Ozzy Osbourne's 'Patient Number 9' - Album Review

It has been great that Ozzy Osbourne has been active as a solo artist again over the past couple of years. Whilst his health seems to be declining, and it is unclear whether his 2023 tour, which has been rescheduled many times since early 2019, will actually take place, he has been putting the hours in in the studio - and the results have been better than many would have expected. In my opinion, until 2020, Osbourne had not released a solo album that was genuinely strong since 1995's Ozzmosis. Whilst 1991's No More Tears was probably his last truly classic release, I actually like quite a lot of the songs on Ozzmosis. Post that 1995 release, though, nothing has really done it for me. 2010's Scream probably came the closest to being decent, but Firewind guitarist Gus G. was criminally underused on his only outing as a member of Osbourne's band - and the album fell flat despite the potential contained within. He did manage to appear on a strong release in 13 (which I reviewed here), Black Sabbath's final album, but this was probably more by luck than judgement - as much of the album's success was likely down to the writing of Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler than by any of Osbourne's creativity. With Black Sabbath calling it a day in 2017, many hoped that Osbourne would then turn his attentions back to his solo career - and he did, but only to go on tour. It seemed that Osbourne had finally embraced being a heritage act - touring the world and playing identical setlists night after night. That was the case until early 2020, though, when he released his twelfth studio album Ordinary Man (which I also reviewed here). There were rumours that he was working on one, and when a couple of singles dropped in 2019 it seemed that there was indeed more to come. I was not sure that I quite believed it, though, so I was pleased when the album dropped in the February of 2020. I was not really sure what to expect, so went in with low expectations, but Ordinary Man turned out to be pretty strong - despite it having a pop sheen - and is probably my favourite album of his since Ozzmosis. It attracted pretty mixed reviews overall, but for me it was a pleasant surprise - with a handful of really strong songs and some others that were also enjoyable. Given the relative success of Ordinary Man, and perhaps spurred on by his health concerns, Osbourne got straight back to work on a follow-up with producer Andrew Watt (California Breed). Many of those behind Ordinary Man return on Osbourne's newly-released thirteenth studio album Patient Number 9 - which dropped last month. As was the case last time, Watt is the album's primary guitarist and songwriter - with bassist Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses; Loaded; Velvet Revolver; Walking Papers) and drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chickenfoot) also returning in reduced roles. Other significant collaborators to the album include two returning members of Osbourne's band: guitarist Zakk Wylde (playing on his first Osbourne album since 2007's Black Rain) and bassist Robert Trujillo (who last played with Osbourne on 2001's Down to Earth). Ordinary Man featured a number of guest appearances, a theme which has been doubled down on here - with many guest guitarists in particular. Iommi, Jeff Beck (The Yardbirds), and Eric Clapton (The Yardbirds; John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers; Cream; Blind Faith; Derek and the Dominos) all contribute to the album - making Patient Number 9 a real all-star affair.

Whilst I think on the whole I prefer the brevity of Ordinary Man, Patient Number 9 is a solid and similar-sounding follow-up - with a few really standout tracks and plenty of other enjoyable moments. The lengthy opening title track is one of the best here for me, meaning that the album really puts its best foot forward. It opens with effects-heavy clean guitar melodies and some creepy spoken word - before Smith's drums kick in and the guitar pattern turns into a spiky riff. Osbourne then starts singing, and his performance is what you would expect to hear. There are quite a lot of effects on his voice, as has often been the case in recent years, but the classic Osbourne tone is still very much intact - even if some occasional autotune and harmony from Watt can be heard. The song's snaking verses are brought to life by Osbourne's creepy vocal performance, though, whilst the chorus is surprisingly anthemic. The chorus vocal is strident, with the riffing of Watt and Wylde bulking out the track nicely - whilst Trujillo adds some busy bass playing. Along with Osbourne's performances throughout, a big draw for many here will be the guitar solos. Beck adds a lengthy, hard rocking solo to the track - which adds some perfectly chaotic melodies and leads to the song - which suit the overall creepy vibes and lyrics present. The song, for me, is a great addition to Osbourne's solo catalogue - with a chorus that sticks in the brain that sets the tone for what is to come. Immortal is more of a straight ahead hard rocker, with less of the atmosphere that was present throughout the previous song. Mike McCready (Temple of the Dog; Pearl Jam; Mad Season; The Rockfords) adds his guitar talents to the song - but it opens with some machine gun bass playing from McKagan, before a 1970s-esque strident hard rock riff kicks in. This is a song that focuses more on riffing rather than anything else, so it is fitting then that Osbourne's voice sounds a bit more natural here - with few effects shielding the cracks. The rhythm section of McKagan and Smith really propel the song, and the riffing atop their grooves is catchy and old-school. The chorus is hooky, although firmly rooted in the song's main riff, whilst McCready's guitar solo is bluesy yet fast-paced - which perfectly suits the song's hard rocking vibes. Parasite is similar, but definitely more metallic - and is similar in tone to some of the better songs on Osbourne's last few pre-Ordinary Man releases. Wylde is credited as playing guitar on many of the album's songs alongside Watt, but some feature him more prominently - and this is one of them. The riffing and guitar tone throughout is certainly more typical of Wylde's sound, although some sugary vocal harmonies ensure the pop sheen is intact. This is also the first of a handful of songs to feature the late Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters; The Birds of Satan) on drums. The album is dedicated to him, and his no-nonsense drumming drives the song - whilst the poppy chorus sticks in the brain despite the vocal harmonies perhaps being a bit too sweet. Wylde's guitar solo is typical of his style, though, with shredded, bluesy leads adding some real heft to the piece.

No Escape from Now is a real treat for Black Sabbath fans - as it is the first of two songs here to feature Iommi. Iommi co-wrote the track, too, and is the only guitar player here - with Watt instead playing bass. As should be expected, then, the song is very Black Sabbath-esque. It is always great to hear more form Iommi, who showcases both his trademark riffing style and some atmospheric clean playing - and the combination of his guitar and Osbourne's voice will never fail to sound great. The song is actually structured more like a 1980s Black Sabbath song than anything from the 1970s or 13, though, but it works well in the overall context of the album. Clean guitar sections and effects-heavy vocals set the tone, but when the first big grinding guitar riff kicks in the Iommi sound is well and truly on display. These sections are some of the album's best moments, and they are genuinely heavy, too. This album, as was the case with Ordinary Man, is less heavy than much of Osbourne's past work - but No Escape from Now pretty much casts this aside - and Iommi's tortured guitar solos and leads really bring the grit. One of Those Days returns to a sound more akin to the rest of the album, though, but it opens in an atmospheric manner with swirling synths and some murky guitar melodies. Osbourne's tortured voice pines atop this effectively, but the song really gets going when the chorus kicks in. McKagan and Smith drive it with their upbeat grooves, whilst Osbourne's vocal melodies are upbeat and catchy. It is probably the album's hookiest chorus, and it is one that stood out to me from the off - with the grinding organ of James Poyser adding depth. This is the song that features Clapton, and his solo is probably the most furious hard rock effort that he has laid down for some time - and it is an album highlight for me thanks to its hooks and this great solo. A Thousand Shades opens with some guitar melodies that remind me somewhat of Mott the Hoople's All the Young Dudes, which resurface occasionally throughout the song, but generally the piece is a downbeat ballad-esque song with subtle strings throughout and a sombre beat from Smith. The strings add depth to the piece, but it certainly hits less hard than many of the previous songs due to its slow-burning nature. Ballads have never really been Osbourne's strongpoint on the whole, bar a few exceptions, but A Thousand Shades is still a decent effort - and the solo from Beck is suitably emotive given its atmospheric nature. Mr. Darkness opens in a similar manner, albeit with synths instead of strings, although some percussive drumming from Hawkins adds a bit more depth. The song is a grower, as it opens up as it moves along. The verses generally grow in stature, with chiming guitar and rumbling bass swelling as the chorus is approached - before it then explodes with some stabbing guitar riffs. Poyser's organ is utilised again here, and it adds a roar, whilst the chorus on the whole is fast-paced - with a strong Osbourne vocal. Wylde adds lots of great lead work to the closing sections of the song, too, making it another one for guitar lovers to check out.

Nothing Feels Right is another slower track, and like A Thousand Shades it generally feels like a ballad throughout. Instead of Trujillo or McKagan handling the bass playing here, this song features Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction). Chaney is one of those guys who has played on countless albums over the years, and he adds his busy bass playing to this song - which is elevated thanks to his approach to the instrument. It is generally quite a slow-burning piece, although it does have a pretty hooky chorus, but the bass playing makes the song stand out. Nothing is simple about the bass playing here, and Chaney is constantly doing something interesting behind the simpler guitar melodies - locking in nicely with Smith throughout. The heaviest moment of the song, though, is Wylde's guitar solo. Whilst the choruses pack more of a punch than the rest of the song, the solo section is meatier again - and the fat bass riff that backs it is very Black Sabbath-esque. Wylde's solo is lengthy, too, and filled with lots of his usual tropes. It is probably my favourite Wylde solo on the album, and sometimes it is easy to forget what a great guitarist he can be - as in my opinion he has never been a particularly great songwriter, both for Osbourne and Black Label Society. Evil Shuffle seems to then build on the previous song's solo section, as it ups the heaviness overall - and the Black Sabbath sound is once again mined. The main riff throughout the song is slow-paced and lumbering, and the verses have a fun stop-start arrangement that often leave Osbourne's singing a cappella before the bluesy guitars kick back in. The song has a strong old-school feel as a result, and Smith's drumming is suitably shuffling given the title of the track. There are stronger songs here, but I just really like the overall vibe of this song. My only real criticism of this album and Ordinary Man would be the pop edge to the production that Watt has chosen, although I can understand why given his background and other production clients. Evil Shuffle does not really have any of those tropes, and it sounds all the better for it - given its old-school, lumbering sound. Degradation Rules is similar, though, and all the more authentic as it also features Iommi. Iommi did not co-write this one, sadly, but he still adds his guitar magic to the song. Osbourne even pulls his harmonica out for a real throwback to the early days of Black Sabbath, and the track is a hard-driving dirty blues rocker as a result. Trujillo's bass really cuts through the mix, his fat tone driving everything, whilst Smith's drumming is full of smart metal fills - which perfect suits the duelling guitars of Watt and Iommi. It is another album highlight for me as a result, and it feels suitably old-school - again with little of the pop sheen that is found elsewhere. Iommi's solo is busy and bluesy, and the overall simplicity of the arrangement allows the track to be one of the album's most immediate and hard-hitting rockers - and is a song that is likely to appeal to even the most sceptical Osbourne fan.

