Ned Boulting's 1923 Marginal Mystery Tour: A pandemic, a bridge and a prop called Théo

Southend on a Sunday November night. Ned Boulting at the Palace Theatre - which, incidentally, was 12 years new in 1923 - and Country and Western at The Plough. 

"Intermarché make their way up the side of the peloton with Biniam Girmay in the green jersey as we approach the intermediate sprint...David, have you heard from Eurosport?" 

This is met with slight but knowing chuckles. This is very much an ITV4 Tour de France audience and a typical ITV4 Tour de France highlights show subject. 

Such an audience, that Ned starts the show, boldly, with a gentle ribbing. He has a history of annoying Strava Wankers and Rapha Wankers, and he continues, jesting "if it's not on Strava it didn't happen" and "you're just filling the gaping void in your life". Ironically, someone's phone rings and Ned improvises, "that's probably her now, oh no, I changed my number". These are all met with laughs, just. The doughty wives of the primary audience members would probably rather be in the pub next door. 

If you know Ned you'll know he's a lover of European culture and history, and has a penchant for the niche, the obscure and the under dog. 

Enter Théophile Beeckman; who is wheeled on from stage right as a tweed jacket, leather gloves, flat cap and aviator goggles. The unlikely star of this story. A man who was as stereotypically Belgian as it's possible to be: he loved racing his bike and his mother's waffles. But before 2020, Théo was just a blurry smudge on a bridge, and then a street, somewhere in France at some point in time. 

This is the man Ned spent years trying to find during the COVID-19 pandemic, after being presented the opportunity to buy a nearly 100 year old Pathé newsreel at an online auction. It turns out he was the only person in the world interested in it. And £120 later, his obsession began. He later objects to being called 'obsessed' by French historian, Michel Chatal, probably because said gentleman was a bit of an obsessive lunatic himself. 

Ned acts out the long, dull days of late 2020 and 2021, holed up at home in Lewisham with a shattered humerus - you will know the story if you listen to Never Strays Far - spending hours trying to find out anything about the grainy black and white characters in still form. Every now and then, an email would ping into his inbox, helping to broaden the web of his investigation. 

Through black outs and brilliant parody ITV adverts, Ned perfectly flits between the necessary, intimate, intricate storytelling of the precious film and whimsical humour of modern day stories; among others, an incorrect WhatsApp recon of Bordeaux with Sir Mark of Cavendish and the crushing boredom of commentating the neutralised roll out.

This neat one-man show becomes an intentionally awkwardly performed three-man show as Ned, via voiceover, conveys the first meeting with Théophile Beeckman's grand-daughter and her husband. It's a blessed relief when 'she' finally turns up and the small talk with 'him' can end.

Ned's struck by how similar she looks to Beeckman, and she knows before he's even said it. 

Perhaps most striking - at the conclusion of what is a fun yet information heavy show - are the family photos at the end. Generations of Beeckmans with Ned's book, 1923. The unknown dot on a bridge, attacking on the 412km stage 4 of the 1923 Tour de France, briefly and flippantly mentioned in the day's press, was now immortalised for his family 100 years hence. 

Finally, Ned shows us pictures of when he got the chance to visit the former site of the bridge in Easter 2022 (which was sabotaged by the occupying German forces in 1944) and hamlet depicted in the film: La Roche Bernard. 

You can't help but be moved. This 'lost generation', in some part, honoured. 

Inglorious - Ride To Nowhere: An album forged amid personal tragedy

It was apt that Inglorious held the launch party for their third album at Sixty Sixty Sounds on Denmark Street.

The shop fronts represent a by-gone era. An era when Harold Wilson was Prime Minister, and baby-boomer musicians such as Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck would've been regular visitors to the stores that now lie hauntingly empty. An era in which Inglorious would have fitted so seamlessly.

A shop just a few doors down from Sixty Sixty Sounds has been stripped of its interior and wallpaper, revealing the original, perfectly preserved, newspaper under layer. From the pictures of the Yardbirds, Rolling Stones and the like on the yellowed paper, you can deduce this corner of Denmark Street would have been a hive of adolescence bedecked in flowery shirts and flares circa 1965.

For the duration of the evening, Sixty Sixty Sounds became a time capsule back to those glorious days. Vibrant, colourful, expensive guitars adorn every inch of both walls and the street facing window, providing a stark contrast to the dark, deeply emotional context of how Ride To Nowhere came to be. As I found out when I asked lead singer Nathan James how the sound of the band had developed from the first two albums:

"I lost my Grand Father and one of my best friends in a month just before we went into the studio last year. It totally changed me as a writer: really changed me."

What resulted from such heartbreak was a consciously heavier sound:

"Not only musically: that's lyrically; that's feeling; everything in the production is much heavier. We also wanted it to sound a bit more gritty, and we've definitely done that."

Nathan had written a lot of the songs on I and II from a passive perspective, but that completely changed for Ride To Nowhere: "I usually write about other people in my life: about other people's relationships; I wrote a song about my brother and his girlfriend; about my Grandad and my Grandma; about my step-Grandad who I really dislike; and all sorts of characters who you meet; people you've worked with.

"I never imagined myself being that open [on Ride To Nowhere]. From my point of view as the lyricist, I wrote about things I never thought I'd write about. And this time round I wrote a lot more about my feelings."

Where I and II leaned heavily on headbanging riffs and groovy rhythms- songs that would grab attention on the radio and at festivals - Ride To Nowhere exhibits a much more well-rounded repertoire of songwriting; from the desperately sad I Don't Know You, grief-stricken Never Alone, fierce anger of Liar, to the beautiful melodic masterpiece that is the album closer, Glory Days.

That's doesn't mean Inglorious have sacrificed riffs though. Opener Where Are You Now, Time To Go and While She Sleeps will more than satisfy if that's what you're after.

Bragging rights, though, go to the title track, Ride To Nowhere. It totally encapsulates what Inglorious are; groovy, raw, thumping, unapologetic rock n roll. We haven't heard this good a song on either of the first two records, but you can hear echoes of the tracks that have brought them to this point - the groovy sway of Black Magic [II] and the soulful vocal from Holy Water [I].

As I leave Sixty Sixty Sounds, and Denmark Street, it's around 10:30pm. I walk back past the same derelict shop front I saw a few hours earlier - what many may consider a symbol of the current state of the British rock scene - and can't help feeling we're on the precipice of something huge. Something the artists who created rock n roll can be proud of. As long as Inglorious and bands like them exist, rock ain't dead.

Northward Album Review: An Eclectic Palate of Hard Rock

Nightwish singer, Floor Jansen, and Pagan's Mind guitarist, Jorn Viggo Lofstad, combine to create Northward - a ten years in the making project that takes a grand departure from their parent bands.

While Love Died, the debut single from the duo, flies out the traps with catchy grooves and stylish flourishes from Lofstad - a stark contrast to the lyrics which tell of a destructive relationship. It's an great track, capped off by a tone setting fun guitar solo.

Get What You Give introduces a darker, heavier tone, and also explores Jansen's vocal range; soft pre-chorus harmonies, soaring chorus and aggressive verses. The mid part changes tack completely, with breathy vocals accompanying Lofstad's plucky acoustic breakdown, before exploding back with fierce vengeance for the final verse.

Storm in a Glass rocks up with a mainstream pop-rock approach. It has more in common with the first track on the record but presents softer tones.

Drifting Islands slams back into the hard rock lane and pushes hard on the accelerator. Soft verses are sandwiched between the crunching intro riff and pounding chorus.

