The Temperance Movement - Bristol Review

I am sure that we are all fans of bands which we consider should have been huge. We always lament the fact that our favourite bands are not more well known, but when it comes to The Temperance Movement they really, really should have been huge - and I am not saying purely from the position of being a fan. Objectively, the band had everything: great songs, a modern image that did not make the band look like a retro act, a captivating stage presence, and a strong work ethic. Their accessible songwriting, which fused bluesy hard rock, emotional ballads, and occasional hints of country, should appeal to most people on some level - and the band would have felt as at home opening for The Black Crowes as they did for Oasis. They were a hard rock band for the Britpop and indie loving crowd, then, but a lot of more traditional rock fans also liked them - so they had a sweeping reach which pulled in fans from various walks of life. From their 2011 genesis until probably 2018, too, the band went from strength to strength. Their headline tours got bigger and bigger and they continued to latch onto bigger tours to further widen their reach - releasing three studio albums along the way. All of the band's albums are excellent, too, even if I was a little disappointed with 2016's White Bear (which I reviewed here) at the time, and they generally excelled live. I saw the band live at both ends of their career - from a stunning set at the 2013 Cambridge Rock Festival a couple of months before their self-titled debut album (which I reviewed here) dropped, through to the band opening for Blue Öyster Cult in 2019. Sadly, though, 2019 would be the last year that the band were active. I enjoyed their set opening for Blue Öyster Cult, but looking back they were more subdued than usual. It is clear now that all was not well in the band at the time - and things came to a head at that year's Planet Rockstock where they delivered a reportedly less than stellar performance. Frontman Phil Campbell was out of the band a month or so later - and The Temperance Movement essentially came to an end. Whilst a couple of archival releases were later put out by the band, there was no news related to any new activity until late last year. Following a few years flirting with other bands and a solo career, Campbell became a lot more active on social media again last year - and recorded a podcast series about the history of The Temperance Movement following a stint in rehab, in a desire to take accountability for his part in the band's demise and to try and look back on things in a more positive light. He initially stated as part of the series that the band were not getting back together - but clearly the air clearing and honesty led to some conversations behind the scenes, and a few months later it was announced that the band would embark on their first tour since 2019, with Campbell back on board and original guitarist Luke Potashnick also returning. Unsurprisingly, the clamour for tickets was great - and many of the shows sold out very quickly. I was lucky to get a ticket for the Bristol show - which was soon upgraded from the Exchange to the Trinity Centre. Many of the shows were also upgraded to larger venues, showing that there was still very much a demand to see the band live - despite the few years away.

The Trinity Centre was a new venue for me - and the converted church turned out to be quite a bit smaller on the inside than it appeared to be from the outside. Still, it was larger and more suitable for a band like The Temperance Movement than the Exchange would have been - and the larger room still sold out. Following getting to the front of a very slow-moving queue, I finally got into the venue and took my place towards the front of the venue - fairly close to the stage. The place ended up being packed to pretty much the back of the room, and the large turnout led to a great atmosphere, but before The Temperance Movement performed the crowd was treated to half an hour of music from Sam Palladio. Palladio, who seems to be better known as an actor than as a musician owing to his starring role in ABC's Nashville, was an unknown quantity to me - but the Englishman's short set ended up being pretty enjoyable. Backed by what was likely quite a stripped down band and relying on additional backing tracks, Palladio's music was accessible from the off - presenting as a form of poppy rock with modern country and occasional indie rock flavours. Vocally strong and clearly a capable songwriter, Palladio also came across well on stage. He spoke to the crowd quite a lot, told the stories behind some of the songs, and generally came across as a likeable artist - and his heartfelt songs backed up this view. Nashville is a musical drama, so Palladio was always likely a singer as well an actor - and is therefore not one of these actors-turned-singers who capitalise on their fame to sell average albums. His songs, whilst not always 100% my thing, were all very genuine - and there were a number of choruses played which I can still remember a day later despite only having heard each song once. There was a tasteful approach to guitar playing throughout his set, too, with a couple of surprisingly big guitar solos included - alongside plenty of melodic playing throughout the songs themselves. Palladio himself stuck to acoustic guitar throughout, though, and cut quite a figure at the front of the stage - likely winning over quite a few in attendance as he did so. He only played for 30 minutes and, in truth, I would not have minded hearing a couple more of his songs. This is always a good sign I think, and I will have to give Palladio's music more of a listen in due course.

By the time The Temperance Movement took to the stage a little later the place was packed. Those in attendance were clearly out to have a good time - and with this show being The Temperance Movement's first since that ill-fated Planet Rockstock appearance there was an uncertainty over how things would pan out. Even with this admission, I doubt that many expected the show to start in the manner which it did. The band all walked to the front of the stage, with only Paul Sayer (guitar/vocals) armed with an acoustic guitar - who started playing the opening notes of Chinese Lanterns. Campbell then sung the delicate ballad backed only by the lone acoustic guitar - with the rest of the band harmonising with him during the chorus. It was a real show of togetherness given the drama which tore the band apart for a while - and it was a hugely emotional way to kick off what turned out to be a truly fantastic evening of live music. Much of the set was culled from the excellent debut, although the other two albums were represented by four cuts each, and the next 90 or so minutes flew by. Following the melancholy start, the band immediately upped the energy levels with a raucous Only Friend. Signs of ring rust were few and far between and it was as if the band had never been away. They were clearly carried by the crowd through the first couple of numbers, though, with the crowd often taking over from Campbell during Only Friend - with the singer only able to look on in wonder. With the exception of the opening, and one later inclusion, the set was largely as I expected it to be. It essentially showcased many of the band's very best songs, ranging from hard rockers to ballads, and the performance was up there with the best of the past. Campbell seemed reenergised, his voice and stage moves still perfectly intact, whilst the guitar duo of Potashnick and Sayer sounded rawer than ever - with plenty of solos from both throughout the night. Most of the songs were stretched out somehow, with lots of jamming and grooves from the rhythm section, but nothing outstayed its welcome - and with 18 songs played the crowd got their money's worth. Early highlights were the massive sing-a-long choruses of newer cuts Built-In Forgetter and Caught in the Middle. This was also the case later on in the set when the southern rock-esque grooves of Be Lucky filled the venue - and by this point the band were well and truly back. Campbell addressed the crowd occasionally, but generally this was a night all about the music - and the band clearly felt like they had something to prove again. This mindset let to some blistering performances - such as a centrepiece version of Another Spiral which, like it often had in the past, became a real vehicle for Sayer's soloing. This led into a last third of the set which was packed with power, including a barnstorming Ain't No Telling and the lengthy Smouldering getting an airing after having been out of the set for quite a while. The music just kept on coming, too, with a raucous Battle Lines perhaps seeming like the main set closer - before Campbell picked up an acoustic guitar and it was clear that the real closer would be a very emotional A Deeper Cut. Following a brief step off the stage, the band came back for a three-song encore, which opened with a surprise take on Have You Ever Seen the Rain, before, back on firmer ground, the hard-hitting early single Midnight Black packed up a punch as it always did. It was left to a shimmering and emotional Serenity to round out the evening - with the first album's closer really bringing the curtain down on an excellent night. The setlist was:

Chinese Lanterns

Only Friend
Take It Back

Built-In Forgetter

Caught in the Middle

Pride

Get Yourself Free

Be Lucky

Another Spiral

Oh Lorraine

Ain't No Telling

Magnify

Smouldering

Battle Lines

A Deeper Cut

-

Have You Ever Seen the Rain [Creedence Clearwater Revival cover]

Midnight Black

Serenity

At this stage, it is unclear what the endgame of The Temperance Movement's reunion tour is. Is this just a proper goodbye after what came before or will it be the start of a new era. The truth is that even the band probably do not know yet - but I really hope it is the latter. Regardless as to what happens next, I am just glad that I got to see the band live at least one more time. If all of the rest of the shows on this tour as good as last night in Bristol then I can only imagine that the band will be inspired to keep going - so I am keen to find out what the future holds.

Mostly Autumn's 'Seawater' - Album Review

No band has been featured more on this blog than the York-based progressive rockers Mostly Autumn. This is largely down to the sheer amount of times I have managed to see them live, and I am only two shows away from my 50th Mostly Autumn concert, but they have also released quite a few albums since I started reviewing new releases on this blog. My music collection is vast, and there are a number of bands which I would consider true favourites, but, when it comes down to it, Mostly Autumn probably hold that number one spot. Them and Marillion would have to fight for it, at least, and I always consider the two progressive rock acts the pinnacle of my music collection - which seems strange on reflection given how much I love harder and heavier music. Both bands just speak to me on a different level I think, so I have been lucky to be able to follow both closely - particularly Mostly Autumn. From that first show at The Wharf in Tavistock back in 2006, I have now seen the band live 48 times - including festival sets and support slots. The Quireboys are the band I have seen live the second most - but you would need to double the number of Quireboys shows I have been to to reach Mostly Autumn's current total. It helps that they play in Tavistock essentially every year (and have also played locally in both Penzance and Exeter in the past) and were fixtures at the Cambridge Rock Festival which I also used to go to annually - but I have travelled all over to see Mostly Autumn live, with memorable nights coming to mind in places as diverse as Gloucester, Bilston, and Leamington Spa. I will never tire of the band, so whenever a new album from them drops it is a real event in my musical year. Due to the manner in which the band utilise social media (i.e. poorly) and the internet more broadly, listening to a new Mostly Autumn for the first time is probably a close as I will ever come to hearing a new album for the first time back in the day. These days, half of each new album has generally been released as streaming singles before the album itself comes out - but when it comes to Mostly Autumn, that first full listen is everything. This is especially the case for those of us who always pre-order the special edition of each album directly from the band, which are generally sent out in advance of the album being released and anything hitting streaming sites, whereby removing the CD from the envelope it was delivered in is sometimes even the first time seeing the song titles - let alone knowing how it sounds. Mostly Autumn could leverage the internet so much more successfully, but this ritual with each new album is one I enjoy - and back in February I went through it again with the latest release Seawater. The band's first album since 2021's pandemic-inspired Graveyard Star (which I reviewed here), Seawater comes following the longest gap between albums in the band's history. A four year gap is not that long in truth, but Mostly Autumn tend to be pretty prolific - with two or three year gaps more the norm. I knew that whatever eventually came would likely be worth the wait, though, and thankfully, as is often the case, Seawater proved me right.

