The Darkness' 'Motorheart' - Album Review

When it comes to pure fun, there are are few bands out there that excel in that field more than The Darkness. While there are some that still do not get The Darkness, or choose not to get them in some cases, there is a reason why the band still remain popular here in the UK. The band are not as big as they used to be, with much of the period between the release of their 2003 debut album Permission to Land and their break up in 2006 seeing them fill arenas here in the UK, but they are still a big draw - especially live. I always think that it must be hard for bands who achieve such a large amount of success so quickly. Overnight success must be tricky to navigate and cope with, and I would imagine that it is more preferable in the long run to build success over time. Permission to Land was such an instant hit, and I would not be surprised if this instant catapult to fame contributed to the band's split three years later. While still a success, 2005's One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back did not reach the heights of Permission to Land - both critically and commercially. I actually think that it is the stronger album, but it was always going to be hard to capture lightning in a bottle twice - at least from an imapct perspective. The break probably did the band the world of good, however - and since reforming in 2011 The Darkness have been on a great run of form. COVID-19 notwithstanding, they have rarely been off the road - and they have released new albums on a pretty regular basis since relaunching with 2012's Hot Cakes. While, in my opinion, none of the band's 'newer' albums quite match up to the greatness of their first two, the band's recent albums are still great - with 2015's Last of Our Kind (which I reviewed here) and 2019's Easter is Cancelled (which I also reviewed here) being particular highlights. There is definitely more of a rawness to the band's recent work, but that suits The Darkness as they currently stand. Guitarist Dan Hawkins' big-sounding but relatively stripped back production style helps to bring the best out of the band - and there seems to be less of a desire to go for a full-blown Queen/Def Leppard-esque sound these days. That being said, The Darkness are still melodic, theatrical, and over the top - as their newly released seventh studio album Motorheart can attest to. It is early days, but Motorheart might be my favourite thing that the band have put out since One Way Ticket to Hell...and Back - which considering the quality of both Last of Our Kind and Easter is Cancelled is high praise indeed. If it is not the best overall, then it certainly contains some of the best individual songs that the band have written for many years - some of which benefit from a slightly lusher production than has been common of late. The album is still relatively stripped back, however, but the band have allowed themselves the odd flirtation with a larger sound again this time.

Proving that the band's trademark humour is still very much intact, the album opens with the tongue-in-cheek, and surprisingly heavy at times, Welcome Tae Glasgae. I am not sure that anyone outside of the UK will really understand what the song is about, and Justin Hawkins' accent will likely upset some Scottish people, but the song is a short stab of fun - which is what The Darkness have always been best at. It is certainly not the best song here, but there is plenty of energetic riffing to enjoy - with heavy sections that are the most powerful that the band have sounded in years. Before the heaviness, however, a pulsing bassline from Frankie Poullain and some bagpipes herald the entrance of the song's verse - which is full of Justin's silly lyrics, and followed by a pre-chorus that features some excellent falsetto vocals. The heaviness comes in for the chorus, with a riff that could have come from the band's debut album - with Justin taking on a gruffer vocal style than usual, to bark the simple chorus lyrics in something of a mock Scottish accent. The song will definitely turn off anyone who has never got The Darkness, but for those of us familiar with the band's style the song opens the album in fine fashion. The quality instantly shoots up, however, as It's Love, Jim is one of the best songs here - and one of the band's best songs ever, in my opinion. The song's main riff is packed full of classic rock attitude, with a stop-start pattern that sees both the Hawkins brothers locked together to whip up an energetic storm. The song continues on in the same vein too, and the track is a high energy piece that is packed with hooks. The chorus is very catchy, with a great falsetto vocal hook and some melodic guitar intricacies - but with all the hooks the energy and classic rock strut never fades. The song might be a little on the short side, and would have been even better with a solo and a final chorus reprise, but as it stands it is still great - and as mentioned previously it is a real album highlight. The album's title track is next, and following two relatively quick and straight forward songs it takes a slightly different path. The song is still classic Darkness in style, but the riffing and the main guitar leads feel a little more involved than usual. Special mention should also be given here to the drum performance of Rufus Taylor, who is now on his third outing with the band. The drumming throughout is full of energy, and the strange rolls that follow the song's main riff add some percussive energy to the piece - and help the song to stand out. I also like how the third verse takes on a different sound, with Justin instead delivering the lyrics in a largely spoken word manner. This also helps the song to stand out and, when the catchy chorus is also taken into account, the track is another highlight.

The Power and the Glory of Love takes on a bit of a smoother sound, and definitely channels the vibe that was established throughout Easter is Cancelled. While it does not have the acoustic guitar presence that really characterised many of that album's songs, the overall smoothness certainly brings the band's 2019 release to mind. This more laid back approach is welcome however, following three harder hitting tracks, and the song allows both Justin's voice and Poullain's bass to shine. The bass really drives the verses, with the guitars adding colour, while Justin sounds great vocally thanks to some AOR-esque vocal melodies - as well as the occasional burst of screaming falsetto in the chorus. I also really like the occasional harmony guitar leads, which usually act as a join between the different parts of the song. The band's Thin Lizzy influence has always been visible, and the guitar work throughout the song (as well as the overall smoothness) certainly bring the Irish band to mind. Jussy's Girl is similar. It does inject a bit more of a hard rock feeling back into the album, but there is still a smoothness - along with an arrangement that makes more room for occasional synths. The acoustic guitars from Easter is Cancelled return too which, along with the synths, help to give the song real depth. Things move back and forth between riffier sections and parts that are more atmospheric; which showcase the band's songwriting skills perfectly. While most of the band's songs are short, they are often interestingly arranged and packed with twists and turns that might not be expected. Jussy's Girl certainly has that feeling, with the chorus in particular sounding quite different from the rest of the song - along with a lengthy guitar solo that is set against a subtly industrial backing. Sticky Situations is something of a ballad, but in the somewhat bombastic manner which The Darkness' ballads have often taken previously. It also flirts with some of the Queen-esque vibes that the band have made use of previously - particularly in the way that the song has been layered and some of the choir-esque backing vocals. Piano and acoustic guitars add a lot of depth, while subtle slide guitar swells compliment Justin's voice nicely - but it is the chorus were the Queen elements are at their most obvious. Everything really comes together in the choruses, with walls of guitars, synths, and backing vocals joining forces to create a larger-than-life sound.

Nobody Can See Me Cry injects some more energy back into the album after three smoother tracks. The energy from Welcome Tae Glasgae is reprised here, but the overall sound from the smoother tracks is still also somewhat retained. Parts of the song are fast, almost punky, and packed full of energy - but there is still a lot of depth. Acoustic guitars still make their presence felt, and the choruses are again quite epic sounding - with melodic guitar arpeggios backing up Justin's vocals. The song is a bit of a strange mix of sounds as a result, but it is again a testament to the band's compositional skills. I particularly like the song's guitar solo, which sees the tempo behind it gradually increasing as it progresses in a comical fashion. It works well in the context of the varied song however, and this part mixes the punky and grander sides of the song together nicely. Eastbound is more typical of the band's core sound, however, and is built around an AC/DC-esque riff that drives things throughout. The band have done heavier tracks, but there is a great classic rock strut throughout. Poullain's bass helps this strut to really shine, but there are also more Thin Lizzy-esque guitar harmonies that add further injections of melody throughout the song. Anyone who likes the band's first two albums will love Eastbound, as it really channels the vibes found there. It is a song that wears its influences on its sleeve, but in truth The Darkness have never shied away from doing so - and, for me at least, this is all part of the charm. The song sounds like the perfect mash-up of AC/DC, Queen, and Thin Lizzy, with a spoken word section about a pub crawl thrown in. The album comes to a close with Speed of the Nite Time, a more atmospheric song that allows Justin to channel his love of The Cult. Open Fire did this back in 2015, and Speed of the Nite Time feels like a spiritual successor to that track - while shifting the focus onto The Cult's 1985 release Love. Some of the guitar motifs throughout are very Billy Duffy in style, while the strong keyboard presence and Justin's relatively restrained vocal performance recall The Cult's gothic period. The song is easily the most atmospheric piece here, and it is possibly the most gothic that the band have ever sounded. The sound suits the band, however, and the keyboard-heavy track is a great way to close out what is a very varied album - despite its short length. In fairness, however, varied albums are what we have come to expect from The Darkness. They have never truly stuck to one sound, which is what makes some of the criticism that they still face so laughable - as it is clear that those people have never listened to the band properly. For those of us in the know, however, Motorheart is another excellent album. There is not a weak song here, and the melodies throughout are as infectious as ever. The band's great run of form shows no sign of abating either, and for those who love a good time: Motorheart is for you.