Paragon is the first of two long tracks and blends acoustic led verses and big choruses. A story of being your best self, it's a quaint message that combines nicely with the style of the song. With a voice as capable as Jansen's, she expertly portrays both vulnerability and strength during each section.

Let Me Out sounds like it could be drawn from a Sixx A.M. record. A big, crunching riff sets up a groovy verse and a pop-rock ish chorus, before an avalanche of Jansen harmonies flows straight into another outstanding solo from Lofstad.

Big Boy is a dark, dirty, thumping track. The guitar tone is almost as sludgy as the subject matter (which Jansen says to take with a pinch of salt), and rhythmically is sure to have the crowd bouncing and head banging at shows.

Timebomb sums up the tone of the album in the opening seconds: a blood-pumping hard rock/metal riff followed by a soft verse. This track is easily the most diverse on the record. Heavy riffs bookend the pop-rock verses and it ends with a Jansen wail. It's chaotic, but that probably serves the title of and story of the song - a running theme.

Briddle Passion is heart-wrenching. A stripped back acoustic number with exceptionally emotional Jansen vocals. It's a well placed calm moment in the record, and despite the radical change in tempo, feels just as integral as the other songs.

I Need saunters into position with the building anticipation of bass and drums, before about 20 seconds in smashing you in the face with a massive riff and heart pounding rhythm from start to finish.

Northwards is the title track and is Jansen's story of traveling north from the Netherlands to Scandinavia to join Nightwish. It's a story we can all relate to; leaving our familiar surroundings behind to follow a dream, and while we may be excited, it can be an incredibly scary and uncertain time. At seven minutes in length it's got a prog element to it and is the closest Jansen's vocals come to matching what we're accustomed to hearing.

You can't complain about a lack of diverse songwriting on this record. From hard rock, to pop-rock, to a bit of prog, there's something for everyone.

Rews - Pyro album review

Guitar and drums duo, Rews, explode onto the scene with heavy riffs and poppy hooks that deserve far more credit than the rather one dimensional label of "the female Royal Blood".

When Brighton pair Royal Blood created an entirely new sound that drew both mainstream and old school rock fans with their critically acclaimed eponymous debut in 2014, the game changed. Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin style riffs and poppy choruses sewed together two so very separate parts of musical culture so inexplicably well that it was almost impossible to see how such an innovative sound could be further innovated. Well, up step REWS, there's a new player in the game.

Shauna Tohill (vocals, guitar and keys) and Collette Williams (drums and vocals) have seen Royal Blood's dirty blues-based gruff and raised them vocal harmonies. Adding such texture to the fuzzy pop cocktail presents you with an idea of what Heart could have sounded like if Tony Iommi, Ritchie Blackmore or Jimmy Page had collaborated.

They don't ever over do the harmonies though. Sometimes their intertwined voices are on show throughout and other times it's either lady on her own with the occasional word given a smattering of extra honey. Either way the tone is measured perfectly, with some songs only given a little extra and others a full blown scream fest - which is quite literally in the case on Violins.

Another avenue where Rews can't be compared to the Royal Blood blueprint is the sheer variety of tracks on offer - something Royal Blood haven't managed over two albums. Let It Roll goes full Sabbath from the intro, whereas Death Yawn (despite the morbidity of the title) is a far more up beat, poppy outing. Your Tears perfectly combines the two styles to produce a song that is both poppy and heavy in equal measure.

With ten songs squeezed into 32-minutes, Pyro is a firecracker of a record that serves to light the fuse of Rews' skyward rocket.

Rating - 4/5

Sons of Apollo - Psychotic Symphony album review

Prog Metal super-group, Sons of Apollo, surpass expectations as they explode onto the scene with debut long-player, Psychotic Symphony.

Since leaving Dream Theater in 2010, Mike Portnoy has had a fair few projects to keep himself busy - Adrenaline Mob, Flying Colours, Winery Dogs. Where Sons of Apollo has become more than a 'side project' is in the quality of the members; Derek Sherinian (ex-Dream Theater), Billy Sheehan (Winery Dogs, Mr. Big), Jeff Scott Soto (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey) and Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal (Guns 'n' Roses).

Connotations will be drawn with Dream Theater given Sherinian and Portnoy's involvement, but where SOA truly stands apart is in Soto's aggressive vocal style. The man is a beast of a singer, and while many of the songs on Psychotic Symphony are notable for their extensive instrumental sections - as you would expect from a prog album - when Soto is rattling his pipes he exudes the kind of aggressive vigour that a singer akin to James LaBrie can never deliver for Dream Theater.

While you would expect the flavour of this album to be purely prog metal - given the history of it's creator and leader, Portnoy - that's not entirely what we get. The influence of the undercard members - Sheehan and Bumblefoot - is felt with shorter songs firmly rooted in rock.

The album opens with a monster of a track: God of the Sun. An epic four part 11-minute Sherinian composition. It opens with a very middle eastern vibe, with Bumblefoot and Sherinian combining so effectively you can hardly tell when you're listening to a guitar or keyboard. From there Sheehan and Portnoy join the groove and pedal a driving, full-blooded beat. Soto comes in around the three minute mark with the story of the God of the Sun, which brings the end of part two. Part three is an atmospheric sea of soft tones - a total juxtaposition from the first five minutes. At seven minutes we are thrown back into the heavy melee we would expect from these players and after a slinky, John Petrucci-esque solo, the song closes with Soto's story once again. It's a tremendous way to open the album and sets a high standard for what's to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHSUT-ClRo8

Coming Home couldn't be more of a departure from the opening track. We get a Val Halen ish keyboard riff, a scream, and then a more straight forward hard rock sound with Sheehan and Bumblefoot taking more of a driving seat with the crushing riff. The story goes that Sherinian wanted to do a U.K. angle with the song, but Portnoy preferred a more epic, big rock sound. It's the perfect song to be the first single - it grabs you and never lets go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2troOCI5AAM

Signs of the Time meets the previous two tracks at a crossroads. It's similar in length to Coming Home but takes on more musical attributes from God of the Sun. The highlight is the insanely fast and technical two minute Bumblefoot solo. All of the solos on this record sound like an imitation of Petrucci, but that can only be the highest of praise for Bumblefoot who has openly said how intimidated he initially was by the band's musical style.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EFROCoQYlc&t=3s

Labyrinth's opening is as different from the rest of the album as it's possible to get. Strings - in similar style to Eleanor Rigby - accompany a weak voice before Soto bellows and cues the ensuing kaleidoscope of progressive artistry. If there's a scale from 1-10 of 'proggyness' on this album, this would certainly sit at the high end. It twists, turns, ducks and dives so many times it's difficult to keep track of what's happening with the time signatures and who's doing what, but that pertains to just how talented these five musicians are to keep the composition so tight while flying full throttle on their respective instruments. My personal favourite part of this track is near the end when Bumblefoot's lethal arpeggios give way to vocal harmonies. It comes from nowhere and adds a little flourish to what is arguably the best track on Psychotic Symphony.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-rCa1OMa3I&t=137s

The album takes a moment of calm with Alive, an almost David Gilmour-esque track in the way it's given plenty of room to breathe and is hugely emotive. Soto more than aptly shows his chops for metal on this record, but Alive is where we get to experience his vocal dexterity. Shaped more like a ballad, there are moments of musical heaviness but Soto's contribution comes in the form of softer, emotive vocals with accompanied Portnoy and Bumblefoot harmonies. Bumblefoot shines with the solo too. Completely stripped back and free of over driven shredding, he wafts through a wash of reverb and delicate picking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRnS1EzDVLQ

