Valfader – Whispers of Chaos

Heavy in weight and hefty in seduction, Whispers of Chaos the new EP from UK band Valfader is a debut you just cannot ignore or slip away from without it leaving a lingering presence in thoughts and emotions. The four track, almost forty minute long beast of a release brings a heady mix of doom soaked post metal and melodically fired stoner rock with tinges of prime psychedelic temptation. A smouldering, slowly burning persuasion which takes a little time to get going but overall has the senses and imagination firmly recruited to its thunderous intent, the EP easily marks out the Bath based trio as a band to watch with its heavy, exhausting rock.

Consisting of guitarist/vocalist Dean Gaylard, bassist Matt Jones, and drummer Gareth Jones, Valfader formed in 2010 and ever since been recruiting passionate followers to their multi-flavoured blend of exploratory towering riffs, equally lofty and predacious rhythms, and grooves which enslave the passions through acidic potency. Whispers of Chaos immediately unveils the heart and passion of Valfader’s sound; the reason that their intense irresistible sonic bait has earned the band strong responses and solidly brewing acclaim. Often seemingly compared to the likes of Black Sabbath, Opeth, and Isis, which listening to the EP is understandable, the band creates a presence which still has a distinct intent and smothering touch particular to itself.

The opening title track is a provocative instrumental which initially just caresses and guides the listener through a strong and more than decent emotive landscape which teases the imagination rather than ignites it. Soon sturdy rhythms and matching muscular riffs combine for an appealing draw whilst a gentle groove intervenes to test any resistance. The piece of music is a sneaky tempter though as all the time it is carefully luring in the listener, it is building up its intensity and a contagious bait truly ignited once the guitars unveil a delicious weave of melodic adventure and the rhythmic pressure of the track accelerates its strength and attack for a web of magnetic enterprise. It all merges for an eventual addiction soaked infectiousness across a bulky persuasion which ultimately is near on irresistible.

The following Green Sleeps instantly lumbers into view with thumping beats and dominant riffs, the bass alone a carnivorous predator within the compelling mix. Veined by a stoner bred sonic enticement that flares up and sears across the eight minute song against the strong varied vocals of Gaylard, there is little time taken before submission to its offering is complete, limbs and emotions eagerly prowling the fiery soundscape and lyrical call. The best track on the EP, the song like the release as a whole does not quite explode into the highest virulence as hinted at being within its scope, but with a continually shifting rhythmic entrapment and sonic adventure not forgetting imagination pushing experimentation, the track is a glorious calling card on the emotions from Valfader.

D-M-T next begins its ten minute journey with a reserved coaxing of the ears; vocals and melodies a gentle suasion which intrigues and incites attention before hotter sonic flames and deeper passion emerges from guitars and vocals respectively. Like the first track the song takes time to wholly evoke the passions but with absorbing evolution through its melodic breath and a challenging caging of the senses through the rapacious endeavour of drums and bass, there is little to stop its ultimate winning of thoughts and appetite.

The closing Sacred Spiral brings a chilled haunting depth to the doomy passage of invention. It is eleven minutes of consuming, intrusive sonic emprise led by an excellent rhythmic temptation, the drums a concise stalking of the senses whilst the bass adds its dark leviathan tones to the gripping expanse. With potent growls and scowls lining the vocals as guitars cast imaginative flames of melodic beauty and sonic daring, the track is a masterful quest for thoughts and heart.

As mentioned Whispers Of Chaos takes time to totally convince, though its initial contact certainly sparks a stirred up appetite, but emerges as an enthralling and impressively rigorous encounter which places Valfader as one of the brightest and promising heavy rock/metal bands in the UK. For fresh sludge/doom clad confrontation this is a release well worth investigating.

www.facebook.com/valfader

8/10

RingMaster 21/10/2013

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Doomed From Day One – Nine Fingers

It has been two years since the release of their acclaimed debut EP The Wasted World but on the evidence of its successor Nine Fingers, UK progressive death metallers Doomed From Day One have not been resting on its laurels. The new EP is six tracks of confronting and impacting enterprise which leaves predictability a dormant factor and intrigue a toxic substance within its consuming presence. The Surrey quintet has honed their already impressive songwriting and intensive sound into a real predator of senses and emotions, an accomplished brutality which is sculpted by feisty invention and incendiary imagination, and though arguably the new release lacks those moments which impact after the event, it is a magnetically striking and creatively dominant beast during in its company.

