut this year. Whilst I have been interested in Dark Tranquillity for many years, having picked up 2007's Fiction a long time ago - it was not until seeing the band at the 2022 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air that I properly started to take notice, and it was not until 2024 until I actually listened to a good chunk of their back catalogue. With Endtime Signals on the horizon I wanted to somewhat catch up, but this latest album is one of my favourite things from the band which I have heard so far. I feels like the natural successor to both 2016's Atoma and 2020's Moment in particularly, even down to the art style, but Endtime Signals feels stronger overall - with plenty of massive riffs from guitarist Johan Reinholdz on his second outing with the band. As is often the case, though, frontman (and only original member) Mikael Stanne is the star of the show. He is fast becoming one of my favourite singers in metal due to this powerful growls and his rich clean vocals - and each song here seems hellbent on showcasing his talents. Given how dark the album is overall, there are plenty of massive choruses here to latch onto - and the interplay between Reinholdz's guitar playing and the ever-present keyboard playing of long-time member Martin Brändström keeps the band's unique sound in play. It was also the band's first album without founding drummer and significant songwriting force Anders Jivarp - with Endtime Signals showing that the band can overcome such challenges.

Listen to: Shivers and Voids, Unforgivable & Not Nothing

7) The Black Crowes - Happiness Bastards

One of the year's biggest comebacks came from Atlanta's The Black Crowes, who released their first album of original material since 2009 back in March. Following a period of hiatus during much of the 2010s, the notoriously volatile band regrouped in 2019 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their legendary debut album Shake Your Money Maker - only for their plans to be delayed by the pandemic. The big comeback tour eventually happened, though, and its success clearly prompted the Robinson brothers to push forward with a new proper era for The Black Crowes by writing and releasing a ninth album of original material. Long-time bassist Sven Pipien re-joined the brothers in this latest venture, but the rest of the band is made up of new faces - with guitarist Nico Bereciartua forming a formidable and loose partnership with Rich Robinson to keep the band's jammy, bluesy, southern rock sound ticking. Unlike many of the band's later albums which featured somewhat more extended pieces, loose arrangements, and something of a laid back groove, Happiness Bastards seems to take more from the concise nature of Shake Your Money Maker and the southern rock heights of 1992's The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion. The songs here are generally pretty short and Jay Joyce's production is raucous - which leads to the album being one of the band's hardest-hitting for a while. It helps that frontman Chris Robinson sounds really fired up here, his ragged voice perfect for the songs, whilst the rest of the band lock in nicely behind him to create a punchy album which does not outstay its welcome.

Listen to: Bedside Manners, Wanting and Waiting & Dirty Cold Sun

6) Quireboys - Wardour Street

It is fitting that The Quireboys and The Black Crowes sit side-by-side in this list, as the two bands were often compared when their respective debut albums dropped around the same time - but they went on to have rather different career trajectories. Wardour Street is the band's first album since 2019, and the first since the big split which happened in 2022 - which saw founding frontman Spike without a band and the rest of the former line-up attempting to carry on without him. Fast forward two years, though, and Spike has a new Quireboys, with old faces returning and new friends along for the ride, whilst his former bandmates have rebranded. As such, then, Wardour Street is very much business as usual for Spike. Founding bassist Nigel Mogg has become Spike's right-hand man, co-writing around half of the album, whilst Thunder's Luke Morley has stepped into the vacant guitar position, co-written the rest of the album, and produced it. With other old faces like Chris Johnstone and Rudy Richman also lending Spike their talents again, Wardour Street is a classic-sounding Quireboys album. The band's British take on barroom, boogie blues has always sounded great - and nothing has really changed here, with Morley perhaps bringing a little more class to the overall sound from a guitar playing and production standpoint. There is nothing here that really breaks the band's long-established mould, but then I did not really expect it to. The band's first two albums from the 1990s will forever be their standout releases, but the reunited line-ups released a number of strong albums in the 2000s and 2010s. Wardour Street is up there with the best of those albums in my opinion - and it picks up where 2019's Amazing Disgrace left off despite the huge line-up shift.