Amid the tempestuously chaotic riff, Lost In Oblivion has some moments of utter brilliance, particularly with a bass/guitar unison solo section between Sheehan and Bumblefoot. It's totally mesmerising. The contrast between the verse and chorus is interesting too, jumping between a heavy metal tone and almost pop. Soto's voice handles the change of tone brilliantly too, keeping a deep profile for the verse and rising for the chorus.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyPQjVUVq4s

Figaro's Whore is Sherinian's shining individual moment on Psychotic Symphony. To best describe this keyboard solo is to compare it to Eddie Van Halen's Eruption. Sherinian's playing style is more that of a guitarist than pianist so when it comes to solos he sounds like he's channeling players such as Randy Rhodes, Jeff Beck and EVH. The song gets it's title from a section within the track that is inspired by Mozart's piece, Marriage of Figaro - as Sherinian has put it: "There had to have been a whore in the equation somwhere, so I wanted to cover that angle of the story!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQzX4QrIT94

Divine Addiction - of which Figaro's Whore acts as a prelude - has all the hallmarks of Deep Purple; big organ sound and quintessential 1970s hard rock riff. So quintessentially 70s in fact, Sheehan thought he'd heard it somewhere before. It's a credit to Sherinian's writing that he could compose a riff and melody so close to Deep Purple's iconic sound without plagiarising it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nh2GSZOtaJU

Psychotic Symphony ends where the album started, with 10 minutes of complex prog, except this time it's an expansive instrumental: Opus Maximus. It's pompous, pretentious, self indulgent, self aggrandising and totally ridiculous. One thing's for sure, it'll be a heinous bastard to play live!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3addS-uEkmo

In the build up to release, Sons of Apollo have been labelled a 'super-group', purely because of the names associated with it, but with this record they have shown they are worth far more than the cliched term would suggest. We shouldn't be surprised - given the lineup - that their musicianship alone sets the new standard of prog metal.

Black Country Communion - BCCIV album review

Black Country Communion aren't and have never been a standard rock band. Comprised of four of the greatest musicians alive today, the super group have undoubtedly become the standard bearers of exceptionally well crafted, soulful rock songs since they joined forces in 2010. BCCIV only further cements their already impressive legacy.

From the ashes, rises a majestic phoenix

After a somewhat acrimonious and rancorous split in 2013 over how seriously band members were taking BCC as a full time project - or not in Joe Bonamassa's case - it seems a perfect example of absence making the heart grow fonder. Or, more accurately, the musical chemistry.

It's worth pointing out that without the split we wouldn't have had some incredible solo albums - Bonamassa's Blue Of Desparation and Glenn Hughes' Resonate - but given how the split happened it was probably for the best anyway.

It's fitting however that the album cover is a phoenix rising from the ashes; a tad self indulgent but at the same time couldn't be more appropriate.

BCCIV kicks off with the sole single Collide. With John Bonham's son Jason behind the skins it's unsurprising a good amount of this album has a Zeppy feel but nowhere is that influence more obvious than here. It cuts a striking resemblance to Black Dog with Bonamassa's tumbling riff but Glenn Hughes gives the song a different dimension with his soaring vocals. It's the shortest song bar one on this record but by golly does it make up for that with out and out power.

Last Song For My Resting Place is the first example on this disc of the long form song structure we've come to expect from BCC. At eight minutes it's certainly an epic and it's bolstered by the strength of the song writing. Accompanied by a mandolin and fiddle and backing vocals courtesy of Hughes, Bonamassa tells the story of Wallace Hartley - the man who played his violin as the mighty Titanic sank into the icy Atlantic waters. The song glides effortlessly through four minutes at a solemn pace before it kicks into high gear with a dark and dramatic Bonamassa solo. It's a classic for the BCC archives, no doubt.

L to R: Joe Bonamassa, Glenn Hughes, Jason Bonham and Derek Sherinian

Don't let the musical grandiosity of The Cove fool you: it's a song about Hughes' love of dolphins. While I have no issue with the subject in itself, it's not the standard of songwriting we've come to expect from BCC. It's dressed up with Hughes' signature wailing but it's sadly one of the weakest songs the quintet have produced - which given the standard they've accrued still makes it a decent track.

All is well again on follow up track The Crow. A pounding riff slaps you in the face and reminds you just what BCC are capable of. The relay of solos midway through are the highlight; first a groovy bass solo from Hughes, followed by the shimmering organ of Derek Sherinian and capped off by Bonamassa.

Love Remains is a simply written, somber tribute Hughes wrote to his father on his way to his memorial service. Sadly, when he went to record it his mother died and so the song became a homage to both. Hughes almost imitates a choir with his angelic vocals on the chorus. It's a touching song that adds nuance to an otherwise hard edged album.

Awake is the best track on the record from a technical viewpoint. It's the perfect example of all four musicians in tune with each other - interweaving fiddly riffs around a high speed tempo.

The album closes with When The Morning Comes. It offers a brilliant juxtaposition between Bonamassa, Bonham and Sherinian's Zep driven riff and Hughes' chilled out vocals. Bonamassa gets his heavy blues solo in, Bonham's fluid fills and dappled throughout Sherinian's delicate piano - it's a triumph of song writing and composition. Sherinian - who maintains a a fairly low profile throughout BCCIV - shines on this track for his dexterity of style. One verse he's playing a light and airy organ to accompany Hughes and the next he's delivering a searing Jon Lord style Deep Purple solo.

I really hope BCC stick together for the long haul. They are one of the best bands in the world but it remains to be seen if the phoenix will continue to soar or disappear into the ash once again.

Rival Sons Live at Cambridge Junction

The comparisons between the very first live show I saw and the most recent are startling.

In 2011, I was introduced to Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains The Same film, shot at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 1973. The inhabitants of the Mothership were at their peak, jet-setting across the globe, considered Gods among men. That live performance was everything rock music should be; controlled but completely unleashed and primal in the same token. The cohesion of Page, Plant, JPJ and Bonham was mesmerising, magical and magnificent, holding 20,000 in awed spectators in the palm of their hand and feeding off the electricity that filled the air that night in New York. At Cambridge Junction, some 44 years later, in front of some 19,250 fewer people, Rival Sons had the same effect. 

Credit: Jane Dawson

Rival Sons - who many have coined the new Led Zeppelin - have evolved immeasurably since their Earache label debut album, Pressure and Time, in 2011. Head Down (2012) and Great Western Valkyrie (2014) were great albums in their own right, but are mere thumbnails in time compared to the soulful sensation of Hollow Bones (2016): their Led Zeppelin IV to continue the analogy.

Credit: Jane Dawson

The Long Beach, California, quartet (quintet when you include keyboardist and beard enthusiast Todd Ogren-Brooks) opened with the first three tracks from Hollow Bones; Hollow Bones Pt.1, Tied Up and Thundering Voices.

Great Western Valkyrie got a generous showing throughout the night too, getting as many track plays as Hollow Bones; the raucous Electric Man, the infectiously groovy Secret - one of my absolute favourite Rival Sons songs - Belle Star, the beautiful Where I've Been - in memory of a dearly departed friend - and Open My Eyes, which borrows its drum intro heavily from Zep's When the Levee Breaks: that's no bad thing, mind.

Two thirds through the set, we heard three tracks that Rival Sons recorded right at the beginning of their careers; Tell Me Something, Face Of Light and Torture. For songs written before any of their big hits, I was bowled over by the greatness of these tracks. Tell Me Something and Torture are what you would normally expect from Rival Sons, whereas Face Of Light is reminiscent of Zep's The Rain Song, albeit almost half the length.