Formed in 2009, the Guildford band has been on a formidable rise through the ranks of UK extreme metal, their passionate fanbase recruited not only by their first release but their formidable live reputation and presence.  Through impressive shows alongside the likes of Malefice, Martyr Defiled, The Defiled, Gallows and most recently Black Dahlia Murder, Sylosis, Bleed From Within and Thy Art Is Murder, as well as world media acclaim, Doomed From Day One has earned a worldwide attention which you can only imagine the strength of Nine Fingers will cement and accelerate. Released as the band share dates with Red Seas Fire and Fathoms, the EP confirms Doomed From Day One as one of the most potent, imagination tipping encounters with an immense depth of promise.

The title track opens up the release; an enthralling instrumental which introduces itself and the album with a sunrise of excellent guitar temptation and orchestral bred elegance. It then evolves into a fire borne sonic blaze of craft and evocative textures whilst melodic flames scorch the ears for a wholly persuasive invitation into the release and the following Cut And Hunt. The second track takes little time in testing the senses with a crippling array of spiteful rhythms, corrosive riffery, and equally caustic gutturally primed vocals from Sean Scott. The track rages and ravages with craft and malevolence but equally exports a range of hooks and barbed grooves which dig deep and contagiously from within the dangerous tempest. It is a breath-taking companion which increases it’s tempting further with an excellently progressive, almost avant-garde teasing from the guitars of Charlie Griffiths and Charlie Frederick which evolves from their persistently impressive skills.

The immense full start to Nine Fingers is backed up by At Graves End, a song which falls short of the plateau just set but creates its own unique stature of imaginative and mercurial invention. As the drums of Daniel Ristic sculpt a web of bone splintering craft and force, the guitars again send spirals of sonic ingenuity through the heart of the vitriolic intensive track whilst vocals quall and scar the surface of the ear with the great tones Scott first successfully unveiled on the EPs predecessor. Creatively antagonistic and fuelled by enthralling enterprise, the song drifting into a progressive jazz spawned landscape at one point before returning as ferocious and dramatically impacting as it started, there is little to dismiss about the track but it does like most of the others lack that ignition to remain a potent instigator away from its destructive arms.

The Promise does verge on that break through, the delicious irritant of flesh scorching sonic toxicity and rhythmic barbarism a vicious alchemy which lays down the strongest inventive bait upon the EP. With the bass of Eifion Sweet prowling with predatory glee and menace across its length, the track like its predecessor is unafraid to explore a slower melodic beauty and progressive tapestry. The skill of the band and the imaginative songwriting is impressive and again bordering spellbinding but still without that lingering claw for the mind, though when it sounds this good in the claws of the song and EP is it really an issue?

Dread and In This Life Not The Next complete the release; the first an insatiable fury of lethal rhythms and riveting riffing which is just as inciting through its mordant touch with the vocals of Scott a ferocious maelstrom of passion and maliciousness upon the outstanding blend of vindictive and seductive musical craft. Personal favourite of all the tracks, it spears the body with imaginative violence to provoke the strongest satisfaction before its successor finishes things off with a thrilling torment sculpted by a technical fire of extreme and fertile aural retribution. The track unleashes everything which is good about the band and the release in a seven minute deeply pleasing scourge.

Nine Fingers is an excellent release which as mentioned only misses out on finding that one element which plays in thoughts and memory long after it takes its leave. All the same Doomed From Day One has created a release which when standing in front of the body feeds every want and hope for an extreme metal offering whilst reinforcing the band as one of the finest and most promising to emerge in the UK in recent years.

http://www.doomedfromdayone.co.uk/

8/10

RingMaster 21/10/2013

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

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Helene Greenwood – Collectable You

Listening to Collectable You, the debut album from British singer/songwriter Helene Greenwood is like staring into a mesmeric pool of sun kissed water, the engaging moment warm and enticing as songs play like reflective ripples upon the surface of an emotive temptation. It is an enchanting encounter which caresses and kisses thoughts and imagination with poetic craft and evocative premises of everyday heart seeded life. Following the impressive EP The Break, the album confirms the promise and expressive grandeur which permeated its predecessor whilst increasing the potent presence of the lady herself.