I really like Graveyard Star but, in retrospect, it was a bit of a step down from the three albums which preceded it. Some of the band's best ever work came on those three albums, and the pandemic-related themes of Graveyard Star really place it in the time it came out. Whilst Mostly Autumn's core, organic progressive rock sound has largely remained the same over the years, there are shifts from album to album - and Seawater is quite different in tone to Graveyard Star. Much of Graveyard Star was dark, for obvious reasons, but Seawater has more of a mixture of emotions and vibes - which reflect the band at different stages in their career. Some of the band's folkiest work for some time is featured here, which gives flautist Angela Gordon more of a presence than has often been the case of late, whilst organic harder rock, plaintive ballads, and soaring longer numbers pack the album's 10 songs with variety. Band founder and principal songwriter Bryan Josh has written a number of really memorable songs for this album, with frontwoman Olivia Sparnenn-Josh also chipping in with some important writing contributions. Songwriting credit-wise, though, Seawater is less varied than has generally been the case of late - with keyboard player Iain Jennings and guitarist Chris Johnson both conspicuous by their absence songwriting-wise. This is a shame, as both often add a lot with their contributions (particularly as Johnson does not sing any lead vocals on this album, either) - but Josh and Sparnenn-Josh clearly felt that they had all they needed themselves this time around, although Jennings is credited with co-writing one of the songs on the special edition's bonus disc which I will not be covering here. Like the band's other recent albums, though, Seawater is long - and it opens with Let's Take a Walk, which is just under 10 minutes long. Birdsong and other nature sounds fill the speakers initially, over which Josh soon adds some delicate clean guitar melodies. The overall opening vibe is similar to how 2019's White Rainbow (which I reviewed here) started, and musical layers are added slowly, with heavier guitar chords soon backing the clean guitar melodies - and regular guest Troy Donockley (Iona; Nightwish; Auri) then adds some uilleann pipes. The song takes a little while to get going, but this is typical of the band's style - and when Josh starts to sing against this rumbling guitar backing the song changes tack, with subtle percussive pulses and harmonies from Sparnenn-Josh. Continuing to build, the song transitions into being a true melodic rocker following a sparse first pass throughout the chorus. Henry Rogers aids the transition with a big drum fill, and from this point on the song is generally a pretty zippy rocker - with Josh leading the charge vocally, Sparnenn-Josh adding plenty of Fleetwood Mac-esque depth with her harmonies, and Jennings' Hammond organ doing a lot of heavy lifting. Later chorus renditions feel massive, and they provide the first real melodic hook on the album. It is a chorus which gets stuck in the brain, and later Donockley reprises some of the melodies on his pipes - adding to the folky feel which often pervades the album. There is a lot of acoustic guitar depth throughout the album, too, and that is also the case with this song. A few acoustic breaks are taken to rein in the more rocking overall feel, but the acoustic guitar is generally present throughout in any case - filling little cracks in the sound.

The opening song has already become a real favourite of mine, and I hope that the band play it live, but the album is just getting going - and the transition to the folkier Why Do We Remember All the Rain marks a change in tone. The song is easily the folkiest song that the band have released for many years and it really harks back to their original trio of album albums from the late 1990s/early 2000s which featured many more acoustic-based pieces and folky instrumentals. Acoustic guitar and Gordon's playful flute melodies open the song up - and Sparnenn-Josh soon starts singing against this acoustic guitar backing, under which Rogers adds some sparse, percussive drumming. It feels paired back for the modern Mostly Autumn sound, but it nevertheless feels part of the band's wider canon - and the rest of the band do kick in for a powerful chorus which rocks a little harder. Washes of brash Hammond organ elevate the chorus, whilst big harmonies make use of the band's multitude of vocal talent. Josh dominated the opening song vocally, but this track is all about Sparnenn-Josh - her voice going from delicate to powerful depending on the part of the song being sung at time, but Josh still makes his presence felt with a laid back guitar solo which is packed full of classic Joshisms. There are plenty of big solos on this album, and one closed out the opening number, but this one is a bit more restrained than some of them - although he does cut loose a bit more towards the end of the song, during a proper folk rock wig out which acts as an instrumental closing segment. Josh's guitar and the organ do their part, but Gordon leads the charge with her fast-paced flute playing - again reinforcing that old-school folk sound. Be Something changes tack again, although the acoustic base is retained initially. Josh takes the lead again on this one, and the track is the latest in a loose series of songs which feel like slightly brash, organic rockers led by him. They are perhaps less subtle and interesting than most of the band's songs, but they generally end up growing on me - and Be Something has grown on me more than similar tracks like Something Better and Shadows from the past. It does build up in a more interesting manner, I think, with the acoustic guitars dominating early on. The bluesy feel of the song helps to set it apart, too, and I quite like the sparse acoustic guitars during the first couple of verses and chorus - whilst Josh's rugged vocals are packed full of character. Sparnenn-Josh adds chorus harmonies, which are welcome, but, for me, song really gets going when a later chorus rendition takes off with a Hammond organ backing - and from this point on the song rocks harder, with another fluid guitar solo and a final, more anthemic, chorus. This transition elevates the song beyond the other similar, slightly lumpy, rockers of the band's previous albums - and it really showcases the best of Josh vocally, who probably sings more on this album than he has done for a while. The bonus disc contains a synth-heavy alternative take on this song, which is interesting to listen to, but I think the band made the right choice by including the version they did on the album proper.

Another song which has grown on me a lot since first hearing it is When We Ran. Another lengthy piece, at first the song's elements did not quite all hang together for me - but over repeated listens everything has largely fallen into place, and it has become a bit of a favourite. The song opens slowly, with Josh singing against some simple piano melodies - and this vibe dominates the first minute or two of the track. Josh's voice is full of emotion, and the piano introduces something different for the album up to this point, with the piano-based intro almost standing alone as a brief little ballad - before a brief pause then introduces some sparkling synths, and the track transforms into something much larger. It essentially becomes another mid-paced rocker, although some ballad-esque vibes are retained, and comparisons can be made with the vibes of the album's opening song - albeit with synths and more electronic keyboard textures rather than the organ which has dominated up to this point. The synths do help to set the song apart from many of the others here, but there is still a strong organic feel throughout. Acoustic guitars are still heard throughout the song, even given the dominance of the synths and Rogers' pulsing drum grooves, whilst the vocal interplay between Josh and Sparnenn-Josh really brings the song to life. There are a lot of parts on this album which see the two singing together and this track really benefits from that approach - with the melodic chorus a real earworm thanks to these ever-present harmonies. Josh indulges himself with a couple of quite lengthy guitar solos, with the latter of the two being a real trademark moment. It dominates the last section of the song, carrying the track to a close as Josh has shown over the years just how adept he is at doing. Long-time fans will also recognise the melodies played by Josh and Gordon as the song closes from The Spirit of Autumn Past - Part 2 - a signature melody from the band which has been used a few times throughout their career. If Only for a Day turns the spotlight back onto Sparnenn-Josh, and it is one of her now trademark soaring ballads. Like the previous song, this track opens with rumbling piano chords - over which Sparnenn-Josh starts to sing, and she soon makes full use of her impressive range. The verses are generally sung in quite a delicate manner, utilising the lower end of her range, but the choruses are delivered in a much more powerful way - with soaring and siren-like melodies atop the rumbling piano. Even when the rest of the band join in later on, adding a sombre drum beat and dense guitar chords, the piano is retained as the main focal point - and the later choruses feel more powerful thanks to this more morose depth. Josh's brief guitar solo elevates the song's emotional pull further, too, and the song continues to slowly morph as it moves along - with later chorus renditions featuring an additional twinkling keyboard melody as well as the piano, whilst another guitar solo then closes things out, ringing yet more emotion from the song.