Heading into the final stretch, Rival Sons played the penultimate track from Hollow Bones, Hollow Bones Pt. 2 - a frenzied seven minute number that's so chaotic it's incredible the band members keep it together. It's hard rocking, but also quiet and reserved in spots before erupting again, with Jay screaming various religious affirmations at the top of his lungs.

Finally, the Sons played their first single from Head Down; Keep On Swinging. This was also the first song I'd heard of theirs after being recommended to listen to them. It's easy sing-along chorus was a great way to end the show.

What comes across so marvelously in a live environment is their ability to be in the "pocket". To get to a place within the music where they're so comfortable that they could be at the O2 Arena or practicing at home, it still oozes the same gut wrenching passion and soul that sucks you in and leaves you yearning for more. 

Credit: Jane Dawson

The comparisons between the individual members of Rival Sons and Led Zeppelin are interesting to explore too. You almost don't notice Rival Sons' bassist, Dave Beste, in the best possible way. He's unassuming but incredibly crucial, piping up occasionally for backing vocal duties. Michael Miley on drums looks and plays more similarly to John Bonham than he'd probably be comfortable admitting - even ripping through a long Moby Dick style solo a la The Song Remains The Same while his band mates enjoy a rest. The comparison with Scott Holiday and Jimmy Page isn't in playing style especially, but in the way they experiment with sounds. For Page it was a theremin and using a celo bow over his guitar strings, for Holiday it's the plethora of pedals that bestow him the nickname 'Fuzz Lord'. Lastly, but by no means least, Jay Buchanan is the first front man in decades to revitalise the character of the 1970s. Not in the way he thrusts his 'pocket rocket' like Robert Plant, but the way he leaves you hanging on every word, howling and shrieking as if his body has been possessed by the spirit of the music: it's utterly, irresistibly, sensational.

Jay said at the end of the gig, rather beautifully I think: "We've been opening for Black Sabbath for 18 months, and that's so cool, but nothing beats this! It's so much more intimate and we love it."

Crobot - Welcome To Fat City album review

Welcome To The Potsville Nebula!

I would advise drawing a deep breath before diving into Crobot. If you don't, you may well be left a stupefied mess by this blast of cosmological psychedelia.  

Credit: nuclearblast.de

Musically, they're controlled in their chaos - like King Crimson minus the idiosyncratic acid-driven, seemingly decade long instrumentals - swirling and swaying a miasma of rhythm, riffs and quirky distortion until you're induced into a psychedelic coma: Crobot would have fitted right in cerca 1966-69.

The genre is a tricky one to pin down though - heavy psychedelic space rock - at a punt. Imagine what would have happened if Jefferson Airplane, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath had given birth to a sub-genre and you'll get a vague idea of just how out there Crobot are!

Despite WTFC being a very spacey album, there are varying degrees of pothead craziness interwoven throughout the 12 tracks. The title track, for example, opens with a colossal smash of drums and riffage, and is only added to with guitarist Chris Bishop's unique use of a Vox Joe Sattriani Time Machine Delay pedal, creating some kind of inter-dimensional, oscillating warp speed shrill - an effect that pops up regularly in this edition of Crobot's discography. 

Bringing the insanity of the album back down to earth a little is Easy Money - the only track on the album that harks back to the roots of the blues with a heavy, plodding rhythm and a harmonica solo. 

If there's one example on here of a song starting as one thing and quickly changing to a total juxtaposition, it's Hold On For Dear Life. A perfectly serene guitar tone is projected for 30 seconds or so, before an enormous, monstrous, marauding Sabbath-esque barrage comes crashing through the ether like a locomotive pounding through a sleepy village. To give it higher praise still, it has very much the same balking impact as Tony Iommi's ominous opening strums on the band's eponymous track.

Much in the same vein as Hold On To Dear Life - except without the opening diversion - Plague Of The Mammoths delivers yet more Sabbath inspired doom. What's more, we're treated to an entire solo from Bishop with the Vox Joe Sattriani Time Machine Delay, producing a mesmeric, other worldly soundscape. 

Once you've regained your breath from your 35 minute odyssey through the potsville nebula, you'll want to start all over again!

Rating - 4/5

Sixx:A.M. - Vol. 2 Prayers For The Blessed album review; A Band In Reverse

Sixx:A.M. released Vol. 2 Prayers For The Blessed on 18 November as a companion to April's Vol. 1 Prayers For The Damned. Bassist Nikki Sixx, guitarist DJ Ashba and singer James Michael sat down with Shinedown's frontman, Brent Smith, in an exclusive radio special, to discuss the two albums and Sixx:A.M.'s transition as a side project with no rules to reluctantly becoming a full time band.

A Safe Haven

The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack - 2007

When Life Is Beautiful blew up on radio in 2007 and reached number two in the US mainstream chart, Sixx:A.M.'s promoters begged them to tour its parent album - The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack. There was an overriding issue though - neither Sixx, DJ nor Michael had ever played in the same room together. They were three artists who had come together as friends for a side project but never had any intentions to tour the material. They didn't want to be contained by the rules that came with labelling themselves a band - and were proud to do so.

"Sixx:A.M. was formed as a haven for the three of us who all had a lot of stuff going on in the music business already", says Michael, "a place for three guys who like each other as people but also have spent their entire adult lives and careers navigating the parameters of the music business. This began as a safe haven for us to basically break any rule we wanted, do whatever the heck we wanted to do musically, lyrically, production-wise. It was this gift of freedom that the three of us gave each other. We weren't trying to do the things we do in our main careers and we've carried that with us through all of the records and all the years."

Any touring would also come as quite an inconvenience. Sixx was still full- time with Motley Crue, DJ was five years into his solo career and various other projects and Michael was writing and producing for The Exies, Marion Raven,  Motley Crue and Scorpions. However, as demand for a tour increased, Sixx:A.M. reluctantly embarked on a 40 date run with Crue Fest in the Summer of 2008 - a full year after The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack had been released.

"We kicked and screamed about that a lot", begins Sixx, "we didn't even know how to be a band".

"We were reluctant every step of the way", continues Michael, "not in a negative way, but we were so proud of the fact that we weren't a band. We had no rules that normally dictate what a band does. No obligation to tour. Just do what we wanted. We were always saying: 'Ah that's cool we can do that because we're not a band'; 'We can do a seven minute song, because we're not a band'. The transition from that has been very, very gradual. It's literally been ten years of writing and recording songs and not doing much touring. Nikki's said this a few times, "We're kind of a band in reverse."

A New Phase

At the tail end of 2015 however - after nine and a half years and three albums, which had all broken into the Top 30 of the US charts, with very minimal accompanied touring - Sixx:A.M. were in a position which would enable them to become a full time band. Motley Crue were finally retiring with a show on New Year's Eve following a tediously long farewell tour and DJ was leaving Guns 'n' Roses (whom he'd been with since 2009), with the impending return of Slash for the highly anticipated Not In This Lifetime world tour. Sixx explains how the tide had been turning for quite some time before then though: "Modern Vintage [2014] was the turning point. DJ was still in GNR, I was still wrapping up the final tour with Motley Crue and James was between producing. We said let's go out and do some shows and for a band that prided itself on being a project, I feel like we found ourselves a little bit."

"We figured the best way to kick-start that next phase of our career was to give the fans a lot of new music", reveals Michael, "so we went into the studio a little over a year ago with every intention to write two full records. What happened was at the half way point, we went out on tour for a little bit and that led to Vol. 1 having its own stand alone feel and Vol. 2 was elevated because it was influenced by this new touring experience, and I feel reflects a whole new Sixx:A.M. It's interesting to see the evolution from one to the other."