Dead and Gone returns to the album's more 'produced' sound, and leaves the murk of the previous two cuts behind. Synths and chiming clean guitar melodies open the song in an atmospheric manner - whilst Trujillo drives everything with his simple bass line. Despite the synths, though, the song still feels dense. It probably could have done with being a little heavier, but I like the overall vibe that the song goes for. Osbourne's melodic vocal lines will certainly get stuck in the brain - particularly during the chorus - and the track overall is one that is quite typical of the modern Osbourne sound. Some of the chorus melodies remind me a little of Paradise Lost's The Last Time which always confuses me a little each time I hear it - but the overall vibe here is more atmospheric and overtly melodic. The strings from A Thousand Shades return here, too, and they compliment the synths - particularly towards the back end of the song which sounds bigger overall. God Only Knows follows, and the song is another slower track - although it opens with a pretty slow-paced and heavy riff - which does resurface throughout. As such, the song never really feels like a true ballad, although that is really what it is - with the blues edge of this riff adding some spikiness to the track. Some of the guitar playing here is courtesy of Josh Homme (Kyuss; Queens of the Stone Age; Eagles of Death Metal; Them Crooked Vultures) - whilst some backing vocals in the chorus are supplies by the pop duo Lucius, who have also toured with Roger Waters. Their vocals add a haunting side to the slow-burning choruses - whilst the guitar approach of Homme contributes to the song's thick, bluesy sound despite it essentially being a synth-heavy ballad at its core. The album then comes to a close with the short, raw Darkside Blues, which is essentially just Watt's slide guitar and Osbourne's harmonica arranged in a manner akin to a 1930s blues recording. Osbourne sings, too, and his voice is covered in effects - which suits the way the whole song has been recorded to make it sound really old and demo-esque. It is certainly not essential, but it is quite a fun way to end the album - and it is nice to hear Osbourne playing the harmonica again to close out what is a fairly varied album. Whilst I prefer Ordinary Man, likely as it is more digestible and on the strength of a couple of real standout tracks, Patient Number 9 still has a lot of offer. It is more varied than the previous album, and the numerous guest appearances help many of the songs to have individual identities. It has never been clear exactly how much Osbourne contributes to the writing of any of his songs, but his strong vocal performance holds everything together. Even if his voice is a quite rough around the edges these days, he still has a distinct sound that no-one can imitate, and unsurprisingly it is generally the heavier, bluesier tracks here that impress the most. Who knows if we will hear more from Osbourne going forward, but Ordinary Man and now Patient Number 9 have proved fun listens in his twilight years - ending what has been a 50-plus year career on a high.

The album was released on 9th September 2022 via Epic Records. Below is Osbourne's promotional video for Patient Number 9.

Megadeth's 'The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead!' - Album Review

Considering how strong Megadeth's last few studio albums have generally been, the wait for their newly-released sixteenth album The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead! felt particularly long. I recently discussed about the long waits between Blind Guardian albums, but Megadeth have generally been pretty prolific - even in more recent years. Since reforming in 2004 following a two-year hiatus, the band released six albums between 2004 and 2016 - with a new album generally following two or three years after the previous one. Whilst not all of those albums were drop-dead classics, they were all enjoyable. 2013's Super Collider (which I reviewed here) is generally considered to be a weak point in the band's career, but liked most of it quite a lot - and even 2011's TH1RT3EN, my least favourite of their recent albums, has a number of strong songs on it. Megadeth have been in pretty rich form of late, then, and have easily been the most consistent and prolific of the fabled 'Big Four' - with none of the other bands' recent catalogues coming close to touching the best of Megadeth's recent work. 2007's United Abominations, 2009's Endgame, and particularly 2016's Dystopia (which I also reviewed here) are real standouts of the band's recent releases - and these albums are of such quality that they actually rival some of the band's classic albums for me. The band's founding member and main songwriter Dave Mustaine has not lost any of his creative chops over the years, and the beefier production on the recent albums makes the band sound bigger and nastier than they ever managed to previously. This is why the six year wait between Dystopia and The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead! was a really frustrating one for the fans. It is the longest wait between albums in the band's career to date, and at times it really seemed as if a new Megadeth album was not something that Mustaine was in a hurry to get finished - despite him often saying in interviews that one was coming. Earlier this year, though, the album was finally announced formally - but that was only after some drama had led to parts of the album being hastily re-recorded. Those who keep up with metal news are likely aware that David Ellefson, the band's original bassist, was fired from the band last year following a sex scandal. He had already recorded his parts for the album, so these were removed and re-recorded by genre legend Steve Di Giorgio (Sadus; Death; Testament; Charred Walls of the Damned; Spirts of Fire). I do not think that Di Giorgio was ever in the running to take over from Ellefson permanently due to his hectic schedule, so former bassist James LoMenzo stepped in for last year's tour dates. LoMenzo was then officially confirmed as the band's returning bassist, having previously been in Megadeth between 2006 and 2010, earlier this year, though - where he joins Mustaine, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and new drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Scarve; Headline; Soilwork; Cadaver). Verbeuren makes his debut in the studio with Megadeth here, whereas Loureiro returns for his second outing with the band - co-writing most of the songs, too.

As has generally been the case of late, the album contains a mix of material: from fast thrash metal songs to more mid-paced, melodic numbers - with the odd moodier moment thrown in, too. The album gets underway with its title track which, following a scene-setting build-up featuring a tolling bell and cries of 'Bring out your dead!', is a mid-paced number that certainly borrows from the vibes of the classic Hangar 18. The opening guitar melody is something of a slow-burner, but it builds on the vibe set by the intro nicely, but when Verbeuren's drums kick in the Hangar 18 comparisons are valid. The knotty, yet melodic, guitar lead that comes in when the song gets going is reminiscent of the style of that song, and the overall groove is similar, too - with choppy riffing and metronomic drumming. There are songs here that are more furious, but for those who want something catchy from the off then the album's title track provides just that. There the band's early 1990s output is certainly referenced throughout, and a strong chorus brings the best out of Mustaine's voice. He can be a hit and miss live singer, but he sounds strong throughout the album - and his guitar interplay with Loureiro is as busy as would be expected on a Megadeth album. Sadly the lead and solo work is not credited in the album's booklet, but this song is packed with leads and solos - showcasing the band's guitar firepower from the of. Life in Hell ups the pace quite considerably, and the band's trademark thrash sound is very much on display here. Verbeuren is credited with co-writing this song, as well as the next one, and his drumming really drives everything. His footwork is fast throughout, and there are quite a few inventive drum fills here - which help to punctuate the vocal lines. Mustaine's sings the song in a much more aggressive manner this time around, which suits the faster pace of the track, whilst the riffing is furious and fast-paced. There are sections that slow the pace, though, and there is a strong groove-based mid-section with simple riffing and the punchy bass playing of Di Giorgio. This part of the song helps to break the pace up somewhat, with some gritty spoken word, but the song soon speeds up again to continue the thrash onslaught. Night Stalkers is similar, and it was one of the songs that was released as a single before the album was released. The riffing throughout moves between really snappy picking and strident power chord accents - whilst a shredded guitar lead is never too far away. Mustaine sounds really strong on this song, and the aggressive nature of the riffing suits his aging voice. His voice is definitely deeper and more gritty than it used to be, but for me that really suits the band's sound. He is joined on this song, though, by Ice-T (Body Count) who adds a short rap to a breakdown part that goes for a groovier approach. I am not a big rap fan, but Ice-T's presence does not ruin the song. His part is short, and it does work quite well in its contained manner - but the star of course is Mustaine, who picks up the slack again after the rapping finishes. The song takes a few turns as it moves along, too, with a clean guitar instrumental section that is backed by some strings - before Di Giorgio's bass takes over and full-on thrash is restored.

Dogs of Chernobyl slows the pace somewhat, as the song opens in a moodier manner thanks to some acoustic guitars and atmospherics - before some synths kick in and a percussive drum and guitar pattern takes over. This helps the song to build in an organic way, and it soon morphs into a creepy, mid-paced track with a grinding groove and some strong guitar riffing. The main riffing throughout is rougher-sounding than is typical for Megadeth, enhancing that organic sound, and there are moments during the verses that sound like they could be effects-heavy slide guitar licks - which, if they indeed are such, would also be something out of a ordinary for the band. The song's chorus is pretty hooky, though, despite the creepy vibe of the piece, with Mustaine laying down some memorable vocal lines, before it speeds up around two-thirds of the way through following a Verbeuren drum barrage. This final portion of the song is much thrashier, with Mustaine again employing something of a spoken word-esque vocal delivery which suits the machine gun riffing perfectly. Sacrifice is more of a typical mid-paced rocker, and leaves the previous songs creepy vibes behind to again channel the band's early 1990s classic period in a big way. The guitar interplay of Mustaine and Loureiro makes the song what it is, though, as the riffing is more complex that it first seems. The main riffing throughout is quite technical, and creates some great grooves - and there are plenty of leads throughout, which each take a slightly different path and accenting the end of a vocal line perfectly. The song's chorus is very much out of the band's 1990s era, too, and has harmonies and an arrangement that reminds me somewhat of She-Wolf. It sticks in the brain as a result, and the solo section then treads a surprisingly bluesy path. Junkie is another more mid-paced track, but it feels snappier than the previous couple of numbers. The riffing has an upbeat feel to it throughout, whilst the bass pounds away to keep everything moving. Songs like this are bread and butter to Mustaine, but no-one could mistake who wrote it. Megadeth have been putting out songs like this for years, but the formula continues to work well - and the riffing throughout showcases Mustaine's approach to guitar playing, with a snappy chorus melody in particular highlighting his style nicely. The short Psychopathy follows, which is largely just a spoken word piece that is backed by a rhythmic guitar and drum pattern - with the occasional screaming lead. It essentially acts as the intro to Killing Time, though, as it segues perfectly into the latter song - which is another mid-paced rocker. It is less snappy that Junkie, though, with a fatter overall sound thanks to Di Giorgio's bass and a particularly snarling Mustaine vocal. There is less time given over to guitar leads this time, but this just allows the riffing to shine. The riffs here are very memorable - and they are perhaps a little simpler than is typical for Mustaine, which allows the song to have a really strong groove throughout. There is still a busy guitar solo section, though, but it is the only real moment of excess here.