Transitioning to the album's second half, When Nations Collide is somewhat similar to the previous track - but it never quite reaches the same emotional heights. Opening with clean guitar melodies instead of piano, the track immediately feels more restrained - and Sparnenn-Josh sings the song in a different manner, adopting a more breathy, folky approach that nicely suits the song's more organic feel. Whilst the song opens with electric guitar melodies, acoustic guitars soon become the dominant force - particularly during a fuller sounding chorus which harks back to some of the folkier moments heard earlier on the album, albeit with less of a rock backing. Rogers does add his drumming to parts of the song, but generally he is quite restrained throughout - adding simple percussion and backing some of the verses with a slow-burning beat. Despite the song's simplicity, though, it does grow as it moves along. Later chorus renditions feature a gorgeous and plaintive flute motif which repeats throughout - and when Josh launches into his customary guitar solo the song suddenly feels much bigger. Gordon accompanies Josh's solo with her flute, which adds a twists and a huge amount of depth to the song, whilst Hammond organ later adds some rumble - leading the last portion of the song to feel much more powerful, climaxing the excellent way things have morphed as it has progressed. The next two songs on the album are probably the weakest offerings here in my opinion, but neither are bad. They are just the least interesting - but both have grown on me somewhat since hearing the album for the first time. My Home is a pretty simple track which Josh takes the lead on vocally - and it is quite a straight forward poppy rocker which opens slowly and builds towards a decent chorus. Acoustic guitars, simple drumming, and strange keyboard melodies back Josh during the slow-burning verses - whereas the rest of the band really kick in during the chorus, which again features Sparnann-Josh singing alongside Josh whilst big Hammond organ washes keep the song feeling at home on the album. There are some bluegrass-esque guitar melodies during the chorus, which are a bit different, and during Josh's later guitar solo there is a very Bruce Springsteen-esque use of ringing piano notes which brings Bobby Jean to mind. These flourishes do give the song an identity, even if it is not a standout cut here. I have a similar reaction to Mars, although the song is less organic in feel and much more atmospheric. Dense keyboards form the bed for Josh's initial vocal lines, which again harks back to the band's early days somewhat, and the song is sparse for quite a while. Occasional Sparnenn-Josh vocal harmonies are utilised, and some quiet drumming later creates a pulse, but the bulk of the early part of the song is very simple. This changes when Sparnenn-Josh takes over - her soaring voice given more of a harder base with proper drumming, heavier guitars and even more synths. Parts of Josh's guitar solo feel a bit different from the norm, too, with some squealing high notes adding to the overall atmospheric feel nicely.

If the previous two songs were the album's weakest offerings, then what follows is one of the best. Future Is a Child stood out to me from the off, and the multi-part piece has only sounded better with each repeated listen. It is classic modern Mostly Autumn in tone and it mixes organic instrumentation, an anthemic feel at times, and soaring hooks to create something which really sticks in the brain. The verses are very stripped back, with dark acoustic guitar chords over which Josh sings in quite a downbeat manner. Later verses feel a bit deeper, with vocal harmonies and more of a drum depth, but generally the acoustic guitars and subtle keyboard dominate - and the song really comes alive when Sparnenn-Josh takes over for a chorus which is the most siren-like moment on the album. Rumbling Hammond organ and soaring vocals make for the hookiest chorus here and it really brings the best out of Sparnenn-Josh on one of the three songs here she co-wrote. Mostly Autumn have often made the most of effective bridge sections in the past, with Winter Mountain immediately springing to mind, and there is another here - with a really emotional, percussive section that features some delicate vocals, before Josh lays down a precise acoustic guitar solo and the final reprise of the chorus kicks in. This is not it, though. As the song seems to be fading out, Gordon comes in with a warm flute melody, which acts as the link between the song proper and Josh's huge guitar solo. It is easily his best solo on the album and, Evergreen-esque, it takes the piece to the next level and showcases all of his talents as a songwriter and a guitarist - with the lengthy solo being packed full of memorable hooks. In fact, Future Is a Child feels like a modern take on Evergreen - and it deserves to become a live staple much like the latter was for many years. The album the comes to a close with its title track, which is just over 19 minutes long. It feels like something of a spiritual sequel to White Rainbow, and there are motifs from that song reused here. I do not think that it reaches the heights of White Rainbow, but it is nevertheless impressive - with the early few minutes dominated by piano. Josh initially sings, but the song really gets going when Sparnenn-Josh takes over, and there is more of a band feel behind the piano melodies. This part, closed out by a big guitar solo, might be my favourite individual piece of the song - which comes to an end with some sounds of the sea and a distant accordion playing sea shanties. This atmospheric period lasts for a while, with organ slowing swirling around, before punchy guitar and drum stabs introduce a keyboard pattern taken from White Rainbow - although when Sparnenn-Josh starts singing again the vibe shifts to something more dynamic and hard rocking. Something of a chorus is later utilised, wish Josh adding his gruff voice to boost Sparnenn-Josh's power - the song here flirting with a more symphonic sound. This chorus is hooky, dominating this middle part of the song, and another standout moment here is a synth solo from Jennings - which also later bleeds into a later rendition of the chorus. Another change of tack then sees Josh taking over vocally, to deliver a strange semi-spoken word section, Pink Floyd-esque, against a pacy backing which adds nicely to the song's slightly creepy overall vibe. By this point there is only a few minutes left and, following some more weather noises, the slow vibe of the song's intro, this time with acoustic guitars, and melodies reprised from When Nations Collide, create a closing, slow-burning vocal section - before a lengthy symphonic outro features dancing keyboard melodies, a subtle guitar underpinning, and a closing piano melody. Mostly Autumn rarely disappoint and Seawater is no different. Like most of the band's albums it really grows over repeated listens and some of the songs here rival some of their best recent work. For me it is certainly up there with the trio of releases which preceded Graveyard Star and the harks back to the band's early days are welcome in seeing this album as something of a full circle release - something which the band have not really done for a while.

The album was released on 28th February 2025 via Mostly Autumn Records.

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons - Exeter Review

Following an extremely busy February, which included eight concerts, March has been quite a bit slower. I have to say, though, that the break following those last couple of weeks in February was welcome - but I was ready to rock again following the rest, and headed up to Exeter last night to catch the ever-excellent Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons on their latest UK tour at the Phoenix. I will be getting to two more shows this month, which seems quiet but is still likely significantly more than most people's average, and 2025 in general is another extremely busy year when it comes to live concerts. I am sure I will slow down one day, but 2025 is clearly not the time for such - and it shows just how much of a staple on the UK touring circuit Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons have become, as last night was my ninth show of theirs. That does include festival appearances and support slots, but it nevertheless shows how often the band come around - and those of us in the South West are lucky that they seem to always come down this way on their tours, and the Phoenix in Exeter has become their South West venue of choice in recent years. I last saw the band live, also in Exeter, in 2023 - as part of their tour to support their third album Kings of the Asylum (which I reviewed here). As much as I enjoyed that show, as I always enjoy the band's shows, I remember that it came at the end of a very busy month of gigs, so I was very tired, and that the journey up to Exeter from Plymouth was uncharacteristically fraught - so it has not stuck in my brain as a particular standout. They delivered as always so it was more me than them I think, but I was keen to catch them live again right that slight wrong. The band's 2025 UK promised to be different to the norm, too, which made it an exciting prospect. Phil Campbell (guitar/vocals) is, of course known for being the guitarist of Motörhead between 1984 and the band's demise in 2015 following the death of founder Lemmy. Whilst Phil was not in the band from the beginning, he was the second-longest servant of Motörhead behind only Lemmy himself - and contributed to 16 of the band's 23 studio albums, alongside numerous live releases. Motörhead have not existed for a decade at this point and, sadly, not many of the band's key alumni are still alive. All three of the 'classic' line-up are sadly no longer with us - along with Würzel who was Phil's guitar partner in the band between 1984 and 1995. With the exception of long-time final drummer Mikkey Dee, who now plays with the Scorpions, the only other living members of Motörhead were only briefly associated with the band - which leaves Phil and Dee as the de facto keepers of the band's legacy. Dee occasionally gets up and plays Motörhead songs with other bands, but Phil always includes a few Motörhead favourites in his sets with The Bastard Sons - so is the only Motörhead member that still regularly plays the band's songs live. Given that Motörhead formed back in 1975, then, 2025 is the band's 50th anniversary - so Phil and the band decided to drop all of their originals this year and give the fans a full set of Motörhead songs from throughout the years. The band have occasionally done such sets at festivals, but this is their first full UK tour of this nature - and each show was sure to be a nostalgic night for long-time Motörhead fans.

It was announced earlier in the day that there were only 10 tickets for the show left. Even if those 10 tickets did not sell, the venue was essentially sold out - and there were plenty packed into the Phoenix by the time that the evening's sole support act King Creature took to the stage. I had seen the Cornish four-piece live a couple of times before, with my last rendezvous with the band coming back in 2021 when they opened for Orange Goblin in London. I also saw them with Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons in 2019, too, so this show was something of a repeat of that night - with the grungy metal of King Creature soon filling the room. I have always enjoyed seeing the band live, but their albums never seem to grab me when I listen to them at home. They seem to be one of those bands that have not managed to yet capture their live power on record, then, but their set last night was another enjoyable affair. Mixing bluesy, Zakk Wylde-esque riffs with barked vocals and Alice in Chains-esque vocal harmonies, King Creature have an easily identifiable sound - which is anthemic and powerful at its best and still enjoyable at other times. There were a few strong choruses throughout, some of which managed to whip up a bit of excitement in the crowd, whilst the riffing throughout from Matt Vincent (guitar/vocals) and Mike Stennett (guitar) was generally powerful - with the contrasting soloing styles of the two guitarists ensuring for a varied approach throughout. Dave Kellaway (vocals/bass guitar) has an engaging voice, too. He might not be the most unique or dynamic of vocalists, but his powerful, barked style generally suits the band's riffy material - whilst the crooning harmonies of Vincent help to give the band something of a USP. I recognised a couple of the songs played from the album of theirs I picked up a number of years ago, but a few songs in the set were new ones. I assume that means that a third album is on the horizon at some point - and the new tracks in particular stood out, with one opening with some excellent twin lead guitar melodies which was something a bit different for the band. It was nice to catch up with the band again after a few years and if there is indeed a new album on the way then perhaps it will be the one to finally draw me in properly.

