Mirror
Pyramid of Terror
(Bad Omen)KKKKK
FOR FANS OF:Iron Maiden,
Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate
■ There’s a dark magic stirring inside Mirror’s
second album. Formed by one-time Electric
Wizard bassist Tas Danazoglou, rather than doom,
Pyramid Of Terror evokes the same bombastic
brilliance of the original NWOBHM masters
without feeling rehashed or overcooked. The
softer shades of Deep Purple heard on their 2015
debut have been swapped for spikes of cast iron
metal, with the opening title-track reminiscent of
early Maiden fan-favourite Wrathchild but delivered
twice as fast. Similarly, Running From The Law
sounds like a mash-up of Accept’s Burning and
Judas Priest’s biggest hit, without running risk of
parody or pointlessness. All that’s needed after the
Dio-rivalling vocal acrobatics and piercing early-
’80s guitars is some cover art depicting a winged
Indonesian demon skewering the intestines of
some poor soul in what looks like the fires of Hell,
and you have one beastlythrowback to those
glorious bullet-belt years. AMIT SHARMA
MORASS OF MOLASSES
THE TIES THAT BIND
(WASTED STATE)KKKKK
FOR FANS OF:Cybernetic
Witch Cult, Elder, Black Sabbath
■ With a moniker referencing a 25-foot tidal wave
of the thickest treacle barrelling down the streets
of Boston a century ago, you’d expect nothing
less than ultra-thick heaviness from Morass Of
Molasses. It’s an instinct that proves to be entirely
correct. On this second album, these Reading
doom-mongers step up their hefty bombardment
of stoner blues with a beefy injection of beer-
swilling riffs, yet also find themselves reconnecting
with the fertile earth from whence they were born.
The Ties That Bind is chock-full of everything you
could wish for from such a record. Screeching
rock’n’roll swagger? Try not headbanging to Woe
Betide or Persona Non Grata. Southern blues?
Estranger will set your soul aflame. Dark, folkloric
vibes? Legend Of The Five Sons has you covered.
At times like a calorific version of Clutch, at others
as heavy as Electric Wizard riding an elephant, this
is a heavy dose of molten sugar and good times
that’s as sweet as it is massive. JAMIE CANSDALEHEILUNG
Futha
(SEASON OF MIST)KKKKK
FOR FANS OF: Wardruna,
Enslaved, Hexvessel
■ While the world tears itself apart either
searching for progression or reverting back
to ‘the good old days’, one band is taking a
further step back to a common ancestor, and a
deep-rooted love of Mother Nature. From using
the power of natural sounds like ice and fire to
utilising human bones as instruments, Heilung
(German for ‘healing’) connect with the spirit of
Iron Age Scandinavia. Clocking in at 74 minutes,
it’s not something you can jump in and out of; it’s
a journey, applying ancient texts and poetry to
tribal drums, horns and throat-singing to create
an immersive experience. There’s an earthy aura
surrounding the record, not just from the sounds
of nature but the primal energy it evokes, trying to
wake something long lost to the ravages of time.
Having more in common with world music than
the rock sphere, the power and conviction of these
chanted tales connect on a deeper level than mere
riffs. You just have to let it in. LUKE MORTONJOHN FLOREANI
SIN
(HOPELESS)KKKKK
FOR FANS OF: Trophy Eyes,
Deaf Havana, Turnover
■ A cathartic record that found frontman John
Floreani embracing a new life in America, Trophy
Eyes’ third LP, The American Dream, was an album
whose raw honesty allowed it to sound both
devastating and life-affirming at the same time. A
year on, John’s latest solo album sees its creator
once more laying bare his darkest moments.
The influence of Americana remains on cuts like
Repent, and the starry-eyed charm we’ve come
to expect from him shines through on Echoes
and Ugly Love, but it’s the songs that bookend
the album that stand out the most. Opener Oh
Brother is a heartbreaking account of a familial
relationship turned sour, while closing track and
emotional peak I Don’t Want To Be Here Either
brings things full circle, with John contemplating
how ‘We’re all one bad day away from a hospital
bed’. An impassioned exploration of life, love and
everything in between, Sin is an immense triumph
from a gifted songwriter. JAKE RICHARDSONTYLER BRYANT &
THE SHAKEDOWN
TRUTH AND LIES
(SNAKEFARM)KKKKK
FOR FANS OF:Guns N’ Roses, Greta Van
Fleet, The White Stripes
■ Three albums in and Tyler Bryant & The
Shakedown have, without a doubt, delivered
the complete package. Just as The Struts have
breathed new life into Queen-influenced party
rock, so too does Texan guitar hero Tyler to its
American equivalent. Truth And Lies is rowdy and
raunchy, but simultaneously polished, with most
of the songs mating crafty hooks with slithery riffs
and solos. Noted for his prodigious talent as a
teenager, Tyler hasn’t run away with expectation
but slowly honed his honest and rootsy music
until it’s pretty damn near to perfection. On To
The Next and Shock & Awe bring the hefty rock
boots, while Trouble shows its southern genes,
and Eye To Eye displays back-to-basics rock’n’roll.