Solider On! is a bit faster, and the song opens with a guitar and drum pattern that, fittingly, sounds somewhat like guns firing. It is another classic-sounding Megadeth piece, although it also reminds me quite a lot of the overall sound that was forged on United Abominations. That album had a particularly snarling, mid-paced sound - and Solider On! captures that well, with Mustaine really spitting out the lyrics here. The chorus also reminds me of the 2007 album quite a lot, too, and it sticks in the brain. It is one of the most overtly-catchy choruses here for me - and the little guitar pattern that sits behind the vocals during it elevates the chorus for me quite significantly. It is one of the album's more immediate cuts, and I imagine that it goes down well live - as the band has already added it to their live set. Célebutante ups the pace quite a bit, and it one of the thrashier songs here, with a driving rhythm and lots of fast-paced riffing. It is not as furious-sounding as many of the band's thrashier songs, though, and it is still pretty melodic on the whole thanks to Mustaine's more whimsical vocal delivery. The song is on the shorter side, too, being under four minutes long, but the band still allow themselves to stretch out a bit. It is generally quite snappy, as described, but there are a couple of moments that slow the pace and go for a more atmospheric sound featuring synths and some big clean guitar arpeggios. The album's penultimate cut Mission to Mars opens slowly, with Di Giorgio's bass, but it soon morphs into another mid-paced rocker - although there is a bit of a black cloud that hangs over the whole song. Despite being snappy, it has a strange downbeat feel at times - with a strong synth presence that gives it an atmospheric feel. The chorus is a good example of this, despite some strong guitar leads, as there is a mournful side to Mustaine's voice on show here. The mix works well, though, and the song is generally pretty hooky throughout - although it does drag on longer than it necessary. It has quite a lengthy closing section which features a frantic spoken word back-and-forth between an astronaut and Ground Control - which I could have personally done without. The song feels overlong as a result, and ends up being one of the album's weaker songs. The album then comes a close with a real ripper, though, as We'll Be Back is one of the thrashiest songs here, and it returns to the furiousness of cuts like Night Stalkers from earlier. It is a track that never lets up throughout its runtime, with the riffing of Mustaine and Loureiro driving everything - alongside Verbeuren's fast footwork. Due to the overall pace of the song, it is unsurprising that there is a lot of soloing to be found throughout. Both of the band's guitarists shred during the piece, and at times it really seems to act as a guitar showcase. The vocal melodies are generally less hooky here, although the chorus is still decent, but the overall arrangement and focus on shredding guitar parts ensures that the album ends on a high-octane note. Whilst I think that Dystopia is probably my favourite Megadeth album, the variety found throughout The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead! makes it another strong entry in the band's recent canon - and it is an album that shows that Mustaine does not appear to be slowing down at all. I hope that there is still more to come from him and Megadeth - and that we do not have to wait as long for the next album as we waited for this strong collection of songs.

The album was released on 2nd September 2022 via Tradecraft/Universal Music Group. Below is the band's promotional music video for Night Stalkers.

Dare - Bristol Review

I have been a fan of the British melodic rock act Dare for quite a few years at this point, but they have never been the busiest of touring bands - at least ever since I have been following them. A handful of gigs every so often seems to be their general way of operating, but for whatever reason 2022 has seen the band more active than they have been for quite some time. What has prompted this I am not sure, but perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic made frontman Darren Wharton and the rest of the band realise that getting out there and playing live is never something that can be taken granted. Another key factor, however, is likely to be the release of the band's eighth studio album Road to Eden - which came out back in April. For me, Road to Eden is one of the band's strongest releases to date - and perhaps this is also something that Wharton sensed. It is an album that certainly deserved to be taken on the road - and that is just what the band has been doing over the past month. The band's current UK tour is likely their most extensive for years, and it has allowed Road to Eden to be showcased to the Dare fanbase - which I have learnt over the past year or so is very dedicated. I knew that I had to get to a show on the tour, as I have always enjoyed seeing the band live, so back in January I bought a ticket for the show at The Fleece in Bristol. Little did I know at that point, though, that I would actually end up seeing the band live twice before this Bristol date. I already knew that I would see them at the Cambridge Rock Festival, but at that point I had not decided to go to Nuneaton to also catch them live. In fairness, the Nuneaton trip was a fairly last minute decision as it tied into some existing plans in the Midlands - but following last night's trip to Bristol I have now seen Dare live three times this year! This is a level of dedication that is generally reserved for bands like Mostly Autumn or The Quireboys - but Dare have become one of those bands that I will take every opportunity to see live, and it has been great seeing them so many times in 2022. The Fleece in Bristol is a good venue, too. Surprisingly, it is not one that I have been to very often - and prior to last night I had not been there since March 2020, just before the first lockdown. It was good to get back to the venue, then, and it was also good to see the place pretty full throughout the night. As I mentioned above, Dare's fanbase in the UK seems to be very loyal. Prior to this year I had only seen the band as a support act, so I had not really experience the band in full flight. Dare's fanbase seems to be full of people who regularly travel lengthy distances to see the band live, so as such the atmospheres at both of their headline shows that I have now been to have been excellent. Dare's headline shows are those where pretty much everyone in attendance knows every word to every song - which is why the band are able to put so much emphasis on their newer songs when playing live.

As was the case at the Nuneaton show back in March, the growing crowd was treated to 30 minutes or so of blues from slide guitarist Troy Redfern before Dare's set. Due to the Nuneaton show, and also seeing him open for The Quireboys back in January, I have now also seen Redfern live three times this year - and in truth I am still not sure what to make of him. I really enjoyed his Birmingham set, where he was joined by a traditional rhythm section and spent most of the set attacking a Les Paul, but last night and the set in Nuneaton I found less enjoyable - as he was only accompanied by a drummer and spent the whole set playing a resonator. His Birmingham set was hard rocking, riff-driven blues - with lots of strong slide solos and the occasional moment of resonator - but since then he seems to want to operate in a more stripped-down manner, with no bass backing and the fairly limiting resonator tuned to suite slide playing. Redfern is clearly a master slide artist, but for me the type of blues which almost solely relies on slide playing can get quite old quite quickly. There is only so much that can really be done with the guitar tuned in such a way and one finger covered by a slide - so after a couple of numbers last night I felt like I had heard it all really. That generally proved to be the case, although Redfern is clearly a strong songwriter and an excellent musician. Whilst it seems that he wants to establish himself primarily as a slide player, in my opinion he excels more as a hard-hitting blues rocker. When he strapped on his Les Paul in Birmingham his set was great - and the occasional slide moment made those parts of the set really shine. I was actually quite bored a couple of songs into his set last night, though, and it did not help either that his voice was very low in the mix - which meant that even the vocal melodies were not often there to help fill out the very raw songs. The most frustrating thing for me, personally, is that I know how powerful Redfern can be. I can only assume that he does not want to be that sort of blues player - which is fair enough. As it stands, though, I think that it is fair to say that Redfern's current style is not for me.

It was not Redfern that I was there to see, though, and half an hour or so after his set finished Dare took to the stage. Despite Wharton initially thinking he was in Southampton, the show got off to a strong start with a duo of songs from the new album - and in truth the quality remained at a high level throughout. Despite a brief step off the stage between the main set and the encore, the band played for pretty much two hours - and delivered a powerful 20-song set that initially focused on the band's newer albums, before taking a dive back into the past. The anthemic Born in the Storm, which is one of the best songs that the band have written in a long time, and the more atmospheric Cradle to the Grave opened up the show - before a suite of four songs from 2016's strong Sacred Ground were played. The band's newer material tends to be more atmospheric and keyboard-heavy than their older stuff, but the new songs still tend to sound a bit heavier live. The guitar playing of Vinny Burns helps to bulk them out live, though, and his lead work in particular really shone - as many of the newer songs called for emotionally-charged solos. Despite Burns shining, the spotlight was always, rightly, on Wharton. His voice still sounds great, and the way that he delivers the band's material makes the songs really come alive. Songs like the slightly rockier Days of Summer were really brought alive by this warm delivery, whilst the more melancholic I'll Hear You Pray allowed Marc Roberts' keyboards to fill the venue. Three songs from the new album then followed, and it was great to hear some of these tracks live for the first time. The sweet Lovers and Friends was one that Wharton dedicated to all of the couples in the audience, but the highlight of this part of the set for me was the slightly harder rocking Fire Never Fades - which included some tight grooves from the rhythm section of Nigel Clutterbuck (bass guitar/vocals) and Kev Whitehead (drums). The band moved back in time somewhat after this suite, and pulled out of a couple of songs from 2004's Beneath the Silent Water. Sea of Roses is pretty much an ever-present cut, but it was the somewhat lesser-played Silent Hills that stood out for me with its smooth feel and strong atmosphere. The clock was then turned back even further, to the band's 'heavy rock period' as Wharton calls it. The guitar-led Wings of Fire kicked the night up a notch, before two of the singles from 1988's Out of the Silence - Abandon and Into the Fire - kept the party vibes going. A final new song, the epic Thy Kingdom Come, then brought the main set to a close - and the cheers as the band left the stage were pretty loud, meaning that they came back pretty quickly. As they still had a decent amount of time to play with, a five-song encore filled with favourites brought the night to a close. The riffy We Don't Need a Reason kicked off the encore, before the folky The Raindance allowed for some crowd participation due to its wordless vocal hooks. Wharton then introduced the band's version of Thin Lizzy's Emerald, before dedicating King of Spades as always to the late Phil Lynott. Hearing Burns transition into Thin Lizzy's Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend is always a special moment in any Dare set - and it was then left to Return the Heart to bring what had been a lengthy and powerful set to a close. The setlist was:

Born in the Storm

Cradle to the Grave

Home

Until

Days of Summer

I'll Hear You Pray

Lovers and Friends

Road to Eden

Fire Never Fades

Sea of Roses

Silent Hills

Wings of Fire

Abandon

Into the Fire

Thy Kingdom Come

-

We Don't Need a Reason

The Raindance

Emerald [Thin Lizzy cover]

King of Spades/Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend [Thin Lizzy cover]

Return the Heart

Dare have been great every time that I have seen them live, and last night in Bristol was no different. Last night's show was almost certainly the longest Dare show that I have been to, and it was great seeing the band play so many songs - with over half of the new album included in the set. Given that the band have been pretty active on the road this year it may be a while before I see them live again, but I will take whatever opportunities arise to do so - as seeing Wharton and the gang also makes for a special night.