It did not seem too long following King Creature's set that the lights went down again and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons took to the stage. As set out before, this set was very different to others I have seen from the band before - and it was packed full of treats from Motörhead's past. I did see Motörhead a couple of times before they ended, so I had seen some of the songs done live before - but there were a few which I had not, and, in any case, it was great to hear Phil and the band run through so many classics. Joined as always by his sons: guitarist Todd Campbell, bassist Tyler Campbell, and drummer Dane Campbell; alongside singer Joel Peters; Phil ensured that the Motörhead legacy was kept alive in the right way - with two golden oldies in the form of Iron Fist and Damage Case kicking off the 19-song set. Given that many of Motörhead's songs are short, the set really flew by. Many of the songs were real fan-favourites, but there were a few deeper cuts played, too, and there was a good mix of material from throughout the years - both before and after Phil's 1984 arrival. Given Motörhead's high-energy sound, too, there was little standing on ceremony. Both Phil and Peters addressed the crowd throughout the night, but the introductions were generally kept to a minimum - with the songs doing the talking. Songs like Going to Brazil and Rock Out are ones which Phil and his band tend to play quite a lot anyway, so have been granted new leases of life as a result, so things like the more grinding Orgasmatron felt more special - with the slow-burning yet heavy track hitting the spot nicely early on. Peters did a great job throughout, but sounded particularly venomous during Orgasmatron - with the bluesier Metropolis later on being another slightly more restrained track which allowed his vocals more of a chance to breathe. A genuine deep cut in the form of Smiling Like a Killer was certainly later a treat for the long-time fans, and it was sandwiched in between two real anthems in Born to Raise Hell and the perennial classic (We Are) the Road Crew whilst still feeling at home. The former is another regular in Phil's setlists and it always gets the crowd going - with plenty of chanting heard during the big chorus. The latter part of the main set was much more classics-filled, though, with the exception of the slower Lost Woman Blues. Early 1980s anthems like The Chase Is Better Than the Catch and the ever-present Ace of Spades saw plenty of movement from the crowd, before another more mid-paced anthem Killed by Death also saw plenty of chanting during the big chorus. The main set was then rounded out by Motörhead's take on David Bowie's "Heroes" - a song I never need to hear again in truth. The band briefly left the stage following it, but were soon back for a four-song encore. The acoustic-based Whorehouse Blues was a real change of pace, with Todd adding plenty of harmonica throughout, whilst the three songs which followed were bona fide classics - with Bomber and Motörhead returning to a faster overall sound. A stretched-out rendition of Overkill was left to round out the night - which brought the best out of Dane and saw plenty of soloing from Phil and Todd. The setlist was (N.B. all of the songs below, unless otherwise noted, are Motörhead songs):

Iron Fist

Damage Case

Going to Brazil

Orgasmatron

Rock Out

Metropolis

Born to Raise Hell

Smiling Like a Killer

(We Are) the Road Crew

Lost Woman Blues

R.A.M.O.N.E.S.

The Chase Is Better Than the Catch

Ace of Spades

Killed by Death

"Heroes" [David Bowie cover]

-

Whorehouse Blues

Bomber

Motörhead

Overkill

I always enjoy seeing Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons live, so it was great seeing them do something a bit different by fully paying tribute to the legacy of Motörhead. Phil helps to keep Lemmy's songs alive, and this large UK tour is surely a treat for the legions of Motörhead fans across the country who really miss being able to see the band live. I am sure that Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons will be back again in the South West before too long, maybe even with a new album in tow, and I will surely be there when they do.

Killswitch Engage's 'This Consequence' - Album Review

As I have said on this blog before, there is sometimes something comforting about bands who rarely tweak the formula - and generally release album after album based around a core sound with little want to shake things up. Some bands go stale very quickly attempting this approach, whereas others seem to excel and continually release strong material - with the Massachusetts-based five-piece Killswitch Engage, in my opinion anyway, falling into the latter category. Since forming back in 1999, and releasing their self-title debut album in 2000, Killswitch Engage have rarely disappointed. Whether fronted by original/current frontman Jesse Leach or during Howard Jones' tenure between 2002 and 2012, Killswitch Engage have stayed true to their metalcore roots - with each album being snappy, polished, and very enjoyable. It perhaps helps, too, that Killswitch Engage were one of the forerunners of the metalcore genre. The genre did not really boom until the mid-2000s, by which time Killswitch Engage were well-established scene leaders, so the band were certainly ahead of the curve by the time the sound they pioneered started to become big business. It is probably easier to keep releasing strong albums utilising a fixed genre template when you essentially created said template - and at this point I do not think anyone wants Killswitch Engage to change. The metalcore sound has evolved over the years, not always for the better, but Killswitch Engage have stayed true to the original mix of melodic death metal, traditional metal, and hardcore which they fused on their debut album - and nine albums deep that sound still sounds fresh. It helps that few bands are still playing this particular original brand of metalcore, and I am very much out of touch with the current metalcore scene thanks to the strange directions the sound was taken in and the number of frontmen who seemed to want to become rappers, but I still keep up with what Killswitch Engage are doing - so I was pleased when last month their ninth studio album This Consequence was released. Fans of the band have been made to wait quite a while for this latest album. Having essentially released an album every three years since Leach returned to the band in 2012, This Consequence dropped following a six year gap. The band's last album, Atonement (which I reviewed here), was released in 2019 - meaning the gap between the two albums is the longest in the band's career. A digital-only EP, Atonement II: B-Sides for Charity, was released in 2020, but the six songs on the EP were leftovers from the Atonement sessions - so it never felt like a true follow-up despite being enjoyable. Fans did get to enjoy more music from Leach and guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz in 2021, though, as they released Songs of Loss and Separation (which I reviewed here) - the second album from their side project Times of Grace. Dutkiewicz is supposedly working on a new project with Jones, too, so it could be that a lot more music is to come from this camp soon - but for now This Consequence will certainly keep the fans happy. It is very much another album of melodic metalcore from the masters of such - and there are no big surprises here. Joining Leach and Dutkiewicz once again here are the rest of the band's core line-up of guitarist Joel Stroetzel, bassist Mike D'Antonio, and drummer Justin Foley.

Killswitch Engage's albums are never long and rarely feel fatty - and This Consequence is no different at just over 35 minutes long. The 10 songs here are hard-hitting and to-the-point - with a great sense of melody thanks to both Leach's strong vocal delivery and the interlocking guitars of Dutkiewicz and Stroetzel. Another big influence on Killswitch Engage, which I did not mention above, is thrash. Admittedly thrash is essentially the base for melodic death metal - but some metalcore bands are more thrashy than others, and Abandon Us showcases this influence from the off. The stabbing snare drumming of Foley as the song starts allows for quite an anthemic riff to open the album - but once the riff transforms into something less staccato and the band launch into things properly a strong thrash influence is on display. The song is fast-paced one, then, as is typically the case on this album - but the driving drumming and snappy riffing feel especially urgent as the album gets underway. This informs the verses, which see Leach deliver in a strident fashion with his throaty harsh vocals. He sounds as good as ever vocally throughout this album, but there is real venom to the verses here - whilst the melodic and melancholic chorus is sung clean, with soaring hooks and a melodic lead guitar underpinning to create something instantly memorable. A big guitar solo later adds further to the song's melodic nature - and the song is instantly a Killswitch Engage classic like many of the best songs of the band's past. Discordant Nation is heavier. Whilst the harsh verses/clean chorus arrangement is still employed, the overall feel is much tougher. The thrash sound is very much present again, but there is more of an extreme metal vibe throughout. The riffing is much sharper overall, and there is little of the melancholy which is often a big part of the band's sound. The chorus does not soar as is often the case, with the emo tinges of the band's core sound absent, as Foley instead delivers a blast beat over which the band rattle away and Leach sings clean - albeit with much more grit than usual. There are still hooks, but they are delivered in a much more aggressive manner - and the melodic death metal roots of metalcore are very much present here, whilst a ride cymbal-led breakdown section showcases the hardcore side. As if feeling the need to then present something a bit more commercial, Aftermath is very much classic Killswitch Engage. The opening clean guitar melodies instantly hark back to some of the slower tracks of the band's past - but this song does not morph into a big ballad as might be expected. It is a high-energy track - but it feels a bit more mid-paced and strident overall, with more of a traditional heavy metal feel despite plenty of harsh vocals and a few juddering riffs backed by off-kilter double bass drum patterns. The chorus really soars, though, and it is one of the album's instantly memorable moments. Leach really lets his voice do the heavy lifting, his vocal melodies sticking instantly, but the hooky guitar leads underneath his voice also add a lot to the song - and a later brief instrumental section builds on this guitar approach with some interlocking melodies.