The album was released on 19th November 2021 via Canary Dwarf Limited/Cooking Vinyl Limited. Below is the band's promotional video for It's Love, Jim.

Crazy Lixx's 'Street Lethal' - Album Review

Despite the fact that I was quite into the Scandinavian hair metal revival that took place throughout the late 2000s and early 2010s, Sweden's Crazy Lixx were not a band that I really listened to at the time. I remember a friend somewhat being into their 2007 debut album Loud Minority a year or so after it came out, but I recall thinking that it was extremely derivative of Mötley Crüe - and I thought that the band's name was ridiculous. I did end up picking up 2012's Riot Avenue, the band's third album, a year or so after its release when I had become more open to properly giving the band a go - but outside of a few songs it did not really do that much for me. For ages I paid the band no more attention as a result, but last year I decided to give them another go - and picked up a copy of their 2016 live album Sound of the Live Minority. I am not sure why I decided to do so, but I am glad that I did as the live album really impressed. I think that part of the reason why I revisited the band was because Andreas Eriksson, who's work with Inglorious I enjoyed, was Crazy Lixx's guitarist for a while. He has not been in the band for quite a few years at this point, but whatever the reason I am glad that I finally properly entered the world of Crazy Lixx. Better late than never, as the saying goes, and over the past year or so I have been filling my Crazy Lixx connection. I am still missing a couple of their albums, as some of them seem quite hard to track down (as is often the case with older Frontiers Records releases), but I now own most of them - all of which I enjoy. Crazy Lixx have moved on from the extremely derivate Mötley Crüe-esque sound of their debut - and now operate in more of an arena rock/AOR style. There is still plenty of hair metal in Crazy Lixx's sound, but the band are closer to bands like Bon Jovi these days than they are to Mötley Crüe - but with a slightly cinematic edge, a style that founding member and frontman Danny Rexon's songwriting has expanded into in recent years. 2019's Forever Wild, the band's sixth album, felt like Rexon's best set of songs to date. The mix of arena rock, AOR, hair metal, and cinematic synths came together perfectly; and it is an album that I have returned to quite a lot since picking up earlier this year. Last month it was the turn of the band's seventh album Street Lethal to be released - something which I was looking forward to being a newly-minted Crazy Lixx fan. Despite the album containing some strong songs however, for me it is a bit of a step down from the heights of Forever Wild. Forever Wild was pretty much all killer no filler, whereas Street Lethal feels a bit patchy in comparison. There were also a slew of outside songwriters involved this time around, something which has generally been quite rare for a Crazy Lixx album in the past given Rexon's songwriting prowess, and I do wonder if Street Lethal has suffered from something of a too many cooks-type situation rather than playing to the band's strengths.

The album opens with the instrumental piece Enter the Dojo, the first of two synth-heavy scene setters that, for me, add little to the album overall. Crazy Lixx are the sort of band who should open their albums with a big riff (with a huge chorus not too far away), but instead the album's powerful kick off is delayed. The Oriental melodies make the song sound like something from the Karate Kid soundtrack, which might have been the intention, but these themes are never revisited throughout the album - so its inclusion feels somewhat tacked on. The album's opener proper, Rise Above, is a great track, however, and is how the album should have started. A huge drum intro from founding member Joél Cirera heralds the album's first of many big riffs, which both Chrisse Olsson and Jens Lundgren nail - who are both on their third studio outing with the band here. The song is everything that the band's fans will have come to expect from Crazy Lixx over the years - and their trademark mix of arena rock and hair metal sounds great. The chorus soars with AOR-esque hooks, and Rexon's synths constantly add a cinematic depth. The guitars dominate however, and the verses have a real strut to them thanks to a sleazy riff - before a lengthy shredded solo adds some melodic virtuosity. Anthem for America continues in a similar vein, but the sleaziness is dialled up even further - and the track is a real throwback to the 1980s hair metal era. Rexon has clearly written the song to be a bit of a tongue-in-cheek tribute to that era, as well as what has gone wrong since, and it captures that vibe perfectly. The riffs have a great mix of groove and sunny melody, while every vocal hook has been crafted to sound anthemic - with Cirera's crashing drums accenting each big anthemic hook perfectly. The chorus walks the line between sleaze and AOR perfectly, and it is one of the album's hookiest moments as a result. A stripped back version of the chorus that appears towards the end of the song, complete with big, staccato drums, showcases this - and the track is sure to become a live favourite for the band going forward. The Power reins in much of the sleaziness of the previous two songs, and instead goes for a flat out arena rock vibe with a big keyboard presence and plenty of big Def Leppard-esque vocal harmonies. In fact the song is a like a mix of Hysteria-era Def Leppard and 1987-era Whitesnake - with a chorus from the former and a verse from the latter. The verse's chord pattern is very hair metal-era Whitesnake in its smouldering power, while the choruses explode with a glam rock stomp and plenty of huge vocal harmonies. It is another powerful song that is made for the stage, and also showcases Rexon's love of the 1980s.

Reach Out follows, and it is the first of a couple of songs here that seem to have been written by a committee - with three outside songwriters credited, and Rexon only penning some of the lyrics. It is not a bad song by any means, but following three great tracks it falls flat. It lacks the band's usual bite, and instead sounds like typical Frontiers Records AOR fodder - although I do not recognise the names of most of the songwriters. The great thing about Crazy Lixx is that they have always managed to combine big AOR hooks with sharp riffing and an overall punchy sound - but Reach Out does not really sound like Crazy Lixx. Only Rexon's voice really keeps it from sounding totally out of place on the album - and I would have preferred the track to sound much heavier. The album's second synth instrumental Final Fury then follows, but again it adds little to the album. There are some good spacy guitar leads this time, but overall it feels like a bit of a time filler. The album would not have been overly short without both Enter the Dojo and Final Fury, so their inclusion feels a little pointless - especially as they do not even really act as proper intros for the songs that follow them. The album's title track, with lyrics co-written by bassist Jens Anderson, gets the album back on track however. It is a hard-hitting riff-driven song that ups the pace, and returns to the great sound of Rise Above rather than continuing on the overly poppy sound of Reach Out. Olsson and Lundgren rip it up throughout the track, their powerful riffs keeping the song moving, while Rexon really unleashes vocally with some throaty high notes and plenty of big hooks. Another big chorus hooks the listener in too, and there is certainly a little bit of the band's older Mötley Crüe-esque sound in it - albeit with sweeter vocal harmonies. Caught Between the Rock n' Roll is the first of two songs here written by Olsson. Rexon has pretty much always been the band's main songwriter, although a couple of the band's former guitarists also contributed a lot to their earlier albums, so it is nice to see Olsson getting involved here. His efforts are certainly better than the committee-led songs too, and the track is an anthemic stomper - which again recalls Def Leppard, although pre-Hysteria this time. The track is slightly heavier, but is packed with that 1970s glam rock-esque sound that Def Leppard really dragged into the 1980s. The chorus has a bit of a heavier Sweet vibe, with Cirera's staccato drumming punching through everything to give the song its strut. It is another song made to be played live, but the studio version it is still a lot of fun.