Listen to: I Think I Got It Wrong Again, Myrtle Beach & Happy

5) Caligula's Horse - Charcoal Grace

In some ways, 2024 turned out to be the year of Australia's Caligula's Horse. Whilst I had owned a copy of 2020's Rise Radiant for a little while, it was not until earlier this year that I finally decided to listen to it - and that listening happened to coincide with Charcoal Grace's release. As such, the band's sixth album was not one I was planning on buying and reviewing, but I picked it up shortly after it came out and it is one that I have gone back to a number of times throughout the year. I also saw the band live for the first time back in May - so I have gone from knowing very little about them to becoming a pretty big fan in the space of a year. Whilst the two albums which came before Charcoal Grace may have some stronger individual songs between them, this latest opus is easily the band's most complete work yet. It builds on the progressive grandeur of 2017's In Contact, but removes the slightly clunkier moments which were added to that concept album - instead creating a monolithic and melodic progressive metal masterpiece which, whilst not a concept album, has a real flow to it. The album is bookended by epics, and a few shorter tracks which build on the more melodic flair of Rise Radiant somewhat are included - but the real showpiece here is the four-part title track which takes up the whole of the album's middle. This suite of songs is the band's crowning achievement up to this point in terms of scope and songwriting - with a repeating vocal hook which returns during each of the four parts in a slightly different way each time. I am still discovering new things with each listen, and have started to really delve into the band's back catalogue, too, so the album more than deserves its spot in the top five.

Listen to: The World Breathes with Me, Golem & Charcoal Grace

4) Nightwish - Yesterwynde

I was not really sure what to expect from Nightwish's tenth album. Marko Hietala's departure from the band in 2021 still seems to somewhat loom over them, and Yesterwynde seems to have been put together by a band who do not all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet. There will be no tour, and reading between the lines this seems to be due to tensions within the group, and frontwoman Floor Jansen was somewhat critical of the final product in an interview not long before it was released. As such, I very much kept my expectations in check, particularly as I was somewhat disappointed with 2020's Human. :II: Nature., but I have gone back to Yesterwynde a lot since it was released in September. It could have definitely been mixed better, and Hietala's vocal power is missed, but the diverse songwriting throughout and Jansen's performances help the album to soar. For me it does run out of steam a little towards the end, but the first two-thirds are truly excellent in my opinion. Whilst there are no genuine epics this time, there are a handful of longer pieces which carry plenty of guitar thunder and symphonic grandeur - whilst the folkier moments are full of genuine warmth and beauty. I do not mind the expansion of multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley's role on this album, and his plentiful vocal additions, generally during the quieter moments, are welcome - and I think his soft voice contrasts well with the titanic power of Jansen. Perhaps the best thing about the album overall, though, is the increased guitar presence throughout. There are more proper riffs and leads on this album than there has been on a Nightwish album for a while and this is welcome.

Listen to: An Ocean of Strange Islands, Perfume of the Timeless & Something Whispered Follow Me

3) South of Salem - Death of the Party

One of my favourite young bands at the moment is Bournemouth's South of Salem, who I discovered in 2023 when I saw them opening for W.A.S.P. in Wolverhampton. I listened to their debut album an awful lot that year so I was really looking forward to hearing the follow up - and Death of the Party did not disappoint when it dropped back in January. I had already heard some of the songs live on their headline tour towards the end of 2023, but the album still impressed and is full of melodic hard rock and metal goodness - which harks back to the British rock scene of the late 2000s which was packed with bands that never made it but were often brilliant. South of Salem are very much the successor to bands like Heaven's Basement and Glamour of the Kill, then, and stand out in a current rock scene is dominated by bluesy hard rock and post-grunge bands. There is a real melodic sheen to South of Salem's sound, certainly taken from the 1980s hair metal scene, but there is also a strong hint of both traditional hard rock and gothic rock. No young UK-based band is currently exciting me more than South of Salem and, as a result, I listened to Death of the Party a lot last year. The songwriting is tight and infectious, with each song boasting a massive chorus and plenty of other melodic hooks, whilst the riffing is just metallic enough to give the songs an edge without the band really crossing over into genuine metal. It is great to see a band like this starting to really make waves both here in the UK and overseas, then, and I am looking forward to seeing them later this year when they go back on tour.