Forever Aligned opens with some quite anthemic percussion, but once the main riff kicks in the song again takes a much heavier path. There are strong extreme metal influences here again, then, but, unlike Discordant Nation, there are also huge melodies and more overt metalcoreisms. The verses are some of the album's heaviest moments, with Leach's deep growls differing from his usual screamed approach. The riffing and drumming throughout the verses also feel much more extreme metal-influenced - and there is little of the band's usual bounce. It feels darker and meaner as a result - but the chorus instantly changes this thanks to Leach's huge vocal melodies and a classic metalcore guitar lead, both of which instantly stick in the brain. There is a lot of light and shade throughout the song, then, which is typical of Killswitch Engage's best moments. They can sound pretty heavy when they want to, especially for a mainstream band, whilst the chorus showcases that knack for a hook that has served them so well over the years. I Believe is more of a strident mid-paced rocker, and from the off there is a much more traditional heavy metal feel - and even occasional classic rock vibes. Leach generally sticks to his clean voice here, with the screaming relegated significantly. The song opens with a simplified rendition of the chorus, which gets the main melodies out front right away, and the clean-sung verses differ from everything else on the album up to this point. There is a strong groove to the verses thanks to some chugging riffing and precise drumming, but the high point here is the chorus proper - which really soars thanks to some anthemic vocal hooks and some trade-offs between Leach and Dutkiewicz. The latter generally adds his harmonies throughout the band's albums, but he occasionally sings the odd line here and there - and this chorus is one of his more obvious vocal contributions. He also sings a plaintive bridge section later, before Leach finishes it off with one of the song's rare screams. Where It Dies returns to a heavier sound following the melodic feast of the previous song - with a main riff that echoes early Trivium somewhat. Killswitch Engage were almost certainly a big influence on Trivium early on, so this similarity is not a surprise - and the pinch harmonics add a different vibe to the track. The verses are very thrashy, despite a relatively restrained pace, whilst Leach showcases his vocal diversity throughout with screams and deeper growls injecting plenty of emotion into the piece. As the opposite of the previous song, clean vocals are kept to a minimum this time - with the chorus containing both harsh and clean vocal lines to keep up the overall heaviness. A snarling guitar solo is later full of character, too. Collusion feels much more hardcore influenced. The song is somewhat more mid-paced overall riff-wise, although the fast drumming beneath the relatively slower and more grinding riffing creates a strong contrast. Leach alternates between deep growls and the somewhat shouted/spoken approach that many hardcore vocalists use, which fits in with the sludgier riffing, whilst the chorus is a true melodic feast with soaring vocals and another hooky guitar lead. There are a few different riffs here, too, with a particularly standout moment being a much heavier breakdown with some of Leach's deepest growls to date.

The Fall of Us opens in a fast and chaotic manner, with a death metal-adjacent riff and a slightly more progressive feel. If the production was rougher and more extreme metal-friendly the opening riff would not sound out of place on a Nile album - but this vibe is short lived, with the song soon morphing into a thrashy metalcore track, albeit with some extreme metal trappings. Parts of the verses retain some death metal heaviness, with bursts of explosive drumming and intense guitar rhythms to create an oppressive sound - whilst Leach again relies on some deep growls at times alongside some more typical screams. The big chorus gives the game away somewhat, though - but there are still heavier moments here. Leach might sing clean and in an anthemic way, but the blasting drums beneath the chorus riffing keeps the pace and intensity levels up. A slower, heavier bridge section later on only adds to the heaviness, too, meaning that the song is one of the album's most intense cuts. Broken Glass is another track with more of a hardcore influence overall - and it reins in the general pace found throughout this album to create a sludgy, mid-paced feel that mixes hanging riffing, growled vocals, and some more of those semi-spoken hardcore barks that Leach likes to use occasionally. It is probably the most different-sounding song on the album, and there are strong reaches back to the band's first album at times. The bass is pretty high in the mix, again adding to that hardcore vibe, whilst the melancholic feel of the more melodic end of the band's sound is stripped out here to be replaced by something much more murky. The vocal melodies during the chorus would not sound out of place on an Alice in Chains album - even if the drumming beneath them is much heavier and more intense. It is a strange song overall, but it is very short - meaning that it is over before it fully takes hold. The album then comes to a close with Requiem which, following the diversion of the previous song, is very much classic Killswitch Engage. It is perhaps not as fast-paced as many of the tracks, but this only allows it to feel much more anthemic overall. The interlocking lead guitars of Dutkiewicz and Stroetzel early on really sum up the classic old-school metalcore sound perfectly, whilst occasional thrashy bursts and extreme metal trappings ensure that the band still sound suitably heavy. The chorus is not as hooky as some of the album's best, but it still sticks in the brain - with Leach really pushing his clean vocal range to the max. A lengthy guitar solo for the band's standards later gives the song a bit of a touch of class. The bigger overall feel of the song gives it fitting album-closer vibes and it feels suitably epic within the snappy and no-fat scope of Killswitch Engage's sound to offer that point of difference as the album comes to a stop. Killswitch Engage rarely disappoint and they certainly have not here with This Consequence. It does essentially just tread the expected path but the band do the metalcore sound so well that the familiar is welcome. Other bands would likely make these songs sound tired, but Killswitch Engage always strike the balance so well - and the hooks here are sure to keep me coming back.

The album was released on 21st February 2025 via Metal Blade Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Forever Aligned.

Lacuna Coil's 'Sleepless Empire' - Album Review

Italy's Lacuna Coil were probably one of the first gothic/alternative metal bands I got into - having first started listening to them back in 2007 or 2008. I saw them opening for Bullet for My Valentine in 2008, but I feel that I was already somewhat familiar with them by that time - and 2006's Karmacode was a big favourite of mine around that time. Listening to them soon led me to other bands such as Nightwish and Epica, so they remain an important part of my musical journey, but in recent years I have not listened to them anywhere near as much. My interest did lapse somewhat during the early 2010s, even though I continued to pick up their albums (albeit perhaps not as they dropped), largely as I was just preoccupied with other things. I have grown to appreciate all of the band's albums now, but at the time I just wanted something more from my metal - and other bands were happy to provide plenty of bombastic albums to hold my attention. It was 2016's Delirium (which I reviewed here) which brought me back on board properly - and it also seemed to be the album to stabilise something of a popularity decline and see Lacuna Coil given a newfound respect, even if they had dropped from their late 2000s heights somewhat. Delirium came following quite a big line-up shift, which had seen three of their 'classic' line-up depart in the preceding years - and saw bassist Marco Coti Zelati become the band's main man. In truth, he probably always had been - but the songwriting had become a bit more band-driven on the preceding albums. Delirium saw him basically playing everything on the album with the exception of the drums and a few guitar solos - and the slimmed down band produced one of their best albums as a result. There was a much heavier focus throughout Delirium, which brought the best out of co-frontman Andrea Ferro in particular - with many of the nu-metal and pop trappings of the past cast aside for a denser, more gothic sound. With the later additions of guitarist Diego Cavalotti and drummer Richard Meiz, the band would build on the success of Delirium with 2019's Black Anima (which I reviewed here) - which upped the heaviness again and introduced some modern djent-esque elements into the band's core sound. It continued the rebirth started on Delirium, and the heavy riffing of both albums have dominated the band's setlists in recent years. I saw Lacuna Coil for the first time since 2008 in 2019 and they put on a great show, despite somewhat being upstaged by Eluveitie, and the newer material generally came across better than some of the older classics. I was looking forward to where the band would go next, then, but it would take them six years to follow up Black Anima - and their tenth album Sleepless Empire was released last month. Some of the songs from the album have been floating around as singles since 2023, though, so clearly this was quite a lengthy project - but it continues the heavy sound of the last couple, albeit with less of the djent-esque sounds introduced last time out. Cavalotti's relationship with the band lasted for just one album, and he clearly took his tech metal influences with him, meaning that Sleepless Empire is much more organically heavy - with Coti Zelati once again basically handling all of the instruments here apart from the drums. Current live guitarist Daniele Salomone (D with Us; Inverno) contributed a couple of guitar solos - but this is generally another stripped down album in terms of personnel.

It is hard to say for sure, but Sleepless Empire could be the band's heaviest album yet. Ferro's presence has generally increased since Delirium, when he started to use harsh vocals a lot more, and he sounds great throughout this album. The vocal balance between him and co-frontwoman Cristina Scabbia is much more even these days - and Sleepless Empire may contain his best vocal performances to date. This is evident throughout the opening number The Siege - a powerful track which showcases the band's recent heaviness from the off. Distant vocals and synths set an early gothic tone, but there is little standing on ceremony here - as once the guitars kick in Ferro is already in full flow, his growls against a dark rhythm guitar backing and fast double bass drumming. There is very little time for the song's instrumental side to show as the vocals of the two singers dominate. The early section is very much Ferro's domain but, following a brief change of tone, Scabbia takes over for the verse proper - which is much more atmospheric, with plenty of synths and hypnotic guitars. This verse part is somewhat reminiscent of the band's older sound, albeit with less of a pop approach, but the chorus is very much rooted in the now - with Ferro's growls backing the powerful cleans of Scabbia. There are plenty of vocal hooks despite the heaviness, though, and the song is a great mix of atmosphere and heaviness which kicks off the album in fine fashion - even if there are no real standout riffs or musical motifs. This is very much not the case with Oxygen, though, as the song opens with a grinding riff - which is one of the heaviest things to grace a Lacuna Coil album to date. A bark from Ferro announces its arrival, too, and the mid-paced riffing is packed full of groove - before the pace is upped somewhat and Ferro takes the lead for a metalcore-adjacent verse packed full of snappy riffing and tortured guitar leads. The verses here are very much Ferro's territory, but Scabbia takes over for the soaring chorus - which slows the pace down somewhat, introduces more of an atmospheric backing, and contains a number of strong vocal melodies. The light and shade here is very characteristic of the band's current sound - and Ferro really is at his best here, unleashing a number of venomous ad-libs during something of a breakdown later on. The strong chorus is sure to ensure that the track becomes a live favourite, too, and it is one of the overall standouts here. Scarecrow is more of a groove-based piece, with a programmed beat opening things up - before Ferro barks the opening vocal line and a snappy riff kicks in, under which Meiz lays down an off-kilter drum groove. This riff and drum combo forms the basis of the verses, which Scabbia sings - her cutting tone perfectly suiting the hard-driving and pacy riffing of the piece. She has lost none of her alluring tone over the years, and the verses here stick in the brain as a result - whilst Ferro handles a heavier pre-chorus and adds a counter to the later chorus. I really like the vocal arrangements on this album - and generally this is something the band has excelled at in more recent years. Ferro was often a glorified backing vocalist in the past - but his strange croon of that era was never all that appealing. He fares much better as a harsh vocalist - and songs like this showcase why, even if Scabbia still dominates this number.