Blind Guardian's 'The God Machine' - Album Review

The wait between new Blind Guardian albums seems to take longer and longer with each passing release. Discounting the symphonic release Legacy of the Dark Lands, which is not seen by the band as a 'true' studio album, from 2019, their last traditional album came out way back in 2015. That album, Beyond the Red Mirror (which I reviewed here) made it into my Albums of the Year list in 2015, and it was one that I listened to a lot over the following couple of years. I saw the band live twice on its touring cycle, which was great, but since that tour wrapped up things have been largely quiet in the Blind Guardian camp. Legacy of the Dark Lands certainly would have taken quite a bit of time to put together, and was clearly a passion project of frontman Hansi Kürsch in particular - but I am not sure that it really filled the void of a bona fide new Blind Guardian album (Legacy of the Dark Lands, which I have to admit that I have not heard, only featured Kürsch alongside the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and was released under the name Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra). Considering that it had taken the band five years to release Beyond the Red Mirror (their previous album, At the Edge of Time, came out in 2010), I think that many were hoping that the gap between it and the next album would be shorter. I suppose it was if Legacy of the Dark Lands counts, but I do not think that it really does - but finally the fans got what they were waiting for last month when the band's eleventh regular album The God Machine was released. Speaking of the band's fans, I think it is fair to say that they generally fall into one of two camps. On the one hand, there are those that really like the more symphonic and progressive direction that the band have been taking since roughly the release of 2002's A Night at the Opera; and on the other hand there are those that would prefer the band to return to the heavier, thrashier sound of their earlier work. I have generally liked the band's recent albums, and the more expansive sound has certainly worked for them in my opinion - but The God Machine is likely the album that those who pined for the band's heavier side have been waiting for. Reading interviews with Kürsch, it seems that he thought that the band had pushed their more symphonic side as far as it could go - and I think that he is probably right. Legacy of the Dark Lands was probably the ultimate end-point for such a sound, and Beyond the Red Mirror was a very progressive and dense release. The God Machine, then, has dialled back on the symphonics quite significantly - and the guitar riffing of André Olbrich and Marcus Siepen once again totally dominates. The symphonics and keyboards are still present throughout The God Machine - but it is certainly a much heavier album, and balance-wise it reminds me quite a lot of 1995's Imaginations from the Other Side. The nine songs here still sound epic and dramatic, but the metallic side of the band is truly allowed to shine - and in general the tracks are more compact. This makes it an album that is probably an easier listen than the band's other recent work - and the reviews it has been getting reflects that.

The album is also shorter than has been typical for the band of late, with the nine songs here clocking in at a relatively compact 51 minutes. It opens with Deliver Us from Evil, which does not really stand on ceremony at all. A snappy guitar riff and some trademark layered vocals from Kürsch open the track, before some fast-paced double bass drumming from Frederik Ehmke kick in - and the song becomes a speed metal anthem akin to many of the band's older classics. Their recent approach to melody has been retained, though, and Kürsch's vocal lines are similarly epic to how they have generally been of late - despite the more stripped-back arrangements. His vocals add a real majesty to the song's fast verses - whilst the chorus sees the pace slow somewhat and the keyboards take on a bit more of a prominent role. I like the fact that the symphonics and choirs are still here, even if they are used a bit more sparingly this time. The song's chorus sounds huge as a result, with some subtle guitar leads adding additional melodies, whilst a lengthy guitar solo from Olbrich showcases why he is one of the most underrated lead players in metal. Another thing to note is the retention of the band's classic guitar tone. The tone of Olbrich and Siepen has pretty much been the same from their first album, and they are a guitar duo that really cannot be mistaken for anyone else. The riffing here could only come from them - and with Kürsch's heroic chorus vocals the song is a perfect intro for this heavy album. Damnation, co-written by producer Charlie Bauerfeind and session keyboardist Tommy Geiger (Painamp), is more of a mid-paced hard rocker that focuses less on the band's speed metal beginnings and instead goes for something akin to their late 1990s sound. There are faster sections, which again see Ehmke laying into his kick drums, but generally this is more of a creeping track with lots of knotty lead playing from Olbrich and a grittier vocal performance from Kürsch. The choir is generally used a bit less here, although they still lend a hand during the chorus - which is a bit more cinematic in scope with Geiger's keyboards taking on a more prominent role. The band's regular session keyboardist Michael Schüren was not involved in this album, although he still tours with them - with Geiger instead handling the vast majority of the keyboards this time. Damnation is much more of a guitar-heavy piece, though, and its driving riffing makes it a fun track. A real highlight here for me, though, is the lengthier Secrets of the American Gods. The song is definitely the most symphonic and progressive cut here, and sounds more like the material on the band's recent albums. It is generally mid-paced and cinematic in scope, with keyboards filling every gap in the mix, whilst Kürsch's vocal lines are dramatic and theatrical - with the more melodic side of his voice on show. The chorus is one of the album's best in my opinion, thanks to its soaring melodies, but the whole song pushes the album's limits - with lots of slow-burning lead breaks for Olbrich, which eventually culminate in a lengthy solo that is packed with melody. The symphonics from the last few albums are back here in a big way, too, there are sections which are significantly elevated by the orchestrations - but there is less focus on big riffing as a result. The guitars are more rhythmic this time, but this allows the keyboards and symphonics to shine - and the track is a real showcase for Kürsch due to how it places his vocals at the fore.

Violent Shadows is almost the antitheses of Secrets of the American Gods, though, and returns to more of a speed metal approach - akin to the opening cut Deliver Us from Evil. The song opens with fast-paced guitar, before Ehmke's drums kick in and the song speeds off into much thrashier territory. As is typical for Blind Guardian, though, the song is fairly dynamic - and it is not content to just operate as a pure thrasher. There are more mid-paced moments, backed by strident riffing and the occasional flash of a more atmospheric sound, but generally the song has a real crunch to it. The classic Blind Guardian guitar tone is on full display throughout, giving it a real edge, whilst Kürsch's voice is definitely grittier than it has generally been of late - harking back to the band's earlier albums. Kürsch is a vocalist that never seems to age, and he sounds as good on this album as he ever has. He can be shift from a more melodic approach to something heavier with ease - and this track generally sees him operating in the latter category, with even the chorus sounding pretty aggressive. The ending section of the song sees perhaps his most unhinged vocals on the album, too, and it closes things out in a powerful way. Life Beyond the Spheres is another song that is more epic in scope, and the symphonics and progressive side of the band are on show again here. Joost van den Broek (Sun Caged; After Forever), who also mixed the album, plays the keyboards on this one - and his playing is quite prominent throughout, although he generally adds depth and atmosphere rather than anything more overtly melodic. The choppy guitar leads of Olbrich form the main melodic hooks, whilst the verses are fairly downbeat and pounding - with the bass playing of former touring bassist Barend Courbois quite high in the mix. The verses here sound quite different for Blind Guardian. A bass-heavy sound is not typical for them, and there is a slight gothic edge thanks to van den Broek's keyboards. The chorus is very much typical of the band's more recent albums, though, and it is another huge cinematic moment with lots of choral vocals and a theatrical performance from Kürsch. Another lengthy solo section from Olbrich adds further to the song's progressive vibe - and the song overall is one that helps to break up the overall heaviness of the album and show that the band still want to create symphonic music as well as returning more to the their roots. Architects of Doom is very much a return to their roots, though, and the song is another fast-paced speed metal anthem with a general lack of a keyboards and a huge focus on the guitar interplay of Olbrich and Siepen. Olbrich is generally gets the attention in the context of Blind Guardian, despite my view that he is generally an underrated player, but Siepen is key to the band's sound. His rhythm playing is what allows Blind Guardian to sound as big and chunky as they do, and his tight riffing gives Olbrich the freedom to create his orchestral guitar leads and solos atop a rock solid base. This is a song that really showcases such interplay - and it is very much a song for those who love chunky speed metal riffing, even if the chorus is still packed with strong vocal hooks.

Let It Be No More opens slowly, with some clean guitar melodies, and after all the heaviness that has come before on the album the presence of a classic Blind Guardian ballad is welcome. It is not as stripped-back and bard-like as some of their ballads, but the slow-burning song allows for a more atmospheric sound overall. The chiming guitars of Olbrich and Siepen form a delicate backing for Kürsch's more reflective vocal performance - whilst the rhythm section of Ehmke and Courbois create a percussive and slow-burning groove. The chorus is somewhat heavier, but it is not truly heavy - it just has a fuller sound with some bigger guitars and a larger vocal arrangement thanks to the presence of the choir. Unsurprisingly, too, the orchestrations and keyboards have a bigger role to play here - and the song still sounds huge despite it generally being a slow-burner. Olbrich's solo is suitably melodic, too, and the song is a great change of pace in the context of a pretty heavy album. The band have always excelled at ballads, and this is another strong addition to that side of their sound. Blood of the Elves gets back to the album's core sound, though, with a hard-driving speed metal sound and some abrasive riffing from the off. There is little let up throughout, and the song generally retains its fast pace. Even the chorus is pretty fast, and the band's usual trope of slowing things down to allow for a more epic sound is not really implemented here. There are occasional slower sections in the build up to the chorus - but these are still pretty fast in the grand scheme of things, with Ehmke's drumming still being pretty furious. The chorus has a very old-school feel to it, then, thanks to its pace - but it still allows Kürsch to shine with some hooky melodies, and Olbrich's guitar solo is one of the album's fastest and most shred-centric. The album then comes to a close with Destiny, a track which is generally more mid-paced and seems to attempt to fuse the different sounds found throughout the album together. It is less symphonic than some of the longer pieces here, but there is a progressive feel throughout thanks to its arrangement. There are more low key moments that feature Kürsch's voice against a stripped-back musical backing, whereas other sections feature strident mid-paced riffing. It is generally less heavy than most of the other songs here, and as such harks back somewhat to the band's recent albums. That being said, though, it is more guitar-centric. The riffing throughout is still typical of the rest of the album, just less thrashy, and there are strong classic rock vibes during parts of the song. Despite the progressive approach, though, it is probably the least-interesting song here. Parts of the song really work, whilst other sections are less hooky - and it seems to be caught between a few different camps, and it is not sure what type of song it wants to be. It does leave the album hanging somewhat at the end, then, but the overall quality of what came before does not allow one weaker cut to have much of a negative impact. Overall, for me, The God Machine is another very strong album from the band. Whilst I like their more progressive recent work, this trip back to the past is welcome - and the heaviness of the album overall makes it a winner. There are still lots of hooks throughout, though, and I feel that many of these songs will work live when it is toured. There is an awful lot to like here, and it is an album that I will be getting plenty out of over the coming months.