Listen to: Static, Jet Black Eyes & Death of the Party

2) Opeth - The Last Will and Testament

Part of me thinks that this should be my Album of the Year, and it likely would have been had it come out earlier in 2024, but the album that comes ahead of it has just been a part of my life for longer and has been played a lot more than this one. Given that The Last Will and Testament has only been out for just over a month, though, a spot in second place shows just how good this dynamic and varied release is. In many ways, this feels like the album which Opeth have been threatening to make for many years. It builds on the organic progressive rock sound of the past few albums nicely whilst reintroducing some of the extreme metal elements with which the band made their name originally. Sounding like a real mix of 2005's Ghost Reveries and 2019's In Cauda Venenum, the eight-track concept album may be the most complete album of Opeth's career so far. Whilst the album is still extremely progressive and complex, it lacks the sprawling nature which has generally characterised Opeth's previous efforts, heavy or not, going instead for tight arrangements which are packed with memorable riffs, vocal passages, and solos. Despite the plentiful hooks, though, the overall arrangements are still full of classic progressive rock goodness, with knotty guitar riffing throughout and plenty of retro keyboards and synths to prop everything up. The star of the show here, though, is certainly frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt - who delivers possibly his most diverse vocal showing to date. He has always sung and growled well, but his growls sound as good as ever here following his hiatus from doing such in the studio - and his clean vocals are full of character and, interestingly at times, theatre. There is a real bombast to parts of this album, which is not something I generally expect from Opeth, but it fits the vaudeville story the album tells - and this will likely be looked back on as a career highlight.

Listen to: §1, §2 & A Story Never Told

1) Judas Priest - Invincible Shield

I really enjoyed 2018's Firepower when it dropped, and it sat proudly in that year's list, and I felt that it was Judas Priest's best album for a number of years - but the British metal legends may have gone one better with March's Invincible Shield. Moving away from the longer length of their last few albums, but sticking with producer (and live guitarist) Andy Sneap, Invincible Shield feels like all the best bits of Firepower but without the occasional bloat. This latest Judas Priest opus feels much sleeker and, arguably, more powerful as a result - and it helps that the performances throughout are so good. Given Glenn Tipton's worsening Parkinson's disease it is a unclear how much he contributed to the album, despite being credited with co-writing every song here, but Richie Faulkner has shown over the past decade-plus that he gets the Judas Priest style - and the guitar riffing here is razor sharp throughout. Given how old some of the band members now are, too, it is amazing how heavy this album is. Firepower was heavy, but some of the moments here are heavier I think - but there is also some variety this time which harks back to the band's 1970s output to showcase a few more classic rock-adjacent moments. When I reviewed Invincible Shield I said that I still felt that Firepower was the stronger album overall, but over the course of the past few months I think that view has changed - and that I now think that this latest effort is stronger. This is largely due to its brevity, as there are very few weak moments here, but I also think that, six years on, it is just more impressive than ever that Judas Priest can still put out albums of this quality - given the various health struggles which have impacted some of their key members in recent times. It deserves its top spot - and I have returned to it often.

Listen to: Panic Attack, Gates of Hell & Trial by Fire

With the above 10 albums making 2024's list, as always there were a number of others which were in strong contention for inclusion. I think that my original shortlist had 25 albums on it, so there were 15 which had to be cut out, so I generally like to highlight a few that just missed the cut as honourable mentions. One album that I thought for a long time throughout the year would make the cut was =1, the latest effort from Deep Purple and their first to feature current guitarist Simon McBride. Deep Purple have been on a real streak over the past decade or so, since they started working with producer Bob Ezrin, and McBride has brought lots of guitar firepower back to the band on =1. He is all over the album, despite Don Airey essentially leading the charge these days, and the songwriting is tight - but sadly it just misses out on this year's list. Another album I listened to a lot this year was From Hell I Rise, the debut solo album from Slayer's Kerry King. Despite the album essentially just sounding like Slayer with a different singer, it is probably King's strongest set of songs from a while. I enjoyed later Slayer, but From Hell I Rise just feels a bit more vital overall - with the duelling guitars of King and Phil Demmel the perfect backing for Death Angel's Mark Osegueda who does a great job vocally throughout. The final honourable mention for 2024 is Saxon's Hell, Fire and Damnation. New Saxon albums generally make my list, but I perhaps went back to this one fewer times than I generally would - despite still really enjoying it. They generally sit towards the bottom of each list, and perhaps they would have done so again this time - but I really wanted to squeeze in Magnum for the reasons discussed above. Making such a list is always hard, but I am pleased with the overall result and it is a good mix of styles highlighting 2024's variety. All that is left to do now is to highlight my five favourite gigs of the year. As with recent years, I just picked five rather than trying to categorise them. I went to many excellent shows this year which could have featured - but these five in particular stood out.

5) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Principality Stadium, 05/05/2024

Bruce Springsteen's shows generally top these lists, and this one could have done in truth, but I wanted to give others a chance this time - whilst still acknowledging the power of The Boss. After seeing him in 2023 I was not expecting to see him again in truth, but May's Cardiff show was another spectacle - and I have tickets to see him yet again in Manchester later this year. He is surely winding down, but he clearly wants to go out with a bang - and this never-ending tour is bringing yet more fiery and lengthy performances from Springsteen and the best backing band in the business. The packed out stadium in Cardiff was treated to another masterful three hours of music, too, including deep cuts like So Young and in Love, Better Days, and If I Was the Priest - whilst there were still plenty of hits for the casual fans. This current tour is perhaps less random setlist-wise than his previous tours have been, clearly wanting structure and big hitters on his last massive go-round, but there was still plenty of variety between the 2023 and 2024 shows - and I expect 2025's outing to be no different.