In the Middle of Nothing is the album's ballad, but it is a hard-hitting one in classic Crazy Lixx fashion. There is no stripping everything back to leave a lonely piano here, instead the band still rock pretty hard - with the pace slowed and the bite of guitars slightly reduced. There is again a strong Def Leppard vibe present throughout the track, but I also hear bits of bands like Warrant - especially in the big backing vocals and the soaring guitar solo that is packed full of melody. A lot of modern hair metal ballads can be a bit too sugary sometimes, but In the Middle of Nothing still wants to rock - despite also wanting to get somewhat more emotional. Rexon's somewhat gritty voice works well throughout the song, and there is plenty of emotion featured throughout - despite the tougher overall sound. One Fire - One Goal is another committee-written song. It is better than Reach Out in my opinion, but it still lacks that classic Crazy Lixx sound. It is amazing how close a Frontiers Record band is to sounding like a generic Frontiers Records project if a little creativity is given over to outside forces, but that being said the song is still enjoyable. The guitars lack their trademark crunch, but the chorus is pretty strong still - with some big hooks that will certainly stick in the brain. I just that the wish the song had the band's classic sound, as it could have been a great addition to the album rather than merely a good one. I feel the keyboards are too prominent here, which has rarely been Crazy Lixx's thing other than to create cinematic depth, and a more guitar-heavy sound would have been welcome. The lengthy Thief in the Night, written by Olsson, closes the album out. There is a lot to like about the song, but at just under seven and a half minutes long it drags a bit. It opens quite slowly, with some soaring guitar leads atop of a synthy bed, but it then morphs into a mid-paced rocker in the classic Crazy Lixx style. The riffing throughout the verses is packed full of subtle attitude, while the leads that back Rexon's vocals add a lot of depth. The choruses are powerful too, with driving keyboard stabs and some more big vocal harmonies. Crazy Lixx have always managed to pack their songs full of soaring harmonies, and this album is no different. In fact, some of the choruses here might be their most layered to date - and it helps the album to soar sound-wise. The song could have probably done with having some of its fat trimmed, however. Its closing fade out goes on for far longer than it needs to - and I am not sure that the slow-burning intro adds that much to the song, despite it sounding good in and of itself. That style is just not Crazy Lixx - but the song overall is strong and packed full of hooks. The Street Lethal album as a whole is strong one, but as mentioned earlier for me it is a step down in quality from Wild Forever. The synthy interludes serve little purpose for me, and there are a handful of songs that feel too generic Frontiers for me to truly latch onto. There's still a lot to enjoy however, and the great moments that are found throughout certainly make the album a worthy purchase for fans of hair metal and arena rock.

The album was released on 5th November 2021 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Anthem for America.

Alestorm - Bristol Review

I have always had a bit of a strange relationship with the more overtly silly end of power metal. I am sure that some would say that all power metal is silly (which is hard to disagree with in truth), but there is a particular brand of it that really pushes the boat out when it comes to both humour and over-the-top attitudes. Scotland's Alestorm are one such band. While I cannot claim to have been a fan of the band when they were unsigned and called Battleheart, I did pick up 2008's Captain Morgan's Revenge, the band's debut album, not too long after it was released. As such, I have followed the band since near enough the beginning - and at one point they were regulars on my iPod. Both Captain Morgan's Revenge and 2009's Black Sails at Midnight were albums that I listened to a lot - but over time my love for the band has waned. For me, each album following Black Sails at Midnight (which the exception of 2017's No Grave but the Sea) has seen a drop-off in quality in comparison with what came before it - with 2020's Curse of the Crystal Coconut being a read nadir. Alestorm have always had their tongues firmly in their cheeks, but over time their modus operandi has moved from writing clever folk/power metal songs with a piratical theme to essentially becoming a living meme. Each album has got more ridiculous as a result, so much so that I wonder if Christopher Bowes' (vocals/keyboards) heart is really in it anymore. No Grave but the Sea showed that the band could still write strong songs, while having a laugh along the way, but Curse of the Crystal Coconut undid all of that good work - and contained some truly awful songs. That being said, however, each album (including Curse of the Crystal Coconut) has included some good songs - so I have kept up with the band's progress throughout their career, even if I no longer listen to them anywhere near as regularly as I used to. A post-lockdown gig in Bristol seemed like a good opportunity to catch up with the band again properly. Before last night, I had only seen the band live twice previously: once in 2012 supporting DragonForce in Nottingham, and once two years later in Plymouth where they headlined the much-missed Hub. I had the opportunity to watch them at the 2018 iteration of Bloodstock Open Air too, but I opted to see Voyager instead. Given it had been seven years since I had last seen the band live, I was looking forward to a night in Bristol with Alestorm. Helping to sweeten the deal too was the inclusion of Gloryhammer on the bill - who are essentially Alestorm's equivalent in the fantasy-themed power/symphonic metal world and have links to the Scottish band. The night promised to be a lot of fun if nothing else, and a trip to Bristol is always welcome.

With the doors opening at 7pm, three bands to get through, and an 11pm curfew, there was not much time to waste. The gig at the O2 Academy was sold out, and as such the queue to get in was lengthy. Due to me getting to the venue only around 15 minutes before the doors opened, I did not actually get into the venue until about 7:30pm - by which time the opening act Bootyard Bandits were already on stage. The country metal act, for want of a better description, did not have much time to work with, but the part of their set that I saw was quite fun. Fronted by Joel Peters (who I recently saw fronting Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons), and including drummer Paul White (who I have seen with both The Defiled and Aaron Buchanan and the Cult Classics in the past), the band's sound was pretty easily listening. They were not particularly heavy, and the country elements in their sound were not as strong as they perhaps could have been, but many of the songs were still quite memorable. There were quite a few decent choruses that encouraged quite a lot of crowd participation, especially for an opening act, and there were times when the banjo that was sometimes wielded by one of the band's guitarists was well-integrated into the songs (although there were quite a few times too where it did not really seem to add anything). Bootyard Bandits' short set was a fun introduction to the evening's music however, and they certainly got the crowd nicely warmed up for what followed.

Gloryhammer were up next, and had much more time to play with. It was only just over two years ago that the band pulled a healthy crowd in the city, at SWX, so I think that many in attendance were there as much for Gloryhammer as they were for Alestorm. I was certainly one of those, and in truth I prefer Gloryhammer these days. They are similarly silly to Alestorm, but they have not crossed over into full-blown meme territory yet - and still manage to tread the line between parody and deadly serious perfectly. This tour features something of a new-look Gloryhammer, however, as it is their first outing with new frontman Sozos Michael. While he has not yet mastered the band's trademark stage patter, as a vocalist he is a perfect fit - and in truth his super smooth voice might even be better suited to the band's material than Thomas Winkler's was. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the band's set was largely a condensed version of the 2019 tour's setlist - with many of the songs played being real crowd favourites. It kicked off with two anthemic tracks in the form of The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust) and Gloryhammer - both of which got the venue's capacity crowd heavily involved from the off. Gloryhammer's music is epic, but also extremely hooky - so much so that every chorus was sung back loudly at the band. Some of the songs go for a more cinematic sound, such as The Land of Unicorns, and there are even AOR-esque moments such as the soaring chorus of Legendary Enchanted Jetpack - a song that was debuted live on this tour. Being a Gloryhammer show, however, there was also some time given over to the pantomime of the band's overall concept. Each member of the band represents a character in the story; so James Cartwright (bass guitar/vocals) introduced The Hollywood Hootsman after downing a pint; and Paul Templing (guitar/vocals) played the pantomime villain perfectly to usher in the anthemic Masters of the Galaxy - which was sung loudly by the whole crowd. At times it was easy to forget that Gloryhammer was 'just' the support band, and that there was more to come. The band are masters of their craft at this point, and when Michael embraces his character more fully I think the band will reach new heights. I am looking forward to hearing new material with him, but vocally he has already got the band's classics down to a tee. They could do little wrong by this point, with the fist-pumping Angus McFife and the disco-influenced Universe on Fire feeling like victory laps. It was left to The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee to bring the set to a close - and the roar of the crowd certainly showed that the band had done their job. The setlist was:

Into the Terrorvortex of Kor-Virliath

The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)