The album was released on 2nd September 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Deliver Us from Evil.

Machine Head's 'Of Kingdom and Crown' - Album Review

The American groove/thrash metal act Machine Head are a band that I have always had a bit of an on and off relationship with. They are a band that I tend to listen to quite intensely for a month or so, before putting their CDs away and not reaching for them again for a couple of years. Every so often their aggressive, yet relatively melodic, approach to modern metal scratches a certain itch - but such an itch only erupts once in a blue moon, so my knowledge of the band's work is certainly not extensive. Until recently, my last real Machine Head blitz came in 2014 - when the band released their eighth studio album Bloodstone & Diamonds (which I reviewed here). This is probably not a view that would be echoed by most Machine Head fans, but Bloodstone & Diamonds may well be my favourite of the band's albums. Despite its length, it holds my interest throughout - and the material within perfectly manages to straddle the line between aggressive and melodic. I think the thing that stops me listening to Machine Head more than I do is the fact that there is a certain over-the-top macho edge to their sound that often rubs me up the wrong me. This is certainly not unique to Machine Head, and is something that generally infects the 'modern' American metal scene. A lot of metal could be described as macho, but there is something particularly chest-beating about bands like Machine Head - and frontman and sole original member Robb Flynn is often quick to tell the world at large that he does not give a fuck about what it thinks through the medium of song. This is all well and good, but it does get tiring after a while - which is largely why I only reach for Machine Head's albums periodically. Bloodstone & Diamonds felt a bit less full on in that regard, and when I recently revisited the band's discography in the run up to seeing them live on tour with Amon Amarth it still stood out as being a career high. The other album that stood out, interestingly, was their newest, and tenth, album Of Kingdom and Crown. Of Kingdom and Crown is the band's first album in four years, and follows 2018's Catharsis - which is generally seen as a low point in the band's catalogue. In truth, I only heard it for the first time this year, having avoided it due to the dreadful reviews it attracted on release, but it did not sound particularly out of character for Machine Head - but for me Of Kingdom and Crown is significantly better. A concept album inspired by, but not based on, the anime series Attack on Titan, the album's 13 songs have a real flow to them - and there is plenty of songwriting variety. Since the release of Catharsis, too, there has been quite a lot of change in the Machine Head camp. The 2018 release proved to be the band's last with guitarist Phil Demmel and drummer Dave McClain. Guitarist Wacław 'Vogg' Kiełtyka (Decapitated; Lux Occulta; Sceptic) and drummer Matt Alston (Sanctorum; Guardians of Andromeda; Eastern Front; Devilment) joined the band in 2019, and have been touring with Machine Head since. Vogg makes his debut in the studio with the band here, co-writing two songs, but for whatever reason Alston was not involved in the album's recording - with Navene Koperweis (Animosity; Fleshwrought; Animals as Leaders; Job for a Cowboy) instead handling the drums throughout.

Whilst this album is pretty consistent throughout, its first half is particularly strong. It opens with its longest song, the 10 minute-plus Slaughter the Martyr - which gets underway slowly. Machine Head have written a few epic-length songs in the past, but this might by my favourite in this style so far - as it is made up of a number of a memorable sections that all come together to serve the whole. The opening clean guitar melodies are slow and ominous, whilst Flynn's vocals are surprisingly melodic and tuneful. This opening section lasts for quite a while, too, and it really helps to build tension. The guitars create a haunting bed for the vocals, and Flynn delivers one of his strongest truly clean vocal performances ever - with bassist Jared MacEachern, contributing to his third Machine Head album, adding high-pitched harmonies where appropriate. When the song explodes with a heavy riff, then, it hits harder than it otherwise would have. The good work of its intro realised, the song then moves along at a faster pace - typical of Machine Head's core sound, with groove-based riffing and lots of fast double bass drumming. The verses steam along at a decent pace, then, whilst the choruses go for a more anthemic approach - with big vocal hooks that are again fleshed out by MacEachern's harmonies. This contrast between the groove-based verses and the fists-in-the-air chorus is one that makes the song as good as it is - and it is hard not to get swept along with the chorus, hooks and all. A more stomping bridge section then introduces itself following a couple of repetitions of the verse/chorus arrangement - which then gives way to the album's first solo section. Flynn kicks it off, with slower melodies and some effects-heavy leads - with Vogg then taking over to shred. A final reprise of the chorus then leads the song towards a slow-burning close - which includes a gradual fade out as a more melodic vocal-led section plays. For me the track is one of the album's real highlights, and it showcases Flynn's more progressive songwriting style. The songs here aregenerally really good, though, and Choke on the Ashes of Your Hate soon steamrollers in - dialling back on the progressive side of things and instead going for the throat. This song is more typical in style for Machine Head, from the jackhammer opening riff to the verses that move at a breakneck pace - despite the odd more groove-based moment thrown in. There is a strong thrash vibe throughout the song, and the main riff is very much out of the 1980s Bay Area movement - whilst Koperweis' fast and precise drumming (including the odd blast beat during the chorus) ensures that the overt heaviness is retained. Despite the aforementioned blast beat, which is utilised only briefly, the choruses do see the pace slowed somewhat - although they are generally quite short, with the song generally keeping things moving quickly. A bridge section sees the heaviness upped even further, with Flynn employing a much more extreme vocal style, before another great solo section sees both him and Vogg shred. The song is less hooky than the opening cut, but the chorus and the overall pace ensures that it remains a vital part of the album.

Become the Firestorm is similar in vibe, with more blast beats during the song's opening that then resurface quite regularly throughout the verses. There is less of a thrash feel here, though, with the song instead sounding more influenced by extreme metal. There are perhaps shades of the modern deathcore scene throughout some of the riffing and Koperweis' drumming, but there are still enough old-school groove and thrash elements to stop the song from sounding too out of character for Machine Head. The chorus is very much classic Machine Head, though, and is one that went down well live when I saw the band last month. It is sung in a call-and-response style between MacEachern and Flynn - with the former singing the first line in his higher-pitched tone, before Flynn responds in his usual aggressive manner to create a new pit anthem. Keeping with the deathcore themes, there is a bit of a breakdown before the solo section, which sees a strong injection of groove - before a harmony guitar lead introduces the solo proper, which then gets more chaotic as both Flynn and Vogg let rip. As the album is a concept album, there are a handful of linking pieces here, and Overdose is the first of such. These pieces are generally just background noise or the odd bit of spoken word - and Overdose generally acts as an intro for the moody My Hands Are Empty. My Hands Are Empty was co-written by the band's former guitarist Logan Mader, whom Flynn has reconnected with over the past few years, and it slows the pace down somewhat - opening with some distant wordless vocal melodies and plenty of atmospherics. In some ways, despite the difference of instrumentation, the effect is similar to the opening of Slaughter the Martyr - but when a gritty mid-paced riff kicks in the song becomes a mechanical rocker with some percussive drumming and various knotty riffs. Sections of the verses are more straight ahead, but on the whole the song feels a bit different from the norm. The chorus revisits the wordless hooks from the intro, albeit with a strong bass and drum backing - which Flynn then sings over. Given how relentless the last couple of songs were, though, the more dynamic My Hands Are Empty is welcome, and even Flynn's approach to his guitar solo is somewhat out of the ordinary. Unhallowed maintains the more atmospheric side of the previous song, but pushes it further. Again, the intro of Slaughter the Martyr is again somewhat referenced here - with much of the song sitting in a more melodic camp, despite the presence of a big riff early on. It is one of the two songs here co-written by Vogg, and it certainly sounds a bit different for the norm for the band. There are sections that are classic Machine Head, with mid-paced headbanging riffs and groovy drumming, but there is a real focus on ringing clean guitar hooks and gentle vocal harmonies. These sections are really quite cinematic, and remind me a little of Anathema at times - which is certainly not a comparison that I was expecting to make! It all hangs together, though, and in my opinion it really highlights what a good singer Flynn can be. His cleaner vocals on this album are excellent, and would love to see more of this from him going forward.

Following the second interlude piece Assimilate, which features a rousing monologue, Kill Thy Enemies kicks in - which is very much typical Machine Head fare. It opens with some stand-alone Koperweis drumming, which creates a percussive, mid-paced vibe - before a big Flynn riff joins in that sets the tone for the rest of the track. Whilst Machine Head are probably best-known for their faster moments, they have also done plenty of mid-paced tracks over the years. This is the latest true slab of groove metal in their catalogue, and the riffing has that perfect headbanging groove throughout that will certainly make it a popular live track. The chorus is very easy to latch onto, too, as it has some simple vocal hooks that can be shouted along with by a large crowd. There is little of the atmospheric side of the band here, although a short bridge section sees Flynn singing in a cleaner manner - before Vogg launches into a precise, melodic solo that builds in speed as Flynn joins in. No Gods, No Masters is perhaps slightly less typical for Machine Head, at least at first, but it soon becomes another strong faster-paced thrash anthem with a gang vocal-led chorus. The song's opening returns to the band's more atmospheric side, with MacEachern's pulsing bass leading the way whilst Flynn sings clean - but these sections are fairly short-lived, with much of the track bring pure thrash. Flynn's harsher delivery has rarely sounded stronger, and the chorus returns to the epic style featured throughout Slaughter the Martyr with some soaring wordless vocal hooks and the aforementioned gang vocal refrains. There are no solos here, with a breakdown-type section instead rearing its head late on with some groovy riffing that differ from the thrashy approach featured elsewhere. Bloodshot is very much typical for Machine Head, though, and is one of my favourite songs of the album's still strong second half. I mentioned earlier that the opening few songs are the best here, which is the case, but there is not a significant drop off in quality. Bloodshot feels a bit stronger than much of the rest towards the back end of the album, though, which is largely due to its great chorus and some simple riffing that really sticks in the brain. It is the second Vogg co-write here, and if Unhallowed was something a bit different for the band then Bloodshot shows that he can help put together Machine Head's version of meat and potatoes. It is a great mix of thrash and groove, with faster sections sitting side-by-side with in-your-face shouting anthems - whilst some of the snaking riffs have a real Lamb of God feel at times, particularly during the bridge before Vogg's explosive solo.