4) The Almighty, KK's Steel Mill, 29/11/2024

Another that featured in last year's list, I had wondered if seeing The Almighty two years running would dampen the mood somewhat following 2023's masterful London show. Thankfully, though, the Wolverhampton show in November was just as good as the previous one - with a setlist that was different enough to keep things fresh whilst ensuring that all of the band's key anthems were still ready to be shouted by the large crowd. The atmosphere at the Wolverhampton show was a bit different overall, with less of a lairy crowd, but everyone was still out to have a great time - and the volume of the crowd's singing was some of the loudest I have heard in a while. Given how few shows The Almighty have played since their reunion, too, it is amazing how tight they were. Frontman Ricky Warwick always excels, but The Almighty feels like his true home, whilst I noticed more this time just how much of a commanding presence that bassist Floyd London is as I was stood on his side of the room. I will be seeing the band again later this year in Nottingham, and I am already looking forward to it, but it would be great to hear something new from the band give how well their shows have gone so far.

3) Yes, Tavistock Wharf, 25/04/2024

In some ways, I am surprised that Yes' Tavistock show did not make this equivalent list in 2022. It is always great to see a big band in a small venue, and those of us who live near Tavistock have now had two opportunities to see Yes kick off lengthy UK and European treks at The Wharf - following a week or so of rehearsals at the venue. The 2022 show was great, but I was a much bigger Yes fan when the 2024 show rolled around - so I was really into what the band were doing from the off. A great sound mix which generally allowed all of the nuances of the band's intricate sound to shine helped, plus the fact that frontman Jon Davison is the perfect person to carry the Yes vocal legacy going forward. Whilst many quibble over Yes' line-up, whilst guitarist Steve Howe is on board I am happy to accept this band as Yes - and his guitar playing was as fiery and off-kilter as ever. He was the real star of the show, and the setlist chosen really allowed him to shine - including a lengthy lap steel workout on Going for the One. Apart from the encore, too, all of the rest of the songs played were not repeats of those played in 2022. As such, Tavistock locals were treated to two vastly different sets as many years apart - and I am sure that many would be happy to pitch up for a third time.

2) The Black Crowes, The Civic, 18/05/2024

I became quite a big fan of The Black Crowes over the past couple of years, and 2024 cemented my love for the band via their new album and this excellent show in Wolverhampton. I have gushed over their latest album above, and much of it featured at this Wolverhampton show, but there was still room for plenty of classics and some of the band's trademark jamming. The arrangements seemed tighter on this tour, though, without some of the really lengthy jams which characterised their shows in the past, but I did not mind the brevity - as it meant that a good number of classic tracks and newer anthems could be included. The band sounded powerful, too, helped by a clear sound mix - with frontman Chris Robinson really strutting around like the rock star he is - and the more sullen-looking Rich Robinson laying down a number of tasty guitar solos. Their stage set was impressive, too, as it was made to look like a big top with the drummer, keyboard player, and backing singers all stood on what looked like a pyramid made out of a whole host of vintage amps. I have also seen few shows that contained more guitar changes, throughout, and collection of vintage instruments that were showcased would have certainly made any gearhead envious.

1) Dream Theater, O2 Arena, 20/10/2024

This show in London had every chance of being my gig of the year - and from the opening moments of Metropolis - Part 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper it was. Dream Theater's first show since 2010 with founding drummer Mike Portnoy, the three-hour spectacle was marvellous from start to finish. With a clear and loud sound mix that I was not sure the O2 Arena could deliver, the band ran through a number of fan-favourites and deep cuts with ease. The first half of the show was largely made up for relatively shorter and heavier pieces, which flew by at pace, whilst the second half was much more progressive and lengthy - opening with a live debut of Night Terror. Everyone shone throughout. Frontman James LaBrie wobbled at times as he sometimes does, but he generally sounded great - whilst it was clear that the chemistry between Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci in particular had never faded. In some ways, it was as if Portnoy had never been away and, looking back at other recent Dream Theater shows, it was clear that something had been missing all this time. It was a show meant for the long-time fan, too, as a main set-closing one-two punch of Stream of Consciousness and Octavarium can attest to - and I just hope that this is the start of a fruitful new chapter for the band.