Vol. 2 Prayers For The Blessed

Vol. 2 Prayers For The Blessed - November 2016

Vol. 2 Prayers For The Blessed flaunts a marked improvement from previous works, with its vast variety of song content and production style. That said, Barbarians, We Will Not Go Quietly, The Devil's Coming and Wolf At Your Door from the A side are essentially a copy and paste job of the singles from Vol. 1; histrionic, radio-friendly alternative metal that is designed to be performed in arenas. Closing the A side is Catacombs, a 1:20 instrumental that only consists of DJ Ashba performing with his adept dexterity with some added whammy and distortion thrown in for good measure. While this tangent in content is cool to listen to, it offers nothing to the album and feels like a throw away track to fill the record - a prime example of the band's attitude to doing what they want with their creativity.

Now the B side is where Vol. 2 surpasses Vol. 1. The veracious quality of the song writing and song construction is clear here with the tracks That's Gonna Leave A Scar and Riot In My Head - which has a whiff of Queen going on in the latter part of the song.

The B side is also where we find an excellent cover of Badfinger's Without You, made famous by Harry Nilsson in 1971. Sixx:A.M. could have played it safe and simply done a standard cover, but instead set out to challenge themselves and thereby wrote an additional section and solo to beef up the middle of the song. It's difficult to make a song that's been covered 182 times sound unique, so Sixx explains the process behind their version of the song: "There's a middle eight that we wrote into it as a way to break up the song a little bit. We looked at the Wings concept of Live And Let Die: it's a little orchestrated. It's dramatic. We wanted to give it a little bit of meat." 

The combined imagery of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 make for compelling imagery

Taken as a whole, the combined quality of Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 is far higher than The Heroin Diaries Soundtrack, This Is Gonna Hurt and Modern Vintage. Sixx accredits this to the new experience of simultaneously touring and writing: "Once we made that commitment to touring we started writing more songs that could be portrayed in a live environment as well as not losing our original roots. We wrote Helicopters (Vol. 2) and Rise Of The Melancholy Empire (Vol. 1) without knowing if they would be played live, whereas Barbarians, We Will Not Go Quietly (both Vol. 2) and Rise (Vol. 1) were written with every intention of being played in a live environment."

Rating - 4/5

You can listen to the full interview with Brent Smith here - http://sixxammusic.com/news/2016/12/5/new-sixxam-radio-special-hosted-by-shinedowns-brent-smith-available-now

You can also find my review of Vol. 1 Prayers For The Damned here -http://ramblingsofanessexlad.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/sixxam-prayers-for-damned-album-review.html

Airbourne - Breakin' Outta Hell album review

Airbourne are back with album number four - three years after Black Dog Barking - and there's absolutely no change in the formula; raw, in your face rock 'n' roll - the only way they know how and just how we like it.

In these days of digital amplifiers, dozens upon dozens upon dozens of every effect pedal imaginable and distortion laden pick-ups, it's refreshing to listen to a band who use only what's needed - drums, bass, stock Gibson guitars and 12 (yes 12!!!) Marshall stacks - to make rock 'n' roll sound the way it was meant to.

There are a few standout tracks; title track Breakin' Outta Hell, Thin The Blood - which sounds like a combination of Little Richard and Motorhead, and It's All For Rock 'N' Roll - a nod to AC/DC's For Those About To Rock.

As ever, Airbourne aren't afraid to write dirty lyrics that parents wouldn't want their little angel listening to - Down On You, Do Me Like You Do Yourself and When I Drink I Go Crazy need no explaining.

It's a very fun listen and will have anyone headbanging, even the parents.

Rating - 4/5

Philip Sayce - Influence album review

It would be bold of me to say, but I truly believe that in Philip Sayce we have a guitar God among us. His debut, 2009's Peace Machine, was, if anything, an attempt to replicate Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughn for 15 tracks - rather than an original effort. It demonstrated his ferocious, fuzzy, wah infested, screaming, raw blues tone, and immediately catapulted him onto a pedestal with the best players ever. That said, it wasn't a particularly diverse piece of work. Five years on we have 2014's Influence - the Electric Ladyland of Sayce's discography if you will - a masterful performance of stratospheric proportions.

As the title alludes, Influence has a few covers; Ed Lewis and Prisoners' Tom Devil, Graham Nash's Better Days and Green Power by Little Richard. These tracks add the diversity that was arguably missing from Peace Machine, but there's still plenty of what Sayce's fans love him for; heavy riffs, screaming distortion and fluttering vibrato. Miles Miller and Chris Powell, on drums and bass respectively, compliment Sayce to such an extent, it isn't too far off feeling like you're listening to The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Out Of My Mind, I'm Going Home and Light Em Up, in particular, are majestic exhibitions of perfect chaos and intense rackets - vigorous riffs finished off with implausibly exceptional solos.

Sayce - like Hendrix with Little Wing - also shows that he has a softer side. The guitar on Fade Into You flanges beautifully with a tonne of reverb, almost dreamily, building and building, before Sayce launches into the best solo I've ever heard on a Sayce album. Triumph is similar although in instrumental form.

It will be very difficult for Sayce to out do this album - it represents his blossoming maturity as both a musician and guitarist - but whatever he comes up with, no doubt it'll be out of this world.

Rating - 9/10

Sixx:A.M. - Vol. 1 Prayers For The Damned album review

Sixx:A.M. was established nearly ten years ago as a side project for Motley Crue bassist, Nikki Sixx. Accompanied by Guns 'N' Roses guitarist, DJ Ashba and producer come singer, James Michael, the trio put together an audio documentation of Nikki's heroin addiction from his book; The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star. Brutal honesty, unsettling imagery and complex track mixing would define it and the three albums that followed.

Prayers For The Damned features many familiar themes; drug abuse, rehab and anarchy to name three. Rousing anthems When We Were Gods, Better Man and You Have Come To The Right Place are bookmarks on the album, exhibiting the extraordinary combination of Sixx's songwriting, Ashba's flamboyant fret-work and Michael's emotion ridden vocals.

There's lots of variety here too, though. Rise and Rise Of The Melancholy Empire are poles apart but both are executed with the same oomph and gusto. The former is clearly designed for non-stop commercial radio plays with it's rousing call to arms, whereas the latter is a slow burner that takes a minute to evolve from a melancholy piano verse into a thumping drum and rhythm guitar driven chorus, and finally Ashba's best solo on the disc to cap off a polished six minutes of dexterous musicianship. Safe to say it's going to be a song that's rarely played live, which says how far Sixx has come having been in a band that primarily specialized in crowd pleasing three minute tracks without much texture or substance.

PFTD is a grand departure from what Sixx was doing for 34 years previously and compellingly so - although it's difficult to compare the two bands in terms of musical style - but the step up in musical quality may be down to his band mates. Either that or he was being massively held back in Crue, which wouldn't be surprising when Vince Neil is your lead singer.

Rating - 7.5/10

Grand Magus - Sword Songs album review

If you know of Grand Magus already then they'll need no introduction, but I got into Grand Magus completely by accident. Before getting into the review, let me quickly tell you how I came across this distinctive band.

Stumbling Across Grand Magus

I was waiting for my friends to meet me at midday on the Sunday at Download Festival 2016, when one texted me saying they were running very late due to thronging traffic and that I should head off and see a band instead of waiting for them at the entrance. I headed over to the stage nearest me - the Zippo stage - and waited for the scheduled band to appear, whilst also trying not to slip over in the multiple inches of traditional Download mud. 