Tyler and fellow guitarist Graham Whitford (son
of Aerosmith axeman Brad) aren’t show-offs; they
marshal the pyrotechnics well, resulting in this
album being all about warm vibes, old-school
excitement and youthful songs. That right there is
the checklist for serious success. STEVE BEEBEE
SLOMATICS
CANYONS
(BLACK BOW)KKKKK
FOR FANS OF:Slabdragger,
Monolord, Conan
■ In space, no-one can hear you riff. Thankfully,
that’s not stopped Belfast space-doomers
Slomatics launching a superb sixth album that
plays out like the forgotten soundtrack to some
cataclysmic ‘60s sci-fi movie. The interstellar
sprawl isn’t just mind-bogglingly enormous,
see, but a place to dwell on wrenching isolation,
soul-sapping loneliness and the cold gnaw of
existential nihilism. Fifteen years since their own
Big Bang, the Irish trio have evolved a beguilingly
lo-fi blend of vintage amplification, synth and
feedback to near perfection, and it’s deployed to
devastating retro-futurist effect across these eight
tracks. From the moment nine-and-a-half-minute
opener Gears Of Despair creaks to life we’re on
a black hole odyssey, caught in a gravitational
pull against which tracks like Telemachus, My Son
and the shimmering, psychedelic Arms Of The
Sun gamely writhe. Inevitably, though, there is no
escape, so you may as well enjoy it. SAM LAWDOLL SKIN
LOVE IS DEAD AND WE
KILLED HER
(HOPELESS)KKK
FOR FANS OF:Green Day, Paramore,
The Runaways
■ As opening lines go, Sydney Dolezal’s
snarky dedication that, ‘This is a song for
everyone I hate’, on Don’t Cross My Path
is a perfect introduction to Doll Skin’s sassy
punk rock. That is, if the snarky title didn’t
give the game away. This Arizona gang
aren’t here to make friends on their second
album; they’re here to give you as much
attitude as they can fit into 11 tracks. Ink
Stains rampages with punk-metal firepower,
while Sydney’s warning that, ‘I’ve got malice
in my veins / So mighty that it governs
me’ on Mark My Words is backed up by a
ripping guitar solo that could have dropped
out of Slash’s top hat. Not that Doll Skin
hide their evident knack for crafting razor-sharp
pop choruses – this album is like an entire can of
earworms – but each barbed hook comes laced
with venom. Even when they go full cheerleader
mode on When They Show Their Teeth, the ‘nana na’s drip with irresistible attitude that raises
a middle finger to haters and invites you to do
the same. Furious and fun, Love Is Dead And We
Killer Her is indisputable proof that revenge is a
dish best served loud. JAMES MACKINNONTHENIGHTTIMEPROJECT
PALE SEASON
(DEBEMUR MORTI)KKKKK
FOR FANS OF:Katatonia,
Anathema, Opeth
■ Given that their ranks include ex-Katatonia
members Fredrik and Mattias Norrman, it’s hardly
surprising that Sweden’s TheNightTimeProject
deal in a proggy brand of post-rock built on
foundations of intricacy and technical prowess.
This second album finds them exploring the
role that memory plays in our lives, and across
its nine tracks they take a contemplative look at
the lasting impact of life’s more mundane and
melancholic moments. Consequently, the music
is often pretty sombre, but that doesn’t stop
the serene melodies of Hound or the ominous
tones of Final Light impressing. Things aren’t
always quite so riveting, though, and it’s thanks
to the band’s occasional forays into more upbeat
territory, such as the pulsating guitars and
unclean vocals of Rotting Eden, that this doesn’t
fall down a self-indulgent hole. Ultimately, it’s a
record that requires patience, but the emotional
pay-off is worth it. JAKE RICHARDSON
KERRANG! 57