Gravity slows things down somewhat, at least at first, and opens with some choral vocals which do feature Ferro's croons of old. They work well in context, though, with him and Scabbia harmonising gently, before another big riff kicks in and he returns to his harsh vocals - with which he dominates the verses. Despite the track still being on the heavy side, it is not as fast-paced as some of the others here. The main riff and verses are quite grinding, with lots of juddering bass drum work from Meiz and plenty of slower grooves in the riffing. The harsh vocals help to add something of a gothic/doomy edge to the verses, then, whilst the chorus feels much lighter overall - with Scabbia taking over as a strong synth backing adds a warmth to the arrangement. The harsh vocal verse/clean vocal chorus is a metal trope as old as time, but it usually works well - and that is often how Lacuna Coil operate these days. I Wish You Were Dead is a much poppier track overall, and it feels like a bit of a hark back to the band's earlier days. I could see a slightly synthier version of the track sitting nicely on Karmacode and not sounding too out of place - although in truth there are already a lot of synths in the arrangement here. The guitars take on much more of a supporting role, with the drumming being very straight forward whilst pulsing bass and synths form a basic backing for Scabbia's strident vocals. She basically sings the whole song, with Ferro only really adding some harmonies during the chorus. This is another reason why the song feels old-school. Ferro's croon is back here, albeit sparingly used, and the heaviness of the rest of the album is replaced by and old-school nu-/alternative metal synth backing. It feels retro but the song is only short, with a very hooky chorus, so it does not derail the album's core sound too much. Hosting the Shadow features the vocal talents of Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) - meaning that the song is a triple-threat in terms of vocals, with both Blythe and Ferro duelling for harsh vocal supremacy during a snappy and headbanging verse before Scabbia takes over for the chorus. It is testament to Ferro's vocal improvements over the years that he more than holds his own with Blythe - and, in truth, the song would have likely sounded just as good without Blythe. The harsh vocal power is immense, though, whilst the gothic tones of Scabbia's chorus is an earworm as usual - with the song being another hooky anthem packed with groovy riffs and plenty of atmospheric depth. In Nomine Patris slows the pace down somewhat - and is another which does seem to hark back to the band's older sound somewhat, albeit with added harsh vocals. Scabbia dominates again vocally, with Ferro taking more of a backseat, and there is much more of a synth presence throughout - as well as simpler riffing and more straight forward drumming. Ferro does have a few brief moments in the spotlight, but generally he provides backing growls and harmonies throughout - whilst the dense keyboards give the track a different sound to many of the songs here. The band's historic gothic depth is very much on show here, despite the lack of the nu-metal grooves which were often present. It also features one of Salomone's guitar solos. Lacuna Coil are rarely a solo band, but they are used to good affect occasionally - and the melodic guitar leads here add a lot to the song's already melodic feel.

The title track returns more to the album's core sound, although it does also retain some of the more straight forward feel of the previous song. It is much heavier from the off, though, with Ferro once again taking the lead during the verses. Like the album's opening song, there is no big riff or anything to really kick things off, with Ferro leading the charge from the off whilst the verses grind away beneath him. Some parts of the verses are a bit more stripped back, with simpler guitars and prominent synths, whilst elsewhere there are big riffs and plenty of double bass drumming to add some groove. The chorus is a simpler affair, too, with more synths and a gothic backing - which allows Scabbia to unleash some hooky melodies and siren-like wordless vocal sections, even if Ferro is still present to add some big growls here and there. Sleep Paralysis is generally a slower-paced and more atmospheric piece - which again harks back to the band's older sound somewhat, whilst managing to maintain a heavier overall atmosphere. Scabbia sings the vast majority of the song, although Ferro makes his presence felt by using his voice like an instrument during the chorus, but generally this is one for Scabbia to really let rip - with lots of long-held notes from her which suits the slower burn of the track and the plentiful synths. It reminds me a bit of an updated version of a song like In Visible Light. It has the slow-burn of that song, and the gothic vocal talents of Scabbia, but there is a heaviness added to it thanks to Ferro's occasional growls and the meatier guitar tones and overall production style used throughout. Salomone's second guitar solo is used here, too, with his chaotic shredding adding to the song's strange vibe. In the Mean Time features some vocals from Ash Costello (New Years Day). Given that Lacuna Coil are not known for their guest vocal spots it seems strange to include two on this album - especially as neither Blythe nor Costello really add anything that the band's singers could not do themselves. Ferro dominates the song anyway, his growls filling both the verses and the pre-chorus. It is another pretty heavy track, then, with grinding riffing during the verses and a simpler chorus with more synths which Scabbia sings. Costello and Scabbia sing something of a bridge together, and there are some nice harmonies between the two, but the former does not make much of an impact here. The album then comes to a close with Never Dawn, a track which opens with some dense, swirling synths that create a lengthy intro. There is nothing else like this on the album, so it helps the closer to feel a bit different and more grand, but once the song kicks in proper it is another pretty typical modern Lacuna Coil track - with snappy, harsh vocal-led verses and a soaring chorus which Scabbia nails. The chorus is hooky, though, with a few vocal twists and turns which are not quite the norm, which further helps the track to stand out. Apart from the intro, though, the song does not really do anything especially different so it does not feel like an epic closing statement - despite it being a good example of Lacuna Coil's current sound. As an overall album, though, Sleepless Empire is another strong one. It continues this current, heavier era of the band nicely and is has already grown on me quite a lot since first hearing it a few weeks ago. There is a lot to like here for sure, and I am looking forward to hearing some of these songs live when I see the band again later in the year.

The album was released on 14th February 2025 via Century Media Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Gravity.

Crazy Lixx's 'Thrill of the Bite' - Album Review

Whilst the Scandinavian sleaze/hair metal revival which took place throughout the 2000s and 2010s has somewhat died down, with an AOR craze instead now taking hold throughout that part of the world, many of the big hitters of that leather and hairspray scene are still going strong - with one of the most prolific and reliable bands now seemingly Sweden's Crazy Lixx. Funnily enough, though, Crazy Lixx were not initially a band I took to. I never got into their Mötley Crüe-adjacent debut album and when I finally tried to give the band a proper listen a few years later I found 2012's Riot Avenue to be somewhat lacking in quality. As such, I moved on from my attempts and chalked Crazy Lixx up as another band that just were not really for me - despite my love of the genre which they belong to. During the pandemic, though, I tried again - and picked up a copy of their 2016 live album Sound of the Live Minority. It must have been cheap, but I found myself enjoying it quite a lot - so I started to pick up more of the band's work. They are certainly a band that has improved over time. I still do not have all of their albums, as some of them are quite hard to get hold of for a sensible price, but I am familiar with much of the band's catalogue now - and the newer albums tend to be better than the older ones. As things stand, I think my favourite of theirs is 2019's Forever Wild - an album which is just one anthem after another. Despite their sleazier beginnings, the Crazy Lixx of today have fused their hair metal sound with a strong dose of AOR. Despite being on Frontiers Records, though, the band have not morphed into a fully-fledged AOR outfit - and they still retain plenty of sleazy crunch through the guitar playing of Chrisse Olsson and Jens Lundgren, both of whom have been in the band for quite a few years at this point. The band's focal point, though, has always been their frontman, founder, and principal songwriter Danny Rexon. He is the only original member left in the band at this point, but his songwriting and production has helped them evolve over the years - and he once again dominates the band's newly-released ninth album Thrill of the Bite. It is their first album of original material since 2021's Street Lethal (which I reviewed here), not counting last year's Two Shots at Glory which, despite including a handful of new songs, largely featured re-mixed and partially re-recorded versions of old songs. Despite thinking that the band have gotten better over the years, I was actually a bit disappointed with Street Lethal. It is not one I have gone back to that often, but it does contain some strong songs despite it being quite a step down from Forever Wild. Thrill of the Bite is no such disappointment, though, and it is packed full of memorable tracks - with perhaps more of a sleazier edge than anything the band has done for a few years. It is also their first album without drummer Joél Cirera, who left the band last year, who has been replaced by Robin Nilsson (The Cruel Intentions). Nilsson does not feature here, though, with the drums instead handled by Mats Ericsson (Degreed) on a session basis.