 

 

Janne 'JB' Christofferson

I didn't even know the name of the band yet. I didn't have a program and couldn't even decipher the text sprawled in ancient font on a banner at the rear of the stage. Lead singer and sole electric guitarist, Janne 'JB' Christofferson, emerged with his Flying-V Gibson, introduced himself and his two comrades as Swedish band, Grand Magus, and started playing. The only way I could describe what resonated from the stack of Marshall amplifiers was a mash-up of Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Dio and Judas Priest; fantastically dense, riff driven Heavy Metal, but well constructed and not overbearingly fast or even thrash - the latter of which I cannot stand by the way. Much like the first time someone elucidated the genre of Nightwish to me - symphonic Metal - the light bulb when off when 'JB' announced Grand Magus as 'Viking Rock' midway through their set - an apt description and a genre I'd certainly never heard of before.

After doing some research on the band and listening to their whole back catalogue in the six weeks since, I felt confident enough to review their latest album, Sword Songs, released a month before Download, that they performed a few tracks from when I was there.

Sword Songs

Stories of Norse Gods and mythology, battles and the forging of swords - what's not to like?! Grand Magus have made a 15 year career of narrating the prodigious tales of their homeland through the medium of Heavy Metal. You may have thought that after eight albums this gimmick would have become a little laborious, perhaps even repetitive, but - much like Iron Maiden and Motorhead - why change a winning formula?

Although never changing their core style, Grand Magus have altered the delivery by a few degrees on each album. Iron Will from 2008 arguably displayed the grandest of Grand Magus; a supreme demonstration of power Metal, while Hammer Of The North, 2010, exhibited Grand Magus piling on the doom; akin to Black Sabbath in many aspects. Sword Songs takes yet another tangent - offering a more measured approach and diverse structure to the point of considering it a concept album - but without losing sight of what they've made before.

As far as the concept goes, there's the battle cry - Varangian - the preparation for war - Forged in Iron, Crowned in Steel - the declaration of war - Master of the Land - and the Norse honour of dying on the battle field - Last One to Fall. That said, not all nine tracks (11 on the deluxe edition) follow the same trend; Everyday There's a Battle to Fight is quite simply an empowering song about overcoming everyday struggles.

It's exciting storytelling combined with well composed Heavy Metal; it's well worth checking out!

Rating - 8.5/10

Rival Sons - Hollow Bones album review

Rival Sons have been channelling legend ever since their first label release, Pressure and Time, in 2011. The comparisons came thick and fast, but you could never deny their own incredible craftsmanship. Whilst drawing on the influence of luminaries among the likes of Led Zeppelin, Rival Sons have fanned the ashes, reignited the spirit of the Mothership and branded their evolution of Zeppelin onto modern consciousness.

Rival Sons have accelerated their astonishing ascent with their latest album; Hollow Bones. Much like their own echoes to Zeppelin, Rival Sons have echoed their own work on this release - the most obvious being the split title track which wafts recollections of Manifest Destiny from Head Down.

There are many themes to be dissected during the 37 minutes of run time - death, sex, religion - and Rival Sons don't just flirt with them, they dance, casting fuzzy, gruff magic with every step. Never have I ever encountered such a rough sound portrayed quite so smoothly. Dave Cobb is the producer on this record; no wonder it's nigh on faultless.

With musical maturity must also come boundless confidence in the sound you are producing. Fade Out is a perfect example of this. Quiet and soulful, this wonder soon transforms into the most bombastic of classic rock - a solid marker of Rival Sons musical journey.

I would be amiss doing this review and not mentioning Black Coffee, a cover of Humble Pie from 1973. Like the Rolling Stones, Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton etc from the early 60s, Rival Sons are besotted with black music and it's influence on their own style. Black Coffee is bold and in your face, yet controlled in its attack. A mid track shift leaves behind lyrics and leaves the floor to the rhythm section and Scott Holiday to blow the studio doors of its hinges, before Jay Buchanan comes back in with a primal wail. Rival Sons have never been a band to include covers on their records - maybe it's intentional - but on this evidence they certainly would stain themselves doing so.

Once again echoing Zeppelin, Hollow Bones pt.2 evokes In My Time Of Dying with massive riffs and a deluge of slide guitar. I said earlier there are themes including religion and no more is that apparent than here, with Buchanan hollering such proclamations as, "Hallelujah", "Hare Krishna", and "In my Creators name"; a full frontal embrace of all aspects of theology.

The album cover itself is as much a wonder to behold as the music itself. A wolf seemingly trudging around an apocalyptic wasteland of psychedelic coral, perhaps conjuring the theme of death, and whether it is or not, it's a welcome throw back to a time when deciphering album covers was as much of the record buying experience as the listening.

Rating - 9/10

Volbeat - Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie album review

Let's start this review on a positive footing shall we? There are some awesome tracks on Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie, some properly infectious, groovy Metal. Unfortunately, for as many fist pumping songs as there are on this disc there are the same amount of wilted, below par offerings.

The problem is clear with Volbeat's sixth studio album; it suffers from a soggy middle. The top is adorned with lusciously sweet, creamy icing, the bottom is moist, but the middle is gooey and inedible.

Buying a new release off what you hear from radio plays of a band's singles is risky, but that's the joy of listening to an entire album; the not-knowing what you're going to set your ears on next. This does, however, leave the listener open to be desperately unsatisfied when what they're listening to doesn't live up to the expectations the singles offered.

This is exactly how I felt listening to STD&LB. Track one, The Devil's Bleeding Crown (one of said singles) opens the album with a bang - a fast, heavy bang - and really whets the appetite for what's to come. Through tracks two to four I have no complains; solid Hard Rock with the beautifully written - and performed partly in Volbeat's native Danish - For Evigt the standout of the first half.

Now, rather depressingly, the quality takes a bit of a nose dive. It's not even particularly clear to me what goes so wrong, but somehow Volbeat end up sounding something akin to Nickelback and it's not pleasant. For my own sanity - and also because I have no desire to describe the flaccidity of the middle four tracks - I'm going to move onto the last, and in my humble opinion, best third of the album.

Goodbye Forever, despite sounding rather apocalyptic, is up tempo and has a little power ballad flavour to it. Volbeat employ a backing choir for the last third of the track and it really adds weight to the deep meaning of the song - a very pleasant, divergent track to anything else on here.

The title track is up next. It's punchy, bolshie, fast and add to that any other synonym you can think of to describe Heavy Metal. It's got a feel similar to that of Metallica and even the guitar sound is "Wah-ed" to rival Kirk Hammett's majestic axe work. It's just a beast, pure and simple.

In Volbeat's Wiki entry, it describes their repertoire as: "Heavy Metal, Hard Rock and Psychobilly", the third of which I was highly confused by. My confusion was thusly ended however when I heard Battleship Chains, a cover of Terry Anderson's song made famous by The Georgia Satellites in 1986. It's got almost every sub-genre of rock infused into it; rhythm and blues, country and punk to name just three! It may not be a diamond on STD&LB, but it's shiny nonetheless.

Overall, STD&LB delivers fun Hard Rock. It's a huge shame the middle of the album doesn't deliver the same intensity, but in no way does it detract from the iconic Volbeat sound.

Rating - 7/10

10 Things Wrong With Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice

I was very rambling in my original review of the film, simply because there are so many things to cover that explain just how putrid the latest DC comics blockbuster is. So here, and more coherently, are 10 things wrong with Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice.