Gloryhammer
The Land of Unicorns

Legendary Enchanted Jetpack

The Hollywood Hootsman

Hootsforce

Masters of the Galaxy

Angus McFife

Universe on Fire

The Unicorn Invasion of Dundee

For me, Gloryhammer were the band of the night. However, and despite my general apathy for their recent direction, Alestorm still put on a great show. The band might be a living meme these days, but live they are professional - and the current line-up might well be their tightest yet as a live unit. Their 90 minute set got underway with the jaunty Keelhauled, an old classic, and proceeded to pull songs from all six of their studio albums in a fairly even manner. As the tour is somewhat for Curse of the Crystal Coconut, five songs were featured from it. Treasure Chest Party Quest was the first of the new numbers played - and it is one of the album's stronger cuts in my opinion. It is silly as anything, but the chorus is really catchy - and the stop-start riffing from Máté Bodor (guitar/vocals) works well. Elliot Vernon (vocals/keyboards) delivered the song's harsh vocals with ease too, and just generally looked like the most laid back man of all-time up there on stage behind his tilted keyboard. Alestorm became a much better live band when he joined, so much so that Bowes rarely touches his keytar these days - although he did still pull out a few impressive lead runs. Despite quite a few newer songs featured, for me it was the older songs that really shone. The keyboard-heavy The Sunk'n Norwegian was a highlight, with the whole crowd singing the chorus, while the fast-paced Shipwrecked was a great representation of what the band used to be about. Songs like Tortuga however, with its strange rap/dubstep elements, showcased everything that annoys me about modern Alestorm. It saw the first appearance of the night from Luke Philp too, who took to the stage as Captain Yarrface to do the rapped vocals. It was not long before the set was back on dry land though, as the epic 1741 (The Battle of Cartagena) pulled out all of the stops. The track is one of the band's longest, and it is a great example of folky power metal - with lots of pompous keyboards and shredded guitar solos. The song's chorus is one of the band's best too, and shows that they can be memorable without needing to always resort to jokes. In retrospect then, perhaps the band covering Taio Cruz's Hangover a few years ago should have been a red flag. Its inclusion in the set saw Philp wheeled out for more rapping, and the next chunk of the set, with the exception of the heavy Magnetic North was largely in the realms of overly silly with their cover of the old Eurovision song Wolves of the Sea and the poor Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship - the latter being from the new album. A rousing Captain Morgan's Revenge took me right back to 2008 however, and it was great to hear the song live again - as it was one of my favourite songs when the first album dropped. The main set was then finished with Shit Boat (No Fans), arguably the band's worst song yet, but it was sung loudly by everyone in attendance anyway. A three-song encore saw the band on firmer ground however. The old-school anthem Drink was a lot of fun, before Pirate Metal Drinking Crew from the new album came over well live despite its inane lyrics. Fucked With an Anchor (with Michael and Gloryhammer's keyboardist Michael Barber dressed up as Bowes - which was quite funny) then brought the evening to a rousing close - the profane song attracting possibly the loudest cheers and singing of the night. The setlist was:

Keelhauled

Treasure Chest Party Quest

Mexico

The Sunk'n Norwegian

Shipwrecked

Alestorm

Tortuga [w/ Luke Philp]

Nancy the Tavern Wench

Rumpelkombo

1741 (The Battle of Cartagena)

What Shall We Do With the Drunken Sailor? [Traditional sea shanty]

Hangover [Taio Cruz cover w/ Luke Philp and Joel Peters]

Magnetic North

Wolves of the Sea [Pirates of the Sea cover]

Zombies Ate My Pirate Ship

Captain Morgan's Revenge

Shit Boat (No Fans)

-

Drink

Pirate Metal Drinking Crew

Fucked With an Anchor [w/ Sozos Michael and Michael Barber]

Despite a setlist which included a bit too much of the Alestorm that does little for me, I had a great time with the Scottish band. The atmosphere was great throughout, and everyone in the O2 Academy was having a very good time. Alestorm's meme status is clearly not much of an issue for others, and I was probably in a minority wishing that songs like Tortuga, Hangover, and Zombies At My Pirate Ship could have been replaced with others from Alestorm's catalogue. The night was still a lot of fun however, with both Alestorm and Gloryhammer putting on strong showings to a packed house.

Bullet for My Valentine's 'Bullet for My Valentine' - Album Review

Wales' Bullet for My Valentine are one of those bands that I have had a bit of an on-and-off relationship with over the years. In my teenage years I was quite a big fan. They were never a true favourite, but I listened to both 2005's The Poison and 2008's Scream Aim Fire quite a lot when I was around 16/17. Both of those albums were big deals at the time, and as I was into the more alternative side of things they were hard to ignore. While I was much more into classic/progressive rock/metal at the time, I did flirt with the burgeoning metalcore scene of the 2000s. I stopped keeping up with the development of metalcore after a few years, and it now seems to have morphed into something almost unrecognisable from the In Flames-inspired bands that I listened to back in the day, but for a while it was probably the heaviest music that I enjoyed. My tastes soon broadened however, and I had little need for metalcore. I kept following those bands that outgrew the genre, like Trivium, but I largely stopped paying attention to the genre as a whole. That being said, however, Bullet for My Valentine remained an occasional fixture on my iPod. I enjoyed 2010's Fever quite a bit, even if I had moved away from the genre by that point - and I even thought that 2013's Temper Temper (which I reviewed here) was decent, even though it is generally considered to be a weak effort. It was not long after, though, that I really fell off the wagon. My limited interest in metalcore by this point had truly waned, and Bullet for My Valentine in particular never seemed to mature. Their songs were still as angst-fuelled and 'teen' sounding as their early work, but they also seemed to be constantly in the middle of a bit of an identity crisis. I finally checked out properly after hearing 2015's Venom (which I also reviewed here), which felt at the time like a poor response to the negative press of Temper Temper and an attempt to forcibly sound like their old selves. I actually listened to the album again recently and found myself enjoying it for what it is, but at the time I thought it was poor. I skipped 2018's Gravity when I heard that the band were going to be incorporating elements of nu metal and synth-heavy sounds into its songs - which was almost certainly thanks to the band's ongoing identity crisis. I finally picked it up cheaply earlier this year, and it was not as bad as I expected it to be - but it does sound rather tame and actually quite dated. Fast forward three years, however, and it seems that Bullet for My Valentine have decided that they want to be a proper metal band again. Their newly-released self-titled seventh album is their heaviest album to date, but it does not just sound like a throwback to their old sound - as it sounds modern and much thrashier than anything they have done before. It feels genuine too, unlike Venom and Gravity - and it does seem like the band is trying to present themselves anew with Bullet for My Valentine, perhaps finally free of any worries over how to present themselves both visually and musically.

The band's re-discovered heaviness is apparent from the off, with the album's opening track Parasite being a relentless thrasher that shows the band in something of a new light. There are a lot of harsh vocals featured throughout the album (it is possibly the album with the most harsh vocals of the band's seven full-length releases so far) and frontman Matt Tuck turns in a great vocal performance throughout. As if to reinforce that the Bullet for My Valentine of 2021 are something of a reborn band, Parasite actually opens with snippets of a few of the band's older songs against a static backdrop - before Tuck's snarling vocals start the song proper. The band turn up the heaviness from the off, and the song is a fast-paced number with thrashy riffing from Tuck and fellow guitarist Michael Paget - and some of the most potent drumming on a Bullet for My Valentine album thanks to Jason Bowld (on his second outing with the band). No disrespect to the band's earlier incarnations, but the current Bullet for My Valentine is easily the tightest of all of their line-ups (as a recent live show I attended attested to) - and that is on full display throughout the heaviest sections of the album. Parasite shows this off perfectly, and the riffing throughout is sharp. Tuck screams his way through the verses with real power, but a poppy chorus injects some of that old-school metalcore sound into the song - even if the chorus melodies are more Glamour of the Kill than classic Bullet for My Valentine. A shredded solo from Paget is the icing on the cake, and the song shows that the band mean business once more. Knives is similar, but the pace has been reined in slightly. The introduction sounds like a souped up version of Your Betrayal, before the main riff kicks in to inject a lot of groove into the song. The slower pace of the track in comparison to Parasite allows the riffs to take on more of a snaking pattern - which allows the song to really focus on creating a strong groove. The stop-start nature of the verses emphasises this too, with Bowld's drum interludes creating a percussive backdrop to Tuck's barks. The chorus stays in the heavier realm this time too, with bassist Jamie Mathias' throatier screams contrasting well with Tuck's thrashier delivery. The song might not be as catchy as Parasite, but the grooves throughout Knives are massive - and give the song a much more modern sound than is typical for the band. My Reverie slows things down further, and opens with another groovy riff - which this time is topped by a mournful guitar lead. Not every song on the album is relentlessly heavy, and My Reverie certainly takes a more dynamic approach. The verses are quite low key, with Mathias' bass taking on a prominent role - but the song gets heavier as it moves towards the chorus. A call-and-response pre-chorus adds harsh vocals to the atmospheric verses; while the choruses up the heaviness again with more riffing and old-school metalcore vocal melodies. The song is a good mix of old and new, and it has nicely fused a number of different sounds together - representing a number of the band's eras in one go.