The penultimate proper song here is Rotten, which is another song that is very typical of Machine Head's core sound. Like Kill Thy Enemies, much of the song is a mid-paced groove-fest. The riffing of Flynn and Vogg throughout is fat and full of attitude, whilst MacEachern's bass is high in the mix to add to the overall groove-based approach. The chorus does up the pace, though, going for a thrashier feel with some fast double bass drumming. This breaks up the grooves, but it works well in my opinion - and allows Flynn to sing in a more urgent manner, which suits the overall approach of the chorus. A bridge section takes a different route, though, as it opens with a very sludgy riff and some really harsh vocals from Flynn - before it is all turned on its head and the more atmospheric side of the album is again showcased. This is all capped off by more shredding from Flynn and Vogg - with the two guitarists perfectly showcasing their talents. Following the final interlude piece, Terminus, which is very downbeat, the album comes to a close with Arrows in Words from the Sky. The song builds from the depressing Terminus, and opens in a similar manner to Slaughter the Martyr with some slow-burning clean guitar melodies that create a strong atmosphere - which Flynn sings over with some strange effects on his voice. After a minute or so the song starts to build, and a groove-based riff kicks in, but it never really leaves its more melodic base. As such, the song is one that really stands out for me - and is another big highlight of the album's second half. The riffing throughout is very Machine Head in nature, but there is something that is overall just more melodic about the piece - and the chorus actually has some really beautiful melodies and some excellent melancholic vocals from Flynn. Flynn's solo is similarly-restrained, too, and the melodies that he plays throughout are similar in tone to those used throughout the song's chorus - which follows the solo in a more stripped-down arrangement, before a final reprise of it brings the album to a plaintive and unusually reflective end. There is nothing of the band's usual bravado here as the album closes on this melancholic note, and in my opinion it is all the better for it. It is the perfect way to end the album, and listening to the song again whilst writing this it struck me that this album could end up being my favourite Machine Head release. There is so much diversity here, from typical pit anthems to reflective, melancholic songs that show a different side to Flynn. Vogg seems to have fit right in, and I am looking forward to see how he grows as a member of the band going forward - but it would certainly be good to see Alston on board next time, as I am not really sure why he did not contribute here. Either way, though, I want to hear more Machine Head in this vein next time - as there really is a lot to love about this more diverse approach.

The album was released on 26th August 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Choke on the Ashes of Your Hate.

H.E.A.T - London Review

I have already made my way through most of the concerts that have been postponed over the past couple of years, but there are still a few more to go! Many of them have fallen over the past month or so, though, and October 2022 has been one of the busiest months of gigging for me ever. I have squeezed so much into the last few weeks, and there is still one more to go - as I will be heading up to Bristol on Sunday to catch Dare for the third time this year. The focus of this piece, though, is an excellent show that I attended in London this past Tuesday, when me and many others descended on the Electric Brixton to see the Swedish melodic rock/AOR act H.E.A.T put on a great display - ably assisted by the modern British rock acts Mason Hill and Collateral. This is a show that I had had a ticket for for a long time. It was originally supposed to take place in May 2020 - at The Garage in Islington. It has been postponed multiple times, and at some point over the last couple of years was moved from North London to South London - from The Garage to the Electric Brixton. The Garage would have been preferable really, as I have never really been a fan of Brixton - but the Electric Brixton is still a decent venue. It is not somewhere that I have been too often, though, and H.E.A.T's show there a couple of days ago was only my third visit - following Kamelot in 2018 and one of the last performances of Delain's previous line-up in 2020. It is also worth noting, too, that when I bought the ticket for this show H.E.A.T had a different singer! The band's original frontman Kenny Leckremo returned to H.E.A.T at the end of 2020 - replacing the outgoing Erik Grönwall who joined Skid Row earlier this year. I was sad to see Grönwall go, but as someone has who has always liked H.E.A.T's early albums I knew that Leckremo would easily reintegrate himself back into the band. It took a little while for the second Leckremo era to get off the ground for obvious reasons, but H.E.A.T have been pretty busy this year - both on and off the road. They released their latest album Force Majeure, and third overall to feature Leckremo, back in August, and they have also ben touring pretty heavily over the past few months - with shows throughout Europe and even a quick trip to Australia. The band have managed to build themselves a strong following here in the UK, though, so I am sure that they were looking forward to coming back for some headline shows. H.E.A.T's last few visits to the UK were either for festivals or to undertake some high-profile support slots. I had never seen H.E.A.T as a headline act until this week, but I had previously seen them live twice - supporting both The Quireboys and Skid Row. I had been a fan of the band before those two shows, but I had not really given them much attention for a couple of years. Those shows in 2018 and 2019 rectified that, though, and I have been a big fan again since - completing my collection of their back catalogue. It was not just me that was excited for the show, either, and the Electric Brixton was pretty full throughout the night. It is good to see a band like H.E.A.T being able to play somewhere of a decent size - and the crowd were up for the night from the off.

Gigs with strong bills are always more memorable than ones with a poor undercard, and H.E.A.T made sure that this show fell into the former category - with Collateral, and later Mason Hill, impressing the crowd before the main event. Both Collateral and Mason Hill are well-liked modern British rock acts, and both were greeted like heroes by the crowd. I would say that most in attendance were as familiar with the two support acts as they were with the night's headliners - which meant that the atmosphere was great from the off. The London show was the last night of H.E.A.T's UK tour, so all three bands were clearly in the partying mood. Collateral were the perfect band to kick off the night, then, with their melodic, 1980s-style rock fitting the bill. I saw the band last month in Nottingham supporting Reckless Love - but I enjoyed their set in London much more. They were playing to a tiny crowd in Nottingham as they went on about 10 minutes after the doors opened - and they also suffered from a muddy sound mix. Neither was the case this time, and the five-piece powered through six songs with ease. Frontman Angelo Tristan seemed really up for the show, and prowled around the stage during the riffy opening cut Lullaby, whilst Todd Winger (guitar/vocals) nailed the shredded solo. The party vibe was set early on, as H.E.A.T's drummer Don Crash was wheeled out early on to drum along to Mr Big Shot. This showed the rapport that the two bands have clearly built up, and it was fun seeing Crash join in with Collateral's set. The more country-tinged Midnight Queen was the only difference between this set and last month's show in Nottingham - with Tristan strapping on an acoustic guitar and showcasing his love of all things Bon Jovi. The hooky song had lots around me singing along, but it was the two new songs that impressed the most. If all of the songs on the band's next album are as good as No Place for Love then it should be a special release; and the sleazier Sin in the City allowed newest recruit Louis Malagodi (guitar/vocals) to rip out a solo of his own. The band's short, but sweet, set then came to a close with Merry Go Round, another hard rocking moment that the crowd really enjoyed. Collateral are definitely one of the UK's best when it comes to throwback-style 1980s hard rock, and it was great seeing them play to a large, receptive crowd. I hope to catch them at one of their own shows soon! The setlist was:

Lullaby

Mr Big Shot [w/ Don Crash]

Midnight Queen

No Place for Love

Sin in the City

Merry Go Round

Mason Hill's more modern, post-grunge sound may have stuck out like a sore thumb on a bill with AOR-esque acts - but Mason Hill ensured that the genre differences did not matter, as they put on a great eight-song showing that was also greedily lapped up by the large crowd. I am on record on this blog as not being into Mason Hill, but that all changed last year with the release of their debut album Against the Wall - and my fandom was solidified thanks to a stunning headline show at the Camden Underworld last September. I knew that the band would impress again here, and they did - although they did have struggle against a less-than-ideal sound mix. Collateral and H.E.A.T both had decent mixes, but for whatever reason whoever was mixing Mason Hill's sound decided that they really wanted to hear the bass. The bass was so high in the mix that the floor was vibrating during some of the songs - and this did rather overshadow the rest of the band at times, particularly during the slower songs. The band still put on a strong set, though, with the hard rocking Hold On and the melodic single D.N.A. kicking things off nicely. The riffing of James Bird (guitar/vocals) was on point throughout, whilst frontman Scott Taylor delivered a passionate performance. The slower Out of Reach lost some of its power due to the muddy sound, but the riffing of Find My Way powered through the mix. Another ballad in Where I Belong was a real highlight of the Camden show last year, and it was here too - despite the bass being rather overpowering. For me, though, the song works better as a set-closer, as it really focuses on Bird's soloing. I can understand why it was moved to the middle of the set during a support slot, though, but I still think that they should have closed with it - as it is easily the band's most powerful track due to how it builds, Taylor's emotional delivery, and the excellent soloing of Bird. It was a highlight of the set for those reasons, before the gang vocal-led We Pray upped the tempo again. As was the case with Collateral's set, most of those around me were singing along to Mason Hill's songs - and as they chose to end things with two singles the singing only increased. Broken Son kept the energy levels high, but it was the closing cut Against the Wall that seemed to really get the crowd going. There was plenty of singing from everyone around me, and it brought the band's set to a triumphant close - justifying their decision to move Where I Belong from this slot. I am really looking forward to seeing where Mason Hill go from here as they are really starting to make a name for themselves. The setlist was:

Hold On

D.N.A.

Out of Reach

Find My Way

Where I Belong

We Pray

Broken Son

Against the Wall

A gig is a great one when a great time has been had before the main act hits the stage, but it was H.E.A.T that everyone was there to see - and the energy levels rose further as they walked out and launched into Back to the Rhythm from their latest album. Due to the pandemic, 2020's H.E.A.T II was never toured in the UK, so the band chose to focus on both Force Majeure and H.E.A.T throughout, playing four songs from each, with their other five albums also being represented. The early part of the show generally consisted of newer material. The stomping Back to the Rhythm set the tone for what was to come, with Crash's precise drumming and the choppy riffing of Dave Dalone (guitar/vocals) - before Dangerous Ground really set pulses racing. The song has become one of my favourite H.E.A.T tracks in recent years, and it also showed the crowd that Leckremo is more than capable of handling the songs that he did not originally perform with the band. He is slightly less gritty than Grönwall, but he still did the songs justice - and he also proved to be a great frontman. He was all over the stage throughout the show, and he seemed really happy to be back in the band. In fact, the whole band looked like they were having a great time - with the sleazy Rock Your Body and the more cinematic Come Clean bringing huge smiles from the band members. The strong new album was then showcased again with the AOR-tinged Hollywood and the heavier Tainted Blood - the latter of which really came across well live. Dalone's riffing throughout was great, whilst Leckremo owned the song vocally. Sitting between the two was a trip back to the past for the band's first single Straight for Your Heart - which focused the keyboards of Jona Tee in a big way. A short drum solo then showcased the talents of Crash, before the synth-heavy One by One had everyone singing along with the anthemic chorus. Dalone was then highlighted with a guitar solo spot, which led into the up-tempo Beg Beg Beg. The fast-paced song saw everyone singing along, and Leckremo took the opportunity to indulge in some audience participation during which the crowd happily obliged. The slower-paced Cry allowed everyone a bit of a breather, before Collateral's Tristan was brought out to help the band sing their wannabe Eurovision hit 1000 Miles - which was a lot of fun thanks to the song's throwback, anthemic nature. By this point there was not a huge amount of time left, but a couple of huge tunes from 2012's Address the Nation kept the crowd going. The percussive Breaking the Silence always goes down well, but it was Living on the Run that I enjoyed the most. Tee's keyboards really drove the track, and the chorus was sung loudly by the large crowd. Instead of going off and coming back on again, the band just carried on with the upbeat Nationwide from the new album, before the bluesy and foot-stomping A Shot at Redemption brought the night to an end. It started slowly, with Leckremo dragging out the intro in a cinematic way - before Dalone kicked in with the riff and the mid-paced tune brought the curtain down on a great show. The setlist was:

Back to the Rhythm

Dangerous Ground

Rock Your Body

Come Clean

Redefined

Hollywood

Straight for Your Heart

Tainted Blood

Drum solo

One by One

Guitar solo

Beg Beg Beg

Cry

1000 Miles [w/ Angelo Tristan]

Breaking the Silence

Living on the Run

Nationwide

A Shot at Redemption

Both Collateral and Mason Hill came on stage at the end to join in with H.E.A.T's photo with the crowd, which goes to show how much fun all three bands have had on this tour. Things like that are always great to see, and it is also great to see a headline act value a great undercard. H.E.A.T made this tour the more special by bringing along two great support acts - and the crowd really got their money's worth with three great sets. H.E.A.T continue to grow in stature here in the UK, so I doubt it will be too long before they return - and I will certainly be there when they do.

Cats in Space - Tavistock Review

It would appear that, like Mostly Autumn, the British rock six-piece Cats in Space have become one of those bands that I will take every opportunity possible to see live. Last night I headed to the regular haunt of The Wharf in Tavistock to see the band for the third time this year, and it is safe to say that they put on an excellent performance - as always. I first saw the band back in 2017 when they opened for Deep Purple, but I did not start getting into them until 2019 - seeing them headline for the first time in December of that year, also in Tavistock. Since then I have seen them three more times - with the best of the bunch coming last October when I saw them deliver a stunning set at The Garage in Islington. 2022 has really been the year of Cats in Space for me, though, having seen the band deliver again at the Cambridge Rock Festival back in June and shine on a bill with King King at Chepstow Castle in August. Between those two shows, the band also released their fifth album Kickstart the Sun - which may, in time, become my favourite that they have put out to date. It is an album that saw the band pushing their throwback 1970s glam/melodic rock sound further than they have previously - showcasing a somewhat progressive side at times, alongside their core sound. The band played a couple of songs from the album at both the Cambridge and Chepstow shows, but it was the album's tour proper that I was really looking forward to - as the band would likely include a number of the excellent new songs in the setlist, alongside some older favourites. The Tavistock show fell about a third of the way into a pretty extensive tour that takes the band up to the end of the year. It is great to see a band like Cats in Space putting themselves out there and playing a pretty significant amount of dates. Taking this into account, as well their love of putting out new product, the band have a very old-school work ethic -  which is great to see. Cats in Space are a band that really deserve to succeed, and in truth I am really surprised that their catchy and well-written songs have not reached more people. I think that it is fair to say that none of the band's headline shows that I have attended have been packed. The London crowd last year was a reasonable size, but it should have been better considering that it fell on a Saturday night. The 2019 Tavistock show was not exactly rammed, either, as was also the case yesterday. I have seen worse crowds at The Wharf, but considering that, again, the show fell on a Saturday I expected to see more people in the venue. Sadly, it just seems to be a fact that many newer bands struggle to find an audience. The irony is that the older generation of rock fans who continuously and loudly state that there is no good new music out there would probably love Cats in Space - but bands like them are always going to struggle to break through, despite all the hard work they put in. Still, those that turned up were certainly in for a treat - as the band's performance was as good as ever.

As was the case when the band played in Tavistock in 2019, support came from Matt Mitchell & The Coldhearts. I remember somewhat enjoying the band's set last time, and I felt much the same this time. Mitchell has previously been part of the harder rock bands Furyon and Colour of Noise, but his solo work generally seems to be a bit more organic in nature - with a bit of a singer-songwriter vibe mixing with more traditional hard rock. I have not really kept up with Mitchell's career of late, but I enjoyed a good chunk of his set - even if the overall mix did not allow him to really shine as a singer. I read my 2019 review before writing this, and many of my complaints from three years ago remained yesterday. The drums were quite high in the mix, and the lack of a keyboard player removed any depth that his recorded material has. The relatively small crowd never really seemed to warm to Mitchell and his band either, which always makes things a bit awkward - especially as Mitchell seemed to insist on treating the show like he was playing to legions of the devoted. That being said, though, some of the newer songs sounded pretty good. Surprisingly for me, it was actually the slower-paced tracks that perhaps stood out the most. The harder rocking tracks were somewhat typical-sounding, but the ballads allowed Mitchell's voice to shine - and the slower songs seemed to suit his current vibe and overall style the best. Perhaps the overall highlight of the band's set, though, was the lead guitar playing. I have tried to find the name of the guitarist online, but I am not sure who he is as he did not seem to the be the Coldhearts' regular guitarist looking at pictures of the band online. His playing was excellent, though, and the solos that he included throughout the set were incendiary - even if they sometimes seemed a bit too explosive for the song that they were a part of! Despite my lingering issues with the band, I still enjoyed their set. I feel like the band could be so much better, though - with more subtlety in the drumming department and the inclusion of a keyboard player. The powerful Black Diamonds, from the band's debut album, brought the set to a close and it showed how the band can rock out when they want to - and it brought things to a powerful close.

It was Cats in Space that everyone was there to see, though, and when the lights went down the crowd woke up - and managed to create a pretty strong atmosphere throughout the night. With seven songs from the excellent Kickstart the Sun in the set, the night was a pretty forward-looking one - although there were still plenty of old favourites included. The band walked on stage to the intro from the new album, before launching into the epic and lengthy King of Stars. The song is one of the highlights from the new album, and it came across really well live. The chorus, which featured the band's trademark vocal harmonies of frontman Damien Edwards, guitarist and bandleader Greg Hart, and bassist Jeff Brown, grabbed hold of the crowd from the off and everyone was whisked along for the ride. The song is quite dynamic, with lots of changes in pace and tone. Much of it is quite hard rocking, but a few slower sections allowed Edwards to inject a more emotional vocal - which would resurface later on a couple of ballads. The hard-hitting Too Many Gods followed, and this took the audience back to the band's debut. The song has always been a live favourite, and it went down a storm as always - with the big chorus seeing plenty of singing from the crowd. Three new tracks were then rolled out. Poke the Witch and Teenage Millionaires have been fixtures of the band's recent shows, but it was great to hear the soaring title track of the new album live for the first time. Like many of new songs, it builds from a piano intro from keyboardist Andy Stewart - before expanding into a cinematic rocker with layers of vocal harmonies and multiple guitar solos from Hart and fellow guitarist Dean Howard. A couple more newer numbers were played soon after, too, with the poppy Charlie's Ego showcasing the band's love of a good melody before the delicate Hero left Edwards alone with Stewart to deliver the heartfelt piano ballad. Cats in Space's sound is usually big and bombastic, but Hero showed that they can operate in a more low key manner, too, and it provided a nice change of pace before the upbeat oldie Timebomb that followed. The ELO-esque 1,000,000 Miles was then the last new cut played, before the band treaded some familiar ground with a handful of favourites from their other albums. A highlight for me, as always, was the cinematic Atlantis, which is song that sounds much better live than on the album of the same name - before Brown's funky bass playing heralded the arrival of the groovy Thunder in the Night - which always goes down well. The piano-driven The Mad Hatter's Tea Party and the dramatic I Fell Out of Love with Rock 'n' Roll then brought the main set to a close - with the latter acting as a vehicle for some extended soloing from Hart and Howard. A two-song encore followed, though, and following a brief snippet of Queen's Under Pressure the band launched into the Boston-esque Listen to the Radio - another song which prompted quite a bit of singing. It was left to the band's signature piece Greatest Story Never Told to round the evening out, with Edwards and Brown duetting perfectly as always, and the song brought the curtain down on what was another excellent evening of music. The setlist was:

Kickstart the Sun - Intro

King of Stars

Too Many Gods

Poke the Witch

Teenage Millionaires

Kickstart the Sun

Mr. Heartache

Charlie's Ego

Hero

Timebomb

1,000,000 Miles

Marionettes

Atlantis

Thunder in the Night

The Mad Hatter's Tea Party

I Fell Out of Love with Rock 'n' Roll

-

Under Pressure [Queen cover]/Listen to the Radio

Greatest Story Never Told

The show ended on a strange note, though, as for some reason all of the lights went out as the band were getting ready to take their bows. I am not sure what happened, as it was not a power cut as other things on the stage still had power, but it left the band just standing there not sure what to do. I assume that someone pressed the wrong button somewhere, but it never seemed to get fixed - so the band just ended up leaving the stage after waving to everyone in the dark. They still received a strong reaction from the crowd, though, and I am sure that everyone in attendance enjoyed their evening with Cats in Space. It is a shame that there were not more people at the show, but those that showed up were certainly appreciative of the excellent show that they were given - and I have to hope that the band's constant hard work is rewarded over time. I will certainly be seeing the band again next time that they tour - and I look forward to whenever that is.