10. The Ending Feels Out Of Place

After the final fight with Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman against Doomsday in which Superman is 'killed' (more on that later), the film ends with the funeral of Superman. That's a bold step and is fine in the story, but when you've spent nigh-on 20 minutes with the final battle, a slow paced sequence feels anti-climactic and out of place. That's not even covering the coming back to life angle with the dirt rising from the coffin - on Easter weekend of all weekends!  Not only is the funeral of Superman squeezed into this short final scene, but also Batman and Wonder Woman discuss the set up of the Justice League in probably the most poorly built story direction in history! (Once again, more on that later). Just have Superman die and that's it, instead of shoe horning in a scene that allows you to explain the point of the next film.

9. Doomsday Only Shows Up For A Bit At The End

Lex Luther's whole mantra in the movie is he hates the idea of God. He therefore wants to eliminate Superman, but when the title characters end up siding together against this newly created foe in Doomsday from the corpse of Zod, it feels a bit "oh right, there's a bit scary thing, let's go kill it", rather than there actually being any build up to what should be a massive confrontation.

8. Lois Lane's 50/50 Appearance

Lois Lane is fine in the first half of the film. In her role as a journalist at the Daily Planet, she uncovers potential corruption - although it's never thoroughly explored - and in the grand scheme of the film actually has a function. That function, however, is lost in the second half as she purely serves as a vehicle for the object (the Kryptonite spear) which she inadvertently keeps dropping and finding again and in the end needs Superman to save both her and the spear. It's the typical sexist 'damsel in distress' plot convention and it completely tatters any credibility she had in the first place.

7. Superman Screen Time And Role

You would have thought, after Man Of Steel, Zack Snyder would want to build on the character of Superman? But no. Henry Cavill has almost literally nothing to do throughout the film - except disappear for a bit, get blown up but stay alive, and finally die in his attempt to kill Doomsday. It was a bold step to kill off Superman, but seems in part to have been done to replace the actor. It's no real fault of Cavill, but in the last two films Superman has been a massive charisma vacuum, left only to scowl and look a bit moody.

6. Lex Luther/Jesse Eisenberg

There are two versions of Lex Luther; the maniacal doctor and the imposing businessman. Jesse Eisenberg tried blending both and it comes off annoyingly badly. He keeps making weird squeaking noises and snivelling; it's really mad, but not in a method acting way. Also, Eisenberg is quite a bit younger and shorter than Ben Affleck and Cavill, so in scenes like the party, he comes off like an annoying prepubescent teenager trying to play cool with the sports guys in the playground.

5. The End Fight With Doomsday Is Anti-climactic

Back to this again! After two hours of build up, Zack Snyder presents us with a long, messy fight sequence. In any other film - where the plot isn't given away in the trailer - we may well have been happy to be surprised with the appearance of Doomsday as Luther's tool of destruction, but in this it feels like a incoherent attempt to unite all the main characters. And once it's finished feels like 'meh, ok', and hasn't in any way built on the story. It was literally just a fight.

4. Batman Is Never Bruce Wayne

Ben Affleck presents Batman as an older, grizzly, almost morally corrupt character. Far removed from Christian Bale's 'Dark Knight'. However there're never any scenes where Ben Affleck isn't Batman. Even in the scenes where he appears as Bruce Wayne - at the party and in the Bat Cave with Alfred, for example - he's dealing with matters relating to Batman. This is in stark contrast to Superman who features more often as Clark Kent. Yes, even as Kent he is constantly focused on Batman, but it's in the context of Kent as a journalist trying to get a story. Although it does still baffle me why the glasses disguise hasn't been updated for this modern audience?! It seems ludicrous that in the Internet age, the general public wouldn't see pictures of the Superman and Clark Kent and think, 'oh wait hang on, these two look really similar!'

3. The Batman v Superman fight

This film is billed as the clashing of the two most iconic superheroes in DC comics, but when the fight happens, it's all because Luther has captured Superman's mother and orders him to kill Batman if he wants to see her again... It's not out of personal vengeance, it's because some wacko told him to?! The fight lasts about five minutes and the only thing of note in it is that Batman uses grenades containing Kryptonite gas to weaken Superman. And of course the ending is pathetic! Beaten to defeat and with Batman's foot on his throat, Superman keeps mouthing a name - Martha. 'Coincidently', Batman and Superman's mothers both share the same first name and, out of what can only be called misplaced empathy, this is enough to make Batman stop the assault that entire movie is based on. This is a fight that neither of the two superheroes want to be in, and therefore it's really lack lustre and confusing how they got there in the first place.

2. Setting Up The Justice League Is Messy And Rushed

We all knew that this film was going to be the prequel to the highly anticipated 'Justice League'. What we didn't know was how incredibly poor the set up was going to be! In a film that's two hours and 30 minutes long, you would have assumed the studio would have been able to fit this major plot point in somewhere in amongst the massive clusterf**k that are the fights and the plot. All we're shown are video files in an email that detail the four meta-humans; Wonder Woman, The Flash, Cyborg and Aqua Man. So we have the knowledge that there are more meta-humans out there, but the way they set up finding them is just drivel. At Superman's funeral, Batman and Wonder Woman openly discuss these other meta-humans before Batman asks, "Can you help me find them and fight?" REALLY?! That's it?! Wow, talk about one film being set up by one minute of dialogue! So messy.

1. The Storyline

And now the big one; the storyline! It's incoherent beyond belief, makes no sense in places, and completely devalues the importance and motivations of the characters. It's all well and good having mindless action, but when your entire movie revolves around the plot and nothing really happens of importance in two and a half hours, there's a massive issue. Also, there's no depth - everything is on the surface with no deeper meaning or consequence, and by the end it results in nothing actually happening that would be considered note worthy. For a film that is that long however, it doesn't drag. It's one paced so everything flies by at one million mph, which is why it's so confusing and difficult to decipher. Zack Snyder throws event after event after event in your face so quickly you become numb to what is happening because it's all rushed.

So there's my list. I gave it 2/5 in my original review and I'm happily sticking with that. The action is framed well and some of the shots are fantastic, but the one dimensional nature of the storyline massively lets the whole thing down.

Joe Bonamassa - Blues of Desperation album review

Joe Bonamassa returns in 2016 to treat us to yet another Blues Rock extravaganza on his 12th studio album; 'Blues of Desperation'. An intended follow-up to 2014's all original 'Different Shades of Blue', 'Blues of Desperation' is, to quote the man himself: "The prevailing sail in a sea of Blues and Rock". 

JB said in the run up to the release that his latest album would have a harder edge, although still keeping it's feet firmly in the blues. He certainly delivers on the promise, with the first track 'This Train' and 'Mountain Climbing' opening with monstrous, stomping riffs and ending as only JB knows how, with intricate, euphoric solos.

There's also a softer side. 'Drive' is a smooth, chilled out track with an old American wilderness feel; perfect for driving through the middle of nowhere with the roof down.

Our first experience of classic blues on the album comes on track four. 'No Good Place For The Lonely' - the longest track of the 61 minute LP at 8:39 - is as perfect a blues track as you're likely to hear, and will no doubt become a Bonamassa classic to accompany fellow epic, 'Sloe Gin'. As every great blues track should, it starts slow and deliberate, before diving head first into a sultry, perfectly phrased guitar solo, overflowing with feel. With this example alone, JB is cementing himself as one of the great guitar players of all time.

JB has never been afraid of changing up the musical styles within his albums before and this time is no different. I was surprised to find a jazz infused track full of sassy saxophone and piano, 'Livin Easy', which provides a divergent flavour to an already tasty album. As it glides along effortlessly, like a warm knife through butter, you can't help but get into the feel of the song.