No Happy Ever After ups the pace again, and the song is an upbeat, heavy track that turns the clock back to the band's early work. While many of the songs here sound quite modern, there are still traces of the band's older sound to be found - and No Happy Ever After sounds like it could have sat on The Poison. All of the old-school metalcore tropes are represented here in a big way, from the In Flames-esque bouncing riff to the soaring chorus that is infused with a number of pop hooks. That being said, the production helps the song to sound massive. Carl Bown, who also produced Gravity and co-produced Venom, has managed to get the band sounding huge here. Tuck and Paget's guitar tones are rich and heavy; and the drum sound throughout has just the right amount of punch to stop the faster sections turning to mush. This sound combined with an old-school sounding song is a good mix, and the song is a great addition to the band's canon. Can't Escape the Waves sees the return to the synths from Gravity, but given the heavier overall sound of the album they are much less prominent. Gravity generally felt quite forced, but Can't Escape the Waves sees the synths and Bullet for My Valentine's trademark metal feeling like natural bedfellows. The aforementioned big production certainly helps, but also the focus is on the guitars rather than the synths. Like My Reverie too, the verses are quite low key - with Mathias' bass once again taking on a prominent role. His busy playing really keeps the verses moving; while the choruses take on a heavier, semi-power ballad vibe with atmospheric synths nicely backing up Tuck's gentler clean vocals. Bastards is not as heavy as its title suggests, and in some ways it sounds like a bit of a throwback to the sound forged on the Scream Aim Fire album. That album featured much less screaming, and Bastards is largely sung clean - but there is still a heavy and oppressive vibe that is not commonly found in the band's sound. The verses are almost whispered, as some industrial-esque drum grooves and cold synths form a dense backing, while the song ramps up for its chorus which is heavier - although still full of hooks. The song gets progressively heavier as it moves along too, and perhaps its strongest moment is when a groove-based riff kicks in which then leads into a harsh vocal-led section that sounds more like the album's opening few cuts. It is another song that mixes a lot of vibes together, but it works well. Rainbow Veins is a bit like Can't Escape the Waves, and again sounds like a better version of the sound forged on Gravity. There are plenty of synths used throughout, but they are generally mixed into the background. It is Bowld's drums that lead the charge, however - and they are almost the lead instrument during the sparse choruses. His kick drum patterns are very prominent and hypnotic, and this allows the heavier choruses and other more riff-based sections to sound massive in comparison. Throw in an infectious, wordless chorus hook, and the song is a somewhat strange sounding, but enjoyable, track that showcases the band's poppier side.

Shatter returns to the heaviness of the early parts of the album. It is not as fast-paced, but instead goes for the groove metal sound that has been featured periodically throughout the album in a big way. The song's main riff has something of a Slipknot vibe, but the melodies are very much classic Bullet for My Valentine. There is some brief respite during the verses, which see Tuck singing against a murky backdrop made up of atmospheric synths and effects-heavy guitar lines - but this is relatively short lived. Much of the song is heavy, and based around the aforementioned Slipknot-esque riff. The chorus hangs off this riff, and the barked vocal refrain that accompanies it is extremely hooky - and it is one of the parts of the album that really sticks in the brain. The song contains a great Paget guitar solo too, and he has plenty of time to show off his melodic playing style. Sometimes I wondered if he even turned up during the recording of Gravity, and the album's writing credits show that he was not involved that much in the creative process of the 2018 release. He is back here in a big way, however - and his riffing and soloing throughout is a big part of what the makes the band sound so powerful again. Paralysed is another heavy track, and it is another throwback to their old sound - but again played through a modern filter. The verses are very thrashy, with both Tuck and Mathias handling the vocals, while the choruses are poppy - with big vocal hooks and lead guitar squeals. There are plenty of metalcore tropes on display here, but the sound has really been dialled up to eleven. Bowld's drums are fast and furious, and the riffing has a lot more character than is typical of metalcore in general. While a lot of the other songs here are more interesting arrangement-wise, Paralysed is a song that largely just does the simple things well. It is a song that could have sat on one of the band's early albums, but Bullet for My Valentine feel so much more assured and powerful here - thanks to the great production and the unashamedly heavy riffing. The album comes to a close with Death by a Thousand Cuts, another heavy track that allows the album to go out in the manner that it introduced itself. In fact, the song is quite similar to Parasite in a number of ways. Some of the thrashy riffing is quite similar, but the song overall is a bit more dynamic. There are more clean vocal sections than in Parasite, and it is a more melodic song overall - despite there still being plenty of heaviness within. Another excellent Paget solo brings some virtuosity to the piece, and the groovy chorus is packed with plenty of memorable hooks - which will certainly be stuck in the brain long after the album finishes. Having lived with this album for a month or so now, it is clear to me that it is easily the band's best thing since Fever, and maybe even Scream Aim Fire. The band sound reborn here, and they have finally just made a proper heavy metal album without worrying about how it is going to sound or be received. It is the band unfiltered, and that is why it sounds as powerful and as assured as it does.

The album was released on 5th November 2021 via Search and Destroy/Spinefarm Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Parasite.

 

Beast in Black's 'Dark Connection' - Album Review

Finland's Beast in Black are slowly, and quite quietly, becoming one of the most popular power metal acts, at least outside of the genre's long-established big-hitters, in the world. Since forming in 2015 the band have been relentlessly busy; touring the world, releasing albums, and starting to forge a distinct sound. While the band's 2017 debut release Berserker could have been Battle Beast's, the band which Beast in Black's main songwriter and guitarist Anton Kabanen acrimoniously left in 2015, fourth album, over the past few years the band's sound has moved away from that of Battle Beast - with Beast in Black creating their own identity along the way. 2019's From Hell with Love (which I reviewed here) saw Kabanen moving away from the upbeat speed metal-influenced sound that had made Berserker such a powerful listen and adopting a more synth-heavy sound. Both Battle Beast and Berserker had included plenty of synths, but For Hell with Love saw them become a much more dominant feature. The album had a much more overtly-1980s sound than anything that Kabanen had done before, but the hallmarks of his previous songwriting efforts were still present. For Hell with Love still contained plenty of typical power metal riffs and solos, but the overt use of synths gave the album lots of groove - with plenty of the songs having a danceable feel. I doubt that Kabanen will ever truly abandon power metal, but it was clear on From Hell with Love that he wanted to move way from playing the pure power metal with which he made his name. Funnily enough Battle Beast's sound has also gone in a more 1980s-inspired direction since Kabanen left too, but Beast in Black's synths are much more club-like - with more than a hint of old fashioned disco at times. This is a sound which Kabanen has been exploring further of late, and last month's Dark Connection, Beast in Black's third album, relies even more on synths than From Hell with Love. Dark Connection still has plenty of classic power metal tropes throughout, but it is clear that this is the sort of music that Kabanen now wants to make. While there are lots of power metal bands that make liberal use of synths, few bands fuse 1980s pop and power metal quite as successfully as Beast in Black. Of the bands that I regularly listen to, only Amaranthe have fused pop and metal to a similar level of success as Beast in Black - although Amaranthe's influences are much more modern than those that Kabanen channels. As with From Hell with Love, Dark Connection is still packed full of big metal riffs and soaring choruses, but the pop hooks are even more prominent this time - and as such the album is extremely catchy and filled with memorable anthems.