Perhaps the album was recorded before Nilsson was brought on board, but there are a few session players credited here - including former members Andreas Eriksson and Edd Liam both adding additional guitars throughout. Perhaps the album was put together with less of a traditional 'band' approach, then, but the overall quality of the songwriting and performances ensure a tight sound. There are few weak songs here, but the album feels pretty front-loaded - with perhaps the best three songs being the first three. The sleazy vibes are on show right away, too, with the fast-paced Highway Hurricane getting the album off to a strong start. The song opens with some juddering guitar patterns and hanging chords, which build towards a pulsing hard rock riff which is straight out of the late 1980s heavier hair metal scene. As time has moved on, though, Crazy Lixx have often tempered their hair metal sound with lusher production techniques and AOR-esque moments - and this song is a perfect example of Rexon's core approach. The riffing is pretty hard-hitting here, cutting through the mix nicely with a strong bass backing, but there are plenty of big vocal harmonies throughout - with the verses seemingly alternating line-by-line between Rexon singing alone and the band harmonising with him. There are strong Def Leppard vibes in the band's approach to harmonies - and this is evident during the song's big chorus, which is has something of a call-and-response approach at times, occasional gang vocals, and a core hook which is really hard to shake. It was a song that grabbed me from the off, and the bluesy guitar solo which comes later on also helps - which is perhaps less high-octane than would be expected, but is packed full of melody. Who Said Rock n' Roll Is Dead reins in the pace somewhat, and the track is a mid-paced anthem from the off - with a tease of the chorus hitting right way before another crunching riff kicks in. This track is less sleazy overall, despite a dose of such remaining, and there is much more of a traditional classic rock strut on display instead - with a bluesy main riff which forms the basis of the muscular verses. The pre-chorus feels a bit more 1980s, with snappier vocal hooks and plenty of harmony vocals, but the chorus then takes things to the next level - even though there is some subtle Hammond organ grounding everything, giving the song a retro edge despite some soaring harmonies. It is a shame, then, that the guitar solo is so brief. The song could have done with a much flashier instrumental moment - and the very short guitar solo feels like a missed opportunity given how strong the rest of the track is. A real favourite here, though, is the sleazy Little Miss Dangerous - which was co-written by long-time bassist Jens Anderson. This song is another which perfectly mixes the band's older hair metal sound with strong AOR vibes - with a strong, mid-paced groove throughout and a lush production which mixes a rougher edge with harmony vocals. Crazy Lixx have rarely been a synth-heavy band, but they are used to good effect to add depth - with the guitars always leading the charge. The riffing here is powerful, and the song's longer runtime allows the guitar solo shine this time - with lots of tapped melodies flirting again with the 1980s. The chorus is where the song really shines, though, and it could be the album's best moment overall. It will not leave the brain once it gets in - and I can see the track being a live favourite for years to come.

Whilst the opening three songs might represent the best of the album - what follows rarely slouches. Those who want something a bit more high-octane will love Call of the Wild, which is a much more fast-paced and crunchy track with plenty of energy. The opening hypnotic guitar melody and bass underpinning certainly draw the listener in, building tension, before a faster riff kicks in and the verse gets underway with Rexon delivering a slightly gruffer vocal. His voice is surprisingly diverse I think - with both grittier and smoother approaches in his locker. This is very much a song which needs something tougher, and he delivers with a gravellier approach that suits the crunchy riffing and busy drumming which characterises the song. There is little of the band's AOR side this time, too, despite plenty of vocal harmonies during the machine gun chorus, and the guitar solo is much more fleet-fingered - building on the opening melody line and expanding on it. Recipe for Revolution takes a much smoother approach - which allows it to contrast nicely with the song before. There is more of a keyboard presence this time, with warm, pulsing synths backing the guitars during the song's intro - and it reminds me of the more AOR-centric sound which was found throughout Forever Wild. It is one of two songs here co-written by Olsson and I tend to like his writing contributions with the band. He helps to add to twist to Rexon's core songwriting style - and there is more of a lead guitar approach throughout, with a hooky opening lead and some other busier lines sitting under the vocals at times. The vocals and guitar tones still deliver a sleazy sound, with a bass-led breakdown later adding depth, whilst the chorus feels smooth and full of hooks - with the song being one of the real growers here in my opinion. Run Run Wild returns to something more akin to the album's typical sound, but there is some of the smoothness of the previous track retained. The Hammond during the song's intro adds a 1970s classic rock weight to the heavier riffing, but the opening parts of each verse are much more stripped back - leaving Rexon singing against a backing of bass, drums, and clean guitar melodies. It is less riffy than usual, then, although the verses do expand as they move along - with the guitars getting tougher as the chorus is approached, which morphs into a much sleazier sound. Big gang vocals and shout-along hooks pack the chorus - and it showcases the best of the band's hair metal side with plenty of easy melodies and quite a lot of attitude. In terms of a sleazy vibe, though, Midnight Rebels really doubles down on this vibe. It is probably one of the weakest cuts here in my opinion, but there are still positives here. The chorus is pretty fun, as it injects a strong pop vibe which is a bit different to anything else on the album, but the riffs here never really get a chance to breathe. Rexon is essentially singing throughout the whole song, from the moment it starts, so the instrumental side of the track never really gets a chance to shine - apart from during a decent guitar solo section. There is a bit of a punk feel to the verses then, due to this urgency, with the chorus feeling a bit too sweet in comparison to the rest of the song - thanks to layers of vocal harmonies and some synths.

The quality is really upped again, though, with Hunt for Danger - Olsson's second writing contribution. Compared to many of the other songs here, it is a pretty dynamic track with quite an expansive arrangement and some different overall sounds which still sit nicely within the core hair metal and AOR sounds on display here. Keyboards play a much bigger role, with the opening riff being backed with a strong synth counter-melody, whilst large parts of the verses are more stripped back with Rexon singing against a synth-heavy backing. As with Olsson's other writing involvement, too, there is a lot of room for lead guitar. There is perhaps less riffing than usual, albeit the opening riff is still very memorable, but a lot of the instrumental sections are more lead guitar-driven than riff-driven - and this adds to the song's overall cinematic feel. There is just a lot more scope there thanks to the strong keyboard presence and the soaring guitar leads - and it also helps that the chorus is one of the album's strongest overall, with hooks aplenty and loads more harmonies. Final Warning is much more high-octane, and after the smoother previous song the hard-driving and riffy track hits hard. The main riff is juddering and fast-paced - with a strong John Sykes feel which is not something typically in the Crazy Lixx playbook. The song sounds massive as a result and it is one of the most energetic pieces on the album. Ericsson's drumming is busy, with plenty of double bass patterns backing the Sykes-esque guitar riffing which creates a strong late 1980s Whitesnake or Blue Murder vibe. Vocally, though, the song is much lighter than those influences - but Rexon weaves plenty of excellent vocal melodies, with his delivery having the energy throughout to match the song's overall power. A suitably shredded guitar solo is also included, and the song never really lets up at all throughout. There is no lull in the energy - and it is great to really hear the band going for it and upping the heaviness overall. The album then comes to a close with Stick It Out, another song which feels a little weaker compared to the bulk of the album. Whilst the album's best songs are the first three, both Hunt for Danger and Final Warning are up there in quality - and I feel that Stick It Out with its stripped back riffing and bluesier overall approach fails to live up to the two previous songs. Perhaps it should have been swapped in the tracklist with Final Warning to let the ripping track close things out - but as things stand the album does end a little limply compared to how it could have. There is nothing wrong with the song, and it does have a decent chorus, but as it is one of only two weaker songs here I feel my interest waning as the album comes to a close. This is a shame, as it is always good when an album ends on a bang, but there is so much quality elsewhere on the album that Thrill of the Bite overall is a very enjoyable release. I do not listen to a lot of new hair metal these days, so it is good to hear something new which is packed full of quality songs - and Crazy Lixx rise up in my estimations the more I hear. I am looking forward to seeing them live for the first time later in the year, too, and I hope that a few songs from this album are played - as many of them would go down really well.

The album was released on 14th February 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Little Miss Dangerous.

Marko Hietala's 'Roses from the Deep' - Album Review

Since releasing his debut solo album Pyre of the Black Heart (which I reviewed here) worldwide in January 2020, a lot has happened in Marko Hietala's world. The album was actually available in his native Finnish under the title of Mustan Sydämen Rovio the previous year, but I imagine that most people came to it in 2020 - when it was re-done in English and released worldwide via Nuclear Blast Records. He managed to complete a brief European tour in support of the album in early 2020 - but the start of the pandemic in March 2020 put a halt on any further plans to promote it, if any were indeed planned. In truth, the rest of 2020 was likely going to be taken up with Nightwish duties. Human. :II: Nature. (which I reviewed here) was released in April 2020, with touring planned for the rest of the year, but by the time Nightwish managed to get on the road to support their sprawling ninth album Hietala was no longer part of the band. He announced in January 2021 that he was leaving the band due to depression-related issues as well as a growing disillusionment with the music industry. His lengthy statement suggested that he would withdraw from public life for a while, perhaps indefinitely, and it was unclear at the time whether Hietala would make music again. Nightwish have definitely become a weaker unit since his departure, both in the vocal and songwriting departments as he seemed to be the only person Tuomas Holopainen would trust to write for the band, but it was clear that Hietala needed a break - and to get away from the huge touring commitments and pressure that comes from being in a band as big as Nightwish. I hoped that he would be back one day, but if he was done with music then I would have understood. Hietala's career can be traced back to 1982 when he formed Tarot with his brother - and he has been very active since, playing in a number of different bands and turning up on plenty of other albums as a guest. It was great, then, when he started to resume his career in the summer of 2022 - playing a few shows with his all-star cover band Northern Kings as well as with his solo band. Since then, Hietala has been pretty active again. Whilst certainly not hitting Nightwish levels of activity, Hietala has been getting out and about - playing more shows with his solo band, bringing Tarot out of the slumber it had been in since the death of drummer Pecu Cinnari, and even collaborating with his former Nightwish colleague Tarja Turunen by joining her on tour and recording a new song with her (more on that later). This increased activity clearly prompted him to write again and, following the release of some singles over the past few months, Hietala released his second solo album Roses from the Deep last month. Keeping the same band as last time: guitarist Tuomas Wäinölä, keyboard player Vili Ollila, and drummer Anssi Nykänen; Roses from the Deep has similarities to Pyre of the Black Heart - but this latest release is much more upbeat and bombastic. There was a darkness and slow-burning organic prog feel to the last album, but this one is much more fun overall - and likely heavier, too, whilst still having a progressive streak and varied songwriting.