Soilwork's 'Övergivenheten' - Album Review

If there is one band out there that is keeping the melodic death metal genre sounding fresh and full of life, the Swedish six-piece Soilwork are likely it. Some of the genre's big hitters have been sounding somewhat stale of late, but Soilwork have possibly been in the form of their lives recently. In truth, the band's lengthy catalogue is pretty strong from start to finish - but since the arrival of guitarist David Andersson in 2012 they have really been firing on all cylinders. Considering that Andersson replaced Peter Wichers, who was extremely important to Soilwork's sound and songwriting up until his departure, it is a surprise that he managed to become as integral to the band as he did. Not every band can replace someone as key to their sound as Wichers was and arguably go on to bigger and better things - but 2013's double album The Living Infinite showcased that life beyond Wichers was rosy, with Andersson immediately striking up a great writing partnership with frontman Björn 'Speed' Strid. The Living Infinite is one of the greatest double albums in metal in my opinion, and this is largely thanks to its consistency and strong focus on melodies. As Strid and Andersson would go on to prove with their many albums with The Night Flight Orchestra, they are musicians that love a killer hook - and Soilwork of late has been all about the hooks. The Ride Majestic (which I reviewed here) followed in 2015, and four years later came Verkligheten (which I also reviewed here) - both of which continued the melodic nature of The Living Infinite, whilst also perhaps indulging the band's occasional progressive side. This progressive side was then fully explored on the 2020 EP A Whisp of the Atlantic - which I did not pick up for a while as originally it was only released on vinyl. A CD release eventually happened, but by this point it was far too late to review it - although it is safe to say that, despite only being an EP, A Whisp of the Atlantic was another solid entry into the band's modern canon. With that coming out, as well as Strid and Andersson's focus on The Night Flight Orchestra of late, I was not expecting a new Soilwork album to be released this year - so I was surprised when the band's twelfth album Övergivenheten was announced a few months ago. I pre-ordered it, and have been enjoying it since it was released back in August. However, the album has since been tinged with extreme sadness - as the band announced in September that Andersson had died, aged 47. From reading some of the band's statements, I do not think that Andersson's death came as too much of a surprise for them - due to his mental illness and alcohol addiction - but that makes it no less sad. Övergivenheten, then, currently acts as Andersson's last recorded work - so it is fitting that he drove much of the songwriting here, along with Strid. The album sounds like a natural continuation from Verkligheten, with lots of hooks alongside a somewhat more progressive approach. Andersson's approach to songwriting is very much obvious here - so the album acts as a fitting tribute to his talents. It is also the band's first album with bassist Rasmus Ehrnborn, who was made an official member of Soilwork earlier this year after having toured with them since 2019.

Övergivenheten is quite lengthy, with 14 songs totalling over 65 minutes, but generally the quality is high throughout. It opens with its title track, which builds from an atmospheric intro based around clean guitar melodies, the subtle keyboards of Sven Karlsson, and, eventually, the marching drums of Bastian Thusgaard. Soon, though, the song really opens up - alongside a Strid scream - and a hooky riff kicks in that sees a synth lead sitting atop a heavy guitar pattern. In many ways, Övergivenheten is very typical of the modern Soilwork sound. Strid moves back and forth between harsh and clean vocals, and there is a heaviness throughout thanks to Thusgaard's busy drumming and the duelling guitars and Andersson and Sylvain Coudret. The verses are the heaviest sections here, with fast-paced riffing and Strid's screams - whilst the chorus is much more melodic, with more of a keyboard presence and some soaring vocal hooks. The chorus is one of the many catchy moments found throughout the album, and it sticks in the brain thanks to Strid's typical approach to melody. An off-kilter Andersson guitar solo adds a progressive edge to the song - whilst Karlsson also contributes in this regard with a low key piano outro. Nous Sommes La Guerre follows, and the pace is slowed somewhat - with the song opening as a mid-paced rocker with some driving guitar stabs and a strong keyboard presence. The heaviness soon drops away, though, leaving some clean guitar melodies and a rhythmic, jazz-inspired drum groove which form the basis of the song's verse - which Strid soon sings over. He largely focuses on his clean delivery here, his rich tones adding to the overall tapestry that is created by the jazzy feel of the piece. By this point, too, Karlsson's keyboards have also joined the fray - and they add a significant amount to the song's overall melodic nature. Karlsson has always been an asset to Soilwork, but his keyboard playing seems more prominent throughout this album in general - and this song is a good example of his talents. Keyboard hooks fill the chorus, complimenting Strid's vocals nicely, and the track is enhanced as a result. Electric Again ups the heaviness again, and opens with some furious riffing and some blast beats from Thusgaard. Soilwork are definitely more melodic and less heavy overall than they used to be, but they still know how to pack a punch - as the opening of this song shows. Despite this, though, the song is still packed full of hooks. The verses are abrasive, with Strid's harsh vocals and the relentless drive of the drums, whilst the choruses soar thanks to a slower pace and a heroic vocal display. There are fewer melodic touches musically here, with the vocals doing all of the heavy lifting - although a violin solo courtesy of session player Rachel Hall does change the dynamic somewhat, before Andersson launches into a shredding solo.

Valleys of Gloam returns to a more melodic sound, with an opening musical hook that is easy to latch onto and a melodic focus throughout. There is little of the previous song's heaviness here, with Strid singing clean throughout and a reprise of the opening melodic hook is never too far away. Ehrnborn's bass is more prominent here, too, especially during the verses - and they add a subtle melodic edge. This is generally a very vocal-focused piece, though, and the chorus is another winner thanks to this approach and Strid's excellent delivery. Is It in Your Darkness returns to a heavier sound, and the opening riffing from Andersson and Coudret is excellent. There is a busyness to their playing, but it still manages to sound hooky - whilst Thusgaard lays into his drum kit to create a perfect backing barrage. Despite this, though, there are still plenty of melodies to be found here. Strid's harsh vocals have always been pretty accessible, and the verses are snappy thanks to his delivery - whilst a more epic pre-chorus section goes for an atmospheric approach with keyboards clashing with blast beats for a dynamic sound. The chorus is a real shout-along moment, too, with both clean and harsh vocals sitting side by side to create a powerful, anthemic sound. Strid is also credited with playing the song's guitar solo, which is a surprise. He has been credited with 'additional guitars' on some albums previously, but I believe that this is his first guitar solo. The cinematic, melodic moment is a brief moment of calm, and he goes for a different approach than Andersson might have taken - which works well in my opinion. Vultures goes for a more mid-paced and groove-based approach, and was put together musically by Karlsson. Karlsson used to write quite a few songs for the band, but he has not done so for a while - so it is nice to see him contributing again from a songwriting perspective here. The song not really that keyboard-heavy, though, and instead is more of a groove-based track with muscular mid-paced riffs and some punchy drum beats. Strid mixes clean and harsh vocals throughout the stomping verses, before the chorus again soars thanks to more of a keyboard presence and some emotional vocals. Andersson's guitar solo is suitably melodic given the nature of the track, too.

Following the short, piano-based instrumental piece Morgongåva/Stormfågel, one of the album's strongest cuts Death, I Hear You Calling rolls in with its strident opening riff. It is another mid-paced rocker, but it is easily one of the hookiest pieces here. The riffing from Andersson and Coudret throughout is packed with power, and Strid channels all the great rock and metal frontmen of the past for an anthemic performance. There is little of the band's technical side here, and the track is very much one for the headbangers. The verses throughout have a stomping groove, thanks to Thusgaard's simple drumming, whilst the chorus is an album highlight thanks to its huge hooks and Strid's swagger. It is definitely a track made for being played live, and even a slower-paced solo section does not kill the mood - with Andersson initially going for a more atmospheric approach before rocking things up again. This Godless Universe then opens slowly, with some piano melodies, but this is very misleading as the track itself is one of the heaviest here. Thusgaard lays down some more blast beats when the song proper kicks in, and the riffing is furious. Hall adds some more violin to the piece, though, and there is a bit of a symphonic black metal feel to the opening sections thanks to the combination of her playing and the relentlessness of the riffing. As such, the song has quite a strange vibe throughout - but it works quite well and allows the band to showcase their more progressive side. Strid's verse vocals are some of his most unhinged ever, which is fitting, whilst the chorus sees him reverting to his clean voice to hit some impressive high notes over the fury of the rest of the band. Dreams of Nowhere continues on in a heavier vein, but returns more to the band's usual brand of metal. It is much more melodic than the previous track, but there is still a lot of weight to be found. The riffing is pretty furious again early on, and the verses are a great mix of light and shade with Strid's dynamic vocal approach. There is a strong atmospheric approach throughout, though, with Karlsson's keyboards once again playing a big part in the song's overall sound. He adds a depth throughout, which ensures an additional melodic edge despite some of the heavy riffing, whilst the chorus is another potential candidate for the album's best. Strid really knows how to cook up a memorable vocal melody, and the chorus here sticks in the brain after only a handful of listens. It is very easy to sing along to, and the melodies cut through the heaviness of the rest of the song nicely - allowing to shine.

Another brief instrumental piece, The Everlasting Flame, follows that features more piano and strings, before Golgata kicks in with its snappy riff. Despite the riff being pretty catchy, it has an off-kilter vibe which whips up a great groove from the off - as well as indulging the band's more progressive side thanks to an unusual time signature. The verses are surprisingly fast, then, and Strid's vocals are furious - his harsh vocals spitting through the mix as the fast drums and the gnarly guitar riffing create a dense bed for him. The chorus sees the pace slowing and a more epic sound produced. The keyboards are once again pushed to the fore here, and the hooks from Strid have that slight pop edge that he is known for. The verses and the chorus contrast nicely with each other here, and this gives the song its identity. Harvest Spine is similar, but somewhat more conventional in sound with a groove-based approach and a big focus on rhythm. The riffing is more mid-paced throughout, which gives the verses an anthemic and stomping feel, although there are pacier moments such as some of the instrumental interludes and the chorus. Strid's harsh vocals during the verses are full of venom, which perfectly suits the chunky riffing, whereas the choruses are more melodic despite the faster pace. A rare Coudret guitar solo continues the pace with some melodic shredding, which adds to the song's heaviness nicely before a final reprise of the chorus. The album then comes to a close with the strangely-titled On the Wings of a Goddess Through Flaming Sheets of Rain which opens in a more atmospheric manner before it explodes into a fury of riffing and guitar leads. It is quite a chaotic song, but there are still plenty of hooks throughout. Some additional vocals are provided by Nils Karlén, boosting the speedy and dense chorus nicely, whilst Strid himself showcases his diversity with soaring clean hooks and deep growls - with the latter in particularly shining during a slower, heavier section following the second chorus. A couple of Andersson guitar solos add some melody, whilst Karlsson's ringing piano elsewhere adds depth. The song is very varied, and moves through different moods and musical sections - but it still sounds very much like modern Soilwork, with the band's progressive side getting a good workout as the album comes to a close. Overall, then, Övergivenheten is another strong album from Soilwork that continues the great work that they have been doing of late. Crucially, too, it has belatedly become a fitting tribute for Andersson and his contributions to the band - and he will certainly be missed going forward. He has become such a big part of the band's identity of late that it is hard to imagine a Soilwork without his songwriting now, but I am sure that Strid will continue forging on - and I hope that they can continue to do Andersson proud by pushing on with more quality releases going forward.

The album was released on 19th August 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Övergivenheten.