If any song on the album sums up Kabanen's current influences, the the opening cut Blade Runner is it. 1980s sci-fi themes are littered throughout the album, and the synths that the songs are based around could have come from films like Blade Runner or the original adaption of Frank Herbert's Dune. These synths open up the album, but it is not long before the crunching riffs of Kabanen and fellow guitarist Kasperi Heikkinen kick in. The song is very typical of the sound that was forged on From Hell with Love. Crunching riffs provide the main rhythms and grooves of the song, while the synths provide the main melodic hooks. The synth leads are huge, and the vocal talents of frontman Yannis Papadopoulos are as impressive as ever. He has one of the most extensive vocal ranges in modern metal, but throughout Blade Runner he tends to stick to his raspier delivery. Beast in Black sometimes channel a little Accept in their songwriting, and Papadopoulos' vocals throughout the song are very much in that wheelhouse - particularly during the crunching chorus. It is a song that opens the album on a high, and it very much sets the tone for what is to come. Despite the reliance on synths throughout the album, the guitars are not purely relegated to rhythmic playing. Bella Donna is a much more guitar-heavy piece, and the song opens with a catchy mid-paced riff that repeats throughout much of the song. There is still plenty of synthy depth, but the keyboard runs are largely relegated to the background. This allows the song to up the heaviness, and the track is one of the crunchiest here - with Atte Palokangas' drums really punching through the mix. The chorus is more sugary, however, but this is largely thanks to layers of vocal harmonies rather than any overt synths. The Def Leppard school of backing vocals has certainly been utilised here, but it helps the song's chorus to sound huge - which Papadopoulos owns in his usual enigmatic style. Highway to Mars is another mid-paced cruncher, which both manages to be heavier than Bella Donna (at least sometimes) as well as hugely disco influenced. The opening riff is packed full of groove, and this later informs a chorus which is one of the album's best moments for me. There is some of the band's Accept influence on display throughout the chorus, with Kabanen channelling his inner Wolf Hoffmann for the main riff, but this is perfectly fused with dancing synths and some great high-pitched singing from Papadopoulos. To me, a song like Highway to Mars perfectly mixes power metal with 1980s-style synths - and is a perfect representation of Beast in Black's sound as a result. Kabanen's fast-paced, but extremely melodic, guitar solo really pulls everything together - and the song is an album highlight as a result.

Hardcore tones down the heaviness of the previous two songs, and instead goes for a more industrial-influenced sound that still really punches through the speakers. There is a real Marilyn Manson-esque stomp to be found throughout the song's main verses and instrumental sections - with the bass playing of Máté Molnár pushed to the fore. Molnár really propels the song with his powerful playing, but again the synths provide the main melodic hooks. Given the industrial vibes throughout, it is unsurprising that the synths are so prominent - and they mix well with the overall stomping groove of the track to create something that sounds a little different for the band. One Night in Tokyo is easily the album's most disco-influenced moment, so it is unsurprisingly one of the catchiest pieces here. The song's metal elements are almost superfluous at times, with the guitars and bass largely just providing a rhythmic bed for an array of dancing synths and heavily-gated drums. This song could easily be played in a club full of people who have very little interest in metal, and I do not think that there would be too many complaints because the grooves are so infectious and the synths would be very much at home in that environment. Even Heikkinen's guitar solo has been crafted so as to fit in with the synths, and the song is easily the most overtly disco-inspired song that Kabanen has written yet. Moonlight Rendezvous contains a similar level of synth dominance, but the overall song is much more metal - and the synth sounds used are generally much more soundtrack-esque. The song was the album's lead single, and the video (which can be viewed below) is very influenced by 1980s sci-fi films. In some ways, along with Blade Runner, the song is the best representation of the album's core sound - and Kabanen's desire to perfectly fuse metal and 1980s pop. Papadopoulos makes use of the feminine side of his voice during the song's verses, which are much more atmospheric and keyboard-led, before reverting to his grittier delivery for the hooky chorus - which is another of the album's standout pop metal moments. A great dual solo from Heikkinen and Kabanen brings everything together, and the song is another future classic in the band's canon. Revengeance Machine opens with low key synths and some spoken word that seems to spoof 1980s sci-fi films, before it explodes into a full-on speed metal anthem that recalls the band's earliest work. There are few furious fast-past moments on the album, but Revengeance Machine really goes for it throughout - with Palokangas' double bass drumming driving everything while the guitars add to the fray with their old-school crunchy tone and razor sharp riffing. Berserker was filled with songs like this, but on Dark Connection Revengeance Machine somewhat stands out. The song is a lot of fun however, and it is great to see that Kabanen still want to write songs like this - despite his love of all things pop.

Dark New World opens in a similarly guitar-driven fashion to Revengeance Machine, but the song dials back on the speed and instead goes for that crunchy, Accept-esque sound once again. The riffs are very simple, but full of power, and they allow the more atmospheric moments that see Papadopoulos singing alone against a backdrop of keyboards to stand out thanks to their dream-like quality. The song is largely a fairly typical mid-paced rocker with synths, however - and it is not one of the most interesting examples of it for me. The band have done this sort of thing much better previously (and elsewhere on the album in fact), and for me the track is one of the album's least interesting cuts despite the strong ingredients. It still has a decent chorus and I think it goes to show how good many of the band's other songs are if this one feels somewhat weak. To the Last Drop of Blood opens with a Van Halen-esque riff that all power metal bands must use at some point (see Nightwish's Ghost River and Sabaton's No Bullets Fly), and its choppy rhythm comes to define the rest of the song. It is one of the most guitar-heavy songs here, and the riffing throughout is tight - but for me the song's best moment is the chorus. Kabanen has written lots of great choruses over the years, and this is another excellent one. He just has a real knack for coming up with great vocal melodies - and even though the ones here are pretty simple they really manage to bring the song to life. Some of they keyboard tones used throughout are deliciously 1980s too, which is always fun to hear. Broken Survivors tones things down somewhat, and goes for more of a pop sound. At first it sounds like the song is going to be a ballad, but it is still quite upbeat and it is clear that the band just went for more of an AOR/melodic rock sound instead. I like the toned-down sound that the band pull off here, and many of the classic Beast in Black tropes are still present - they are just presented in more of an AOR context. The chorus is extremely hooky, and Heikkinen's guitar solo has a real stadium rock vibe throughout thanks to his fluid lead runs. The album comes to a close with My Dystopia, which again opens slowly with some distant piano notes and atmospheric keyboards. While not wholly a ballad, My Dystopia is easily the closest thing here to one. The ballad-esque sounds of the early parts of Broken Survivors are well and truly aped here, and My Dystopia's verses are very low key, with rolling piano melodies and some subtle bass runs creating a strong backing for Papadopoulos' feminine voice. The choruses are heavier, as are the song's later instrumental sections, but on the whole the song's impression is one of relative calm - even if calm and Beast in Black do not really go together. It is nice to hear the band operating with relative restraint, however, and the song ends the album on a high - with melodies and atmospheric synths aplenty. While the album might end on a slightly different note, Dark Connection is generally a very high energy release that is packed full of memorable pop metal anthems and shredding solos. It is very typical of what the band have been doing recently, but the songwriting is tight and it feels that Kabanen's wish to fuse metal and pop has been perfectly realised here.

The album was released on 29th October 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Moonlight Rendezvous.