There is certainly a quirky side to this album, then, differing from the more straight ahead heavy/power metal which would likely characterise a new Tarot album. There remains a big influence from 1970s prog and the flamboyance of bands like Uriah Heep and Queen - whilst also feeling heavier and hookier than the previous release. All of these elements are summed up during the opening cut Frankenstein's Wife - a real earworm of a track that stood out to me from the off. Ollila's swirling keyboards open the track, before Hietala sings part of the chorus against this sparse backing - creating an atmospheric vibe before the rest of the band crash in with a bouncy, mid-paced guitar riff. The riff is full of classic rock grooves, with the organic drumming of Nykänen grounding everything, but the verses are a little more low key - with Hietala's bass playing providing the main backing, along with a drum groove and a keyboard depth. The song's main riff acts as a heavy bit of punctuation throughout the track, though, whilst the chorus is much more upbeat to match the drive of this riff - with Hietala's playful hooks really lodging the brain whilst Ollila adds some sparkling synth melodies. A brief guitar solo from Wäinölä adds further to the bluesy classic rock vibes of the track, and showcases his prowess, but this is largely a song which is all about its grooves and a chorus which highlights Hietala's songwriting style nicely - which sets the tone for the overall hooky nature of what is to come. There are two duets on this album, and the first of them is Left on Mars - the aforementioned collaboration with Turunen which was previously released. It is nice to see these two former colleagues working together again, particularly given how publicly Turunen was sacked from Nightwish back in 2005, and this song showcases that their voices still work really well together. It does not sound like a throwback to Nightwish's old sound, and the track very much fits in with the groovy, up-tempo vibe of the rest of the album, but Turunen's classically-trained voice certainly adds a symphonic edge to the piece - which Ollila's keyboards reflect. There is certainly more of a sweeping feel to parts of the track, with strings and a larger overall arrangement - but the guitars still feel rooted in muscular classic rock mode and there is little of the kitchen sink approach Nightwish tend to adopt. The riff is backed by some symphonic strings, though, so there is a grandeur to the piece - but generally the arrangement allows both Hietala and Turunen to shine, and their harmonies during the chorus certainly turn the clock back somewhat. Proud Whore opts for a heavier sound following the hooky hard rock of the album's opening and the sweeping second cut - kicking off with a tight mid-paced riff which soon morphs into something slower and more Black Sabbath inspired. Hietala sometimes includes a Black Sabbath cover in his solo shows, so they are clearly a favourite - and the main verses here hark back to 1970s Black Sabbath in quite a big way, with some bluesy, doomy guitar lines the backing for Hietala's slightly more restrained vocal performance. The production here feels quite raw, with the keyboards only joining in around half way through each verse - building towards a more expansive chorus which sees more emotive vocals, chiming guitar melodies, and retro synths. There is a lengthier and busier guitar solo here, too, which features plenty of shredding from Wäinölä - and this helps to elevate the track further, adding to the overall heaviness in contrast to the doomier riffing.

Two Soldiers is the second duet, and the song is an acoustic-led ballad featuring the deep, gothic tones of Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto (Charon; Poisonblack; Northern Kings; Dark Sarah) - whose voice is very different from Hietala's, meaning that the contrast throughout is excellent. The two have worked together in Northern Kings so their harmonies are nothing new, but the dark ballad is a great use for Leppäluoto's talents - with the early part of the song essentially just featuring acoustic guitars and a string backing, which allows both voices to take centre stage. A spoken word section later takes over, with a delicate piano backing, and the track does grow somewhat from this point - with soaring strings and a more expansive piano-led instrumental section. The rest of the band never kick in, though, despite some occasional percussion adding depth - so the track is a pure acoustic number despite the grandeur added by the production and the soaring vocal performances. In contrast, The Dragon Must Die, at just over eight minutes, is the album's longest and most involved piece. It opens with percussive drums and a slightly tribal feel - but as soon as the main guitar riff kicks in the piece feels much more expansive. The melodies here feel somewhat folky, but there is also an Eastern tinge to their overall sound. Hietala's progressive edge is showcased here, as the overall arrangement is quite varied, but there are still plenty of melodies throughout. The chorus, as is generally the case throughout the album, is very memorable, with Hietala's vocal melodies following the folky vibes of the opening riff, but elsewhere there are acoustic-led verses which double down on the folky elements found during the song's melodies - as well as a fast-paced instrumental section which includes raw, metallic riffing and a later sparkling synth solo. There is a lot of variety within the song's eight minutes, then, and the lengthy instrumental section, as well as a bombastic closing portion, showcases both Hietala's songwriting and the tightness of his band (Wäinölä and Ollila also contributed significantly to the album's songwriting). The Devil You Know reins things in somewhat, opening with a folky acoustic guitar pattern and Hietala's expressive vocals, but it remains a song during which quite a lot happens. At first it seems as if it is going to be a simple, acoustic guitar-led piece, and the verses throughout are generally such, but the rest of the band join in for the chorus - which has a bouncy, quirky vibe which somewhat returns to the overall feel of Frankenstein's Wife. Hietala has a knack for witty-sounding vocal melodies and the band know just how to create strong rhythms to bring them to life. Rebel of the North then returns to a more typical hard rock sound - and there is less of the quirk of the past couple of tracks. This does not mean that it is any less melodic, as it remains another very memorable song, but it is more typical in its arrangement than some of the other cuts here - with a more strident classic rock-adjacent chorus and some snaking guitar riffs throughout. It is a much more organic piece, with a constant guitar presence throughout - including some wah-affected guitar during a later bridge section and a bluesy, emotive solo which follows a flashy, 1970s-esque synth solo.

Impatient Zero is another track which opens in a pretty low key manner, with staccato clean guitars and a percussive backing over which Hietala sings in a slightly ridged and unusual way. There is a slight folky feel to this intro, but the overall vibe is a bit off - and it creates an unsettling tone which helps to set the song apart from the rest of the album. This is another song which has quite a breadth of vibes throughout, though, as things get a lot more expansive as the chorus is approached. All the choruses here are memorable, and this one is no different - with snappy hooks that feel very different from the vocal delivery found elsewhere throughout the song and rumbling Hammond organ. There is real bombast to the chorus, and the two main elements of the song feel so different that it is a testament to the band that the transitions feel pretty natural. There is also a lengthy, heavier section later which featured another Black Sabbath-esque riff which forms something of a bridge and also a backing for Wäinölä's busy guitar solo. The track then closes with a great synth solo from Ollila. Tammikuu (Finnish for January) is the album's penultimate track and, unsurprisingly, it is sung in Finnish. Despite this difference, though, the song is very much rooted in the core sound of the album. It is a pretty up-tempo hard rocker - although there is a bit more of a 1980s vibe throughout thanks to Ollila's keyboard sounds. The more organic sound of the rest of the album remains present, with Wäinölä's main guitar riff feeling like a snappy proto-metal piece from the 1970s, but the later shredded guitar solo is more 1980s and high-octane in vibe - whilst the hooky chorus is full of pulsing synths, again from the 1980s. These differences to help to the set the song apart from the crowd, but I do not feel that the differences are so stark as to make the song really stick out in a negative way - and there is enough of the core organic vibe of the rest of the album, with a dose of quirk, to make everything feel very much at home. The album then comes to a close with its title track, which is much of a slower-burning piece overall. Much of the upbeat and quirk of the rest of the album is largely abandoned here -as the song instead feels like a much more conventional and pretty emotive ballad. Acoustic guitars and strings form the basis of the slow and dense verses, with Hietala singing in a less expansive manner - although he still manages to inject plenty of emotion in his delivery, which only increases through a chorus which feels more expansive due to a drum backing and a denser keyboard arrangement. Bluesy guitar leads are thrown in occasionally, which are then expanded upon by Wäinölä during a slow-burning and lengthy guitar solo that further increases the song's emotional weight. Unlike many of the songs here, there are not really any specific twists and turns. The song essentially plays out how it would be expected to, but the strength of the chorus and the overall feel of the song mean that this is not a problem - and the Hammond during the closing moments of the song is a great way for the album to fade out. I enjoyed Pyre of the Black Heart back in 2020, and it grew on me significantly even after reviewing it, but I think that Roses from the Deep is better overall. There is a real focus on melody throughout and the songwriting twists and turns are very much welcome - meaning that this is an album that can do straight forward and complex in equal measure. I can see this album getting a lot of playtime over the next few months and I hope that Hietala brings this band to the UK one day as I would like to hear these songs live.

The album was released on 7th February 2025 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is Hietala's promotional video for Frankenstein's Wife.