Hailing from Dover, the Camden, London based Greenwood has taken her studies as a contemporary composer at The Royal Academy into her distinct style of songwriting whilst using inspirations such as Ella Fitzgerald, Björk, Feist and jazz singing itself as a rich spice to what is her individual presence and performance. From studying with internationally acclaimed singers Nia Lynn and Anita Wardell, earning her music degree from Royal Holloway, and songwriting with Gretchen Parlato, Greenwood has built a deeply promising and accomplished reputation through her shows which include regular spots at Proud Galleries in Camden and also the Stanford University Coffee House, and her first release The Break. Now Collectable You looks poised to send her into the attention and emotions of a great many more around the country, the album you suspect such its impressive body the spark to full awareness.

Produced by Calum MacColl, son of folk singers Peggy Seeger and Ewan MacColl, who also provides guitars and backing vocals to the album, Collectable You sees Greenwood assisted by a fine group of musicians to realise her songs, a line-up on the album including keyboardist James Hallawell of The Waterboys, bassist/cellist Arnulf Lindler (KT Tunstall), and drummer Martyn Barker (Billy Bragg/Beth Gibbons). It is a mix which helps light up the vibrant songwriting which starts with opener Break In Break Out. The song takes little time in smooching with the ears; Greenwood’s smouldering vocals and an excellent melancholic cello embrace instantly an irresistible temptation alongside a classical emotive elegance crafted by the keys. Into its stride there emerges an eruption of a full flight of melodic passion within colour soaked melodic skies whilst a brass coaxing within only elevates a greater rapture in the passions.

It is an excellent introduction soon backed by After the Fire, its piano prompts upon thoughts bringing in the again sultry vocals of Greenwood. Blossoming into a jazz kissed seduction with the throaty emotive sounds produced by Lindler quite delicious, the song merges emotional shadows and dawning lights of hope into an enthralling embrace which again has full attention of body and mind.

So Many Balloons is a similarly gaited song to its predecessor, if less shadowed but as emotionally provocative with its darker reflective perspectives. Gentle rubs of the imagination erupt into hungry but contained melodic flames as a Hammond organ temptation provides a contagious lure within the already compelling rises of intensity and passion within the wonderful track. Impossibly infectious the song makes way for Great Fountain, where again the bass swagger is of the utmost potency to match the voice of Greenwood and richly hued keys. There is a XTC feel to the song, an exotic tease around crescendos of magnificent pop bred beauty which continues the impressive soar of the album.

Passing through the tantalising Timeline and The Shore, a dramatic ballad with rising walls of charm and heated craft, the album brings a cover of the Johnny Mercer and Rube Bloom written Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread). Greenwood makes it a stronger smouldering play on emotions without losing the core irresistibility of the a classic song about love. From its place on the earlier EP where it impressed yet at the time sounded pale against the rest of the songs, the track has emerged over time as a slowly dawning rapture for the emotions and secures its place as one of the favourites upon the album with its rhythmic sculpting and keys clad persuasion.

    Collectable You continues to hold imagination and passions tight with the almost wanton Spindrift Road, the second single from the album preying on thoughts with a mischievous melodic dance and carnival like teasing. Magnetically absorbing, like the album lyrically and musically, it is one of the pinnacles of the release especially in the second of its seemingly two part offering, and an intriguing invite into the joy of the album as a single.

The aural and perceptive fascination stays on course with next up In The Sunshine, the song a melodic drift across reflective horizons, and the tender Focussed. Both songs are delightful temptations but do lack the intense enticement of previous songs, though invention and imagination wise they stand tall whilst making formidable lures for a return to their arms. The same can be said of the potently alluring Get On Board and the closing Utopia with its country/folk whisperings, the closer making a drama fuelled conclusion to a richly pleasing and exciting album, even if one where its greatest strength lies in its first two thirds. Helene Greenwood is an artist we are sure to hear a lot more of through words soaked in acclaim, the Washaway Recordings released Collectable You a potent persuasion to that thought.

http://www.helenegreenwood.com/

8/10

RingMaster 21/10/2013

 

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Listen to the best independent music and artists on The RingMaster Review Radio Show and The Bone Orchard from

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