Black Veil Brides' 'The Phantom Tomorrow' - Album Review

Hollywood's Black Veil Brides are one of those bands that still feel like a hot, up-and-coming prospect to me - but the truth is that they have been around since 2006 and have now released six studio albums. While perhaps some of the band's initial shine has worn off, Black Veil Brides are one of the more interesting bands to come out of the emo scene (for want of a better word) in my opinion. I remember being really impressed with the guitar solo in Perfect Weapon when the single dropped in 2010, and I have followed the band ever since. Despite this, my following of the band has often been somewhat at arms length. I have enjoyed all of the band's albums to an extent, and saw them live back in 2014, but they will never be a true favourite. I also think that the band's creativity has taken a dip over the past few years - and it is perhaps surprising that a furious five years between 2010 and 2014, which saw the band release four albums in quick succession, saw them riding the highest. Black Veil Brides' first three albums are, for me, their best. Their metalcore-influenced debut We Stitch These Wounds, from 2010, was full of riffs and a venom that was absent from most emo music of the time, and the 2011 follow-up Set the World on Fire showed that the band were really just a hair metal band in disguise. It is perhaps 2013's concept album Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones (which I reviewed here) that is the band's most complete piece of work however. It was Black Veil Brides' The Black Parade or American Idiot, to provide similar genre touchstones, and the band, while popular, seemed poised to break into the big leagues in a significant way. That break never quite happened however, and ever since the band have been coasting somewhat. They can still attract good-sized crowds, but I feel like they missed their chance to truly explode. It does not help that neither 2014's self-titled album (which I reviewed here) nor 2018's Vale (which I also reviewed here) failed to set the world alight. I had quite high hopes for 2014's Black Veil Brides, as the singles were excellent, but in the end it ended being a slight disappointment - and being the fourth of the four quickly-released albums detailed above it showed that the band needed to slow things down somewhat. Vale, which followed a break, is an album I enjoyed at the time but the fact that I have rarely revisited since its 2018 release should suggest that it had little staying power. It has now been three years from Vale, however, and Black Veil Brides are back with their sixth album The Phantom Tomorrow. The gap between the two albums is closer to four years in truth, as Vale was released in January 2018, and another break between releases has helped to revitalise the band somewhat this time. It is their first original album to feature new bassist Lonny Eagleton, although he did appear on last year's re-recording of their debut album Re-Stitch These Wounds, as well as their first collaboration with producer Erik Ron.

As with Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wold Ones and Vale (I think), The Phantom Tomorrow is a concept album. I must admit that I have not made any effort to investigate the album's story, but the album certainly has a consistent sound throughout. The Phantom Tomorrow is pretty typical of the band's recent output, however, but it seems more overtly hooky than the last two albums. The Phantom Tomorrow opens with its instrumental title track, a gothic-tinged scene-setter with strings courtesy of rhythm guitarist Jinxx and some tight lead guitar harmonies. It is perhaps the most symphonic and dramatic that the band have sounded in this context, and it helps to set the tone for the songs to come - which are largely quite grand-sounding and packed with gothic overtones. Single Scarlet Cross follows, and introduces the band in a big way with a driving opening riff. Jake Pitts, who's guitar playing has always elevated Black Veil Brides above their peers for me, drives the song throughout with his crunchy, 1980s-inspired riffing - and the song sounds like the best moments of the band's 2014 self-titled release, but with strong gothic touches. Frontman Andy Biersack has always possessed a great voice, but he seems to get more assured and powerful with age. No-one else sounds quite like him, and he leads the charge throughout the mid-paced, anthemic track. The chorus is as hooky as it is thanks to his smooth vocal melodies (and a subtle Pitts guitar lead), and it helps the song to be one of the band's best for some time. Born Again is a bit more overtly-gothic, with a bigger string presence throughout and something of a heavier overall feel. Pitts and Jinxx's riffing is much tougher this time around, and the song grooves along nicely as a result of the snaking interplay of Eagleton and drummer Christian Coma - who have already struck up a great relationship. While Scarlet Cross is catchier, there are still plenty of hooks throughout Born Again. The atmospheric verses allow Biersack to use the deeper end of his voice to great effect, but the chorus is another hook-laden affair - even if it sounds heavier thanks to Coma's use of double bass drum patterns where appropriate. Blackbird has a bit of throwback sound, and to me it seems to be influenced by the sound of the band's first couple of albums - although without the harsh vocals that were often featured on those records. The song is driven by some subtle lead guitar harmonies, and the overall riffing throughout sounds more upbeat than the album's opening couple of numbers - which recall the band's hair metal influences. Due to the harmony guitar leads, and the bouncier riffing, the song certainly feels very catchy. There is a lot to enjoy here for fans of the band's early work, and the hooky chorus has something of an old-school feel thanks to Biersack's vocal delivery and the use of subtle gang vocals.

The short instrumental piece Spectres follows, which features some sombre violin playing from Jinxx against a synthy drum pattern and a dense atmospheric backing. It borrows some melodies from Blackbird, which allows it to feel more like an extension of the previous song rather than its own thing - but it helps the album's overall gothic and atmospheric vibes to remain. It leads nicely into Torch, however, which is heavier and takes on a much darker tone overall. The song's opening riff is pretty crunchy for the band, and their gothic side is pushed to the fore during the verses which often slow things down to feature prominent piano lines - which Biersack sombrely croons over. The band have done things like this before, but this feels like a more assured attempt at gothic rock than their previous efforts. Biersack's voice suits the style however, and the chorus contains enough classic-sounding Black Veil Brides hooks to ensure that the song fits in nicely with the rest of the band's canon. The somewhat heavier experiment works well in my opinion, and I would like to see the band explore this kind of sound further in the future. The Wicked One ups the pace again, and it is another song that sounds like a bit of a throwback to the band's earlier work. The opening riff is a perfect mash-up of 1980s hair metal and 2000s metalcore, and it drives the song throughout with its strident power. The verses are packed with metalcore vibes thanks to some choppy guitar lines, but Biersack resists the urge to re-introduce his harsh vocals - which is probably wise as Black Veil Brides have generally moved away from that sound in recent years. The song certainly has plenty of energy however thanks to the heavier riffing, but there are still plenty of gothic undertones. There is a big string backing throughout, particularly during the choruses, and this allows the song to sound like a great mix of old and new. Shadows Rise ups the heaviness again somewhat, and also introduces a real symphonic edge. It opens with some dancing violin melodies, but it is not long before another big riff kicks in - and it is one of the album's meatiest, most groove-laden moments. It drives the song perfectly, along with Coma's busy drum patterns which include quite a lot of intricate double bass rolls. Black Veil Brides have never been particularly heavy, but this is a song that sits at the heavier end of their spectrum. The band are capable of unleashing tough riffs (complete with pinch harmonics) when necessary, but the heaviness is somewhat offset by a genuine symphonic edge. The strings that are used throughout the album are much more prominent here, and their melodies are always complimenting the riffing perfectly. The two styles work nicely together, and the song is highlight due to this mix of heaviness and gothic melodrama.

Fields of Bone, following the heaviness of Shadows Rise, opens in a slower manner. The song has a very synth-heavy sound early on, with Biersack singing in a very 'processed' way, but this vibe is quite short lived. It does resurface during the song's verses to an extent, but on the whole the track is a mid-paced rocker with punchy drum grooves and chugging riffs that are still pretty weighty. It is not as heavy as the previous song, but there is still a lot of tough riffing throughout - but it is perhaps Coma's drumming that gives the song its punch. His grooves are pretty simple, but they really crash through the speakers to allow the riffy parts of the song to contrast nicely with the synth-heavy moments. Crimson Skies is another good mix of upbeat hooky melodies and tough riffing. This could be seen as the band's core sound really, but this album has really made it its thing. Parts of the song are some of the album's fastest, with lots of lengthy double bass drum rolls from Coma, while the riffing again is that perfect mix of glam metal and metalcore. There is a bit of an In Flames feel to some of the riffs, and Biersack even unleashes his harsh vocals for a very brief scream that helps to give the song a bit of a tougher edge. This moment is short lived, but it works well to inject a moment of abrasiveness - and it contrasts some of the riffing nicely with the song's pretty poppy chorus. Kill the Hero tones down the heaviness somewhat, turns the clock back to Set the World on Fire, and delivers a song that is purely anthemic and nothing else. Pretty much every song on the band's second album sounded like this, and there is a reason that they still play a lot of those songs live. I would not be surprised if Kill the Hero becomes another live staple as a result, as it really sounds like it could have come from the sessions of the band's second album. The riffing is relatively simple, and packed full of groove, while Biersack's vocals throughout are right at the front of the mix and full of his unique character. The chorus is a real fists-in-the-air moment too, and it is one that is sure to really whip up any crowd. In contrast, the album's closing number Fall Eternal is much more epic sounding - but it is also the album's closest thing to a ballad. It is a pretty slow song, but it still contains many of the band's classic tropes. The gothic atmosphere that is present throughout the album perhaps reaches its climax here, appropriately, and the song is very string-heavy - which suits its slower, more emotionally-charged feel. The riffing is much less prominent here, with piano and strings instead dominating, although the band still bulk out the song nicely. Biersack is the star of the piece, however, and his voice perfectly carries the emotion of the song. It is great way to round out what is largely quite a riffy and hard-driving album; and it helps to elevate the album further in my estimations. For me, The Phantom Tomorrow is easily the best album that the band have put out since Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones. The band seem really fired up here, and the songwriting throughout is tight and full of hooks. There is a lot to like here for fans of the band's core sound, and there is a good mix of old and new throughout.