The title track is classic Bonamassa but with a middle-eastern essence; echoed vocals, Sitar, slide guitar and lots of soaring, screeching Theremin. It's probably the most complex track on the album but JB keeps everything neat and never allows the sounds to discombobulate.

Finally, we get root Blues, Bonamassa style. 'What I've Known for a Very Long Time', accompanied by saxophones, trumpets, piano and organ, starts off as slow as can be while gathering pace with every verse. It teases too, reaching a peak before slowing right down again.

Bonamassa evokes so much emotion from the combination of his playing and lyrics that it's very difficult to not get lost in every track. This is his longest album since 2011's 'Dust Bowl', but even after an hour I still wanted to play it through again and again.

'Blues of Desperation' is a very complete sounding album. Nothing sounds out of place and showcases a bit of everything JB can do; from slow chilled out acoustic with harmonies to blistering hard rock on one of his exquisitely expensive Les Pauls.

Verdict 9/10

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice spoiler free review - A steaming pile of incoherant rubbish

I'm struggling with where to start. I guess, firstly, the pros; Ben Affleck is great as a vengeful Batman, and the low key one on one combat scenes with Affleck and armed guards are well executed. It's clear Affleck took getting the look for this character right very seriously!

However, everything else is cons. The storyline is convoluted, incoherent and messily arranged; Henry Cavill isn't given anything meaningful to do and is just left to look moody and scowl occasionally; it takes 90 minutes to set up a seemingly endless fight that has no substance; and finally, Jesse Eisenberg is awful as the maniacal Lex Luther.

Let me break that all down a bit for you.

The film begins the other side of the end of Man Of Steel with Superman fighting Zod and destroying most of Metropolis, with Bruce Wayne watching broodily on. Zach Snyder, who also did Man Of Steel, has real trouble balancing the storyline with fight scenes and in the end we get both but without any meaningful link. We're never entirely sure why Batman and Superman start fighting, and then when it ends on the mention of Superman's mother, Martha, it's all a bit anti-climactic; like, is that it? The reason for why Lex Luther brings back Zod as Doomsday is never explained, and appears to have been put in just to fill the last 30 minutes and give all three superheroes something to come together for.

There are far, far too many elements being juggled for the ending to make any sense. They spend so long on the final fight with Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman against Doomsday, that they forget they need to somehow set up the film coming after this one. To set up the film, while at a funeral, Bruce Wayne and Wonder Women discuss setting up a squad to fight with all the meta-humans Bruce found and showed her from Lex Luther's hard drive. It's so messy. As if they finished the final cut and thought, "Oh crap, we forgot to set up the next one!" so just put one quick scene in an the end to save themselves; it hasn't worked.

Add to that the seriously annoying presence of Eisenberg's Lex Luther. He's going for crazy psychopath, but instead comes across as over the top and trying too hard to make the character his own. It's his weird Mark Zuckerburg turned up to 11. 

And then there's the question why Lois Lane is even in the film. She starts off as a credible journalist and doing lots of investigative work - great - but by the end is just the girl who keeps finding and dropping the object that's pivotal to the ending. In addition to that, Wonder Woman, with her lasso of truth, is the only superhero that can keep Doomsday in one place in the final fight; a dirty metaphor perhaps?!

Verdict - 2/5
Not much else to say except very disappointing. I wouldn't say don't see it, but it's not worth getting excited about.

Inglorious album launch gig review

It'll go down in history as one of those "I was there" moments. At the Islington Assembly Hall, on 21 February 2016, a new chapter began in the history book of rock and they named it; Inglorious.


L to R; Will Taylor, Colin Parkinson, Phil Beaver (back), Nathan James and Andreas Eriksson
Photo credit: Dan Haygreen

I'm really struggling to find words to describe the experience of seeing Inglorious because it was so phenomenal, but if you can imagine Deep Purple in their pomp them you will get some kind of idea. Heavy, driving riffs and solos, controlled aggression from the rhythm section, and incredible vocal range make Inglorious an absolute joy to behold, both live and on their debut record.

Their musicianship and seamless chemistry is quite staggering to watch. Andreas Eriksson and Will Taylor share lead and rhythm duties song by song, and are equally comfortable doing a joint solo; blowing many minds in the process. Colin Parkinson (bass) and Phil Beaver (drums) take on the enviable task of driving the Inglorious train forward, in a partnership that is reminiscent of John Paul Jones and John Bonham. Between them they even took on a tight drum and bass instrumental while the rest of the band took a few minutes break. As immensely talented as those guys are, Nathan James' voice steals the show. I'm not exaggerating to say his vocals are an amalgamation of Ian Gillan, David Coverdale and Dio - simply fantastic.

Inglorious rocketed through their set with as much, if not more, power than is presented on their album. Opening with the incredible Until I Die, running through a mash up set of the album's tracks, and throwing in Toto, Rainbow and Deep Purple covers for good measure, Inglorious just got better and better as the night went on.

The biggest surprise for me was Holy Water; as close to an Eagles/Deep Purple song as you're likely to hear. Nathan James described it as only taking 40 minutes to write and rather an 'after thought', for want of a better phrase, to finish the album. It was surprising purely because of how good and different it was in relation to the other 10 tracks on the album, and also probably the best song on the night for audience participation on the chorus.

I was also pleased, but not surprised, at how nice and personable all the members were after the show. I had a decent chat with each of them, except Nathan who was rather rushed away by security, and they all signed my CD and ticket.

Inglorious - Inglorious album review

There aren't many albums I could listen to all day, but this is one. A collection of pure, unequivocal rock 'n' roll. This album represents everything that classic rock should be; raw, unadulterated rock 'n' roll, powering forward with high energy and dynamic attitude!

Inglorious' debut album cover

Inglorious' self-titled debut has been a long time in the making. Formed in 2012 by brilliant lead singer, Nathan James, formerly of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical production, Superstar, Inglorious has been put together through mutual friends and a mutual love of British classic rock legends of yesteryear - Rainbow, Whitesnake, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin etc etc etc.

Somehow, Inglorious have created a sound that not only harks back and takes influence from those legends, but also sounds fantastically fresh and vibrant. From the riff of Until I Die to the faded piano at the end of Unaware, Inglorious bounds forward with all the vigour of an excited puppy, but with the control and grace of a high flying eagle.

The stand out track on Inglorious for me is the aforementioned Until I Die. Riffs are a tricky thing to get exactly right, but when done simply and effectively it's hard to argue they're a thing of beauty. From first hearing the riff of Until I Die on Planet Rock months ago, I fell deeply in love with it and haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since - which of course is what a great riff is designed to do!

As well as the hard rocking tracks on this album, there are equally tranquil, ballad like songs, Holy Water for example, which glides along effortlessly. The most tranquil example on Inglorious is Wake, a beautiful, moving track which is almost beyond description, especially with the piano section at the end.

When it comes to the hard rocking tracks on Inglorious, it isn't all the same. Girl Got A Gun is structured to cleverly it's a wonder it's rarely done by more "mainstream" rock bands. A calm intro flows into a drum and bass lead verse, which suddenly dives into a sumptuously heavy pre-chorus riff before a Gillan esque chorus; simply fantastic!

Verdict - 10/10

I have absolutely no reservations giving Inglorious a 10/10 for their debut album. It's nostalgically classic yet fresh enough not to sound like they've blatantly copied what came before. Some will say it's too similar, but how can that be a bad thing?! In a time where rock is supposedly "dying", why shouldn't a group of fresh faced rockers bring back a flavour of what was, and always will be, classic rock?