The album was released on 29th October 2021 via Sumerian Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Scarlet Cross.

The Darkness - Exeter Review

Attending two gigs in as many days has, thankfully, become something of the norm for me again this year. Following 18 months or so of significant disruption to live music, gigs have been back here in the UK since the summer - which has meant that I have been able to get back to my main hobby of travelling around the country and catching bands live. Multi-gig weekends or trips away are always a lot of fun (and tiring), but they always prove to be a great escape from the day-to-day work routine. These trips often turn out to be some of the best parts of each year; and a memorable one took place this past weekend. Following a stunning Mostly Autumn gig in Bilston, I headed back up to Exeter after a brief stop back at home in Plymouth to catch the British rock four-piece The Darkness. Despite still sometimes being subject to ridicule from those who do not know any better, The Darkness are one of the country's most established and successful modern hard rock acts. They have always managed to channel the spirit of classic rock better than most, and ever since their high-charting 2003 debut album Permission to Land made big waves when it was released the band have been taken to the heart of many a British rock fan. A hiatus between 2006 and 2011 allowed the band to work out the issues that arose from their almost-instantaneous rise to super-stardom, but since reuniting they have never looked back. They might not be filling arenas anymore, but The Darkness are still very popular. They tour the UK regularly, pulling big crowds wherever they go, and they have been rather prolific too - releasing five albums since getting back together. The latest of these, Motorheart, was released last month; which is also the subject of the band's current tour. It felt good to be heading to Exeter to see the band live again as, despite their numerous UK tours since, I had not been able to catch them since 2013. I saw the band on their 2011 reunion tour in Nottingham and then again two year later in Coventry, but ever since opportunities to do so have eluded me. Pretty much every one of their tours since has included at least a Bristol date, but they have always fallen on days which, for whatever reason, were not convenient. I knew that I had to make the effort this time, however, and with an Exeter date included fulfilling such a desire was easy. The venue was the Great Hall at the University of Exeter - a relatively underused space music-wise, but one that I have always enjoyed visiting. Plenty of others also felt the call of The Darkness on the cold Monday November night too, as when the band took to the stage a healthy crowd had gathered.

Before The Darkness' set, however, the growing crowd were treated to half an hour of high-energy music from Lancaster's Massive Wagons. I had seen the band a couple of times live previously, including at something of a mini festival in Cornwall earlier this year, and I have become a fan of the band of late. Massive Wagons' no-nonsense hard rock sound is refreshingly free of any pretence, and they are one of those bands who hit the stage every night with the intention of winning over everyone in the room. Despite a rather overly-loud and muddy sound, which meant that frontman Baz Mills was often lost in the mix, the band probably did just about win everyone over too thanks to their punchy attitude and hook-laden songs. There is often a bit of a punk vibe in the band's songs, but mostly Massive Wagons just play good old-fashioned hard rock - with Slade-esque riffing and Mills' larger-than-life stage presence. With only half an hour to play with, however, the band mostly just let the music do the talking. The anthemic In It Together and the acerbic China Plates kicked the set off in fine fashion, but it was perhaps the punk energy of Pressure that really took hold of the crowd. This was then capitalised on with a groovy rendition of the AC/DC-esque Bangin in Your Stereo, which included snippets of I Fought the Law and Surrender which allowed the uninitiated to briefly sing along with the band. This little medley definitely had the desired effect too, as the last few songs were received even better than the set's opening moments. Glorious saw Mills belting out the chorus with real power, but the overall highlight was the band's tribute to the late Rick Parfitt Back to the Stack - with its strong chorus and boogie-infused riffing. Massive Wagons are a band who are quietly getting more popular with each album and tour, and their honest, back-to-basics sound was a welcome addition to my evening out in Exeter. I am sure that I will catch the band again in the future, by which point I will probably be even more of a fan of them than I am now. The setlist was:

In It Together

China Plates

Pressure

Bangin in Your Stereo/I Fought the Law [The Crickets cover]/Surrender [Cheap Trick cover]

Ratio

Glorious

Back to the Stack

Half an hour after Massive Wagons' set, the lights went down and The Darkness took to the stage to a synthy backing; which then morphed into the bagpipe intro of Welcome Tae Glasgae - the opening track on their latest album. The song is a short, relatively punky track that is filled with the band's trademark humour, even through it will probably annoy a lot of Scottish people, and it went down well live with its shout-along chorus and fast-paced riffing. As much as the crowd enjoyed it, when Justin Hawkins (vocals/guitar) played the opening riff of One Way Ticket the venue erupted. Despite having released seven albums now, the band's most popular songs are still their earliest. They often include a lot of older songs in their setlists as a result, but the Exeter show contained a good balance of old favourites and newer numbers in my opinion - including five from the newly-released Motorheart. One Way Ticket was an early highlight however, thanks to its big chorus, and from this point on the crowd were really into everything the band were doing. The gig was one of the best for crowd reactions that I have been to for a while, with every song being received well by the fans - which helped the atmosphere throughout to be strong. Growing On Me proved this, with the old single going down a treat, but newer songs like Motorheart and the ballad Sticky Situations also impressed the crowd. The latter featured some nice slide playing from Justin, as well as some acoustic guitar from the band's guitar tech. Both techs added to the set periodically throughout, contributing acoustic guitar and percussion where appropriate - which was nice to see. It helped to add some diversity and depth to the set, which was quite lengthy due to most of the band's songs being quite short. A lot of songs were crammed in as a result, with riff after riff following in quick succession. The heavy riffing of It's Love, Jim was another highlight, but when Dan Hawkins (guitar/vocals) launched into the main riff of Black Shuck the place erupted again. It was one of the few songs which Justin performed largely guitar-less, but a tech was never far away with one when he needed to rip into one of his solos. Friday Night was later a great crowd interaction song, as was the power ballad Love Is Only a Feeling - throughout which bassist Frankie Poullain encouraged everyone to wave their arms. The band could do no wrong at this point, with the AC/DC-esque Solid Gold and the semi-epic Barbarian bringing the best out of the witty Justin and his fluid stage presence. The set was nearing its end at this point, but the energy was retained until the end with the fast-paced falsetto of Get Your Hands Off My Woman and the anthemic I Believe in a Thing Called Love. Both Justin and Dan soloed during the song - and it brought the set to a fun-filled close. Following a period off the stage, the band returned in festive costume to perform their much-loved Christmas single Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End). It was a song that got everyone involved with the band one last time, and it was certainly amusing watching Rufus Taylor (drums) trying to drum while wearing a full Christmas tree costume. The setlist was:

Welcome Tae Glasgae

One Way Ticket

Growing On Me

Motorheart

Open Fire

Sticky Situations

Givin' Up

It's Love, Jim

Black Shuck

Heart Explodes

Friday Night

Love Is Only a Feeling

Japanese Prisoner of Love

Solid Gold

Eastbound

Barbarian

Get Your Hands Off My Woman

I Believe in a Thing Called Love

-

Mistletoe and Wine [Cliff Richard cover]/Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End)

Seeing The Darkness live again after eight years was a real treat, and the band were even better live than I remember them being previously. The Darkness have clearly only improved with age, and it is a shame that I missed so many of their tours between 2013 and now. I have been to a lot of great gigs this year, but in the pure fun category The Darkness probably topped that particular chart. They put on a good, old-fashioned rock and roll show; and the setlist was packed full of great anthems that everyone in attendance enjoyed immensely.