Raptor King – Dinocracy

     Raptor King is a French band which going by their backstory, and tale within their new release, consists of Raptor V, a dino king from the cretaceous era which ended up in 2015 via a temporal gate, becoming trapped in the western suburbs of Paris within Boulogne-Billancourt. Determined to conquer this new world, he enlists two acolytes in guitarist Nightsmoke and drummer Don Coco. Removing the story from the facts we are left with little more to say on Raptor King except, and the most important thing to add, that they create one forcibly stirring and compelling sludge metal roar with plenty more to its voracious and thrilling incitement. There are raw expulsions from hardcore to thrash, heavy rock to well any kind of predatory sound you wish to think of involved in the hellacious Raptor King confrontation too and as proven by debut EP Dinocracy, it sets ears and emotions ablaze.

The band’s music is a bruising and rousing mix of familiarity and fresh creative emprise, all rolled into a sonic animus which chews on the senses whilst treating the passions to metal seeded punk ‘n’ roll anthems easy to get swiftly and fully involved with. The proof is right there with the EP’s opening track Da Fuck Where I Just Lend, and only becomes a stronger convincing and ferocious evidence with each passing encounter. The first track instantly entangles ears in a web of sonic enticement with a warped nature, the guitar wrapping the senses in spidery grooves as skittish as the rhythms around them. Raptor V just as swiftly reveals his thick range of delivery styles, his core tone gruff and ravenous but adept at taking it to rawer extremes or in spreading some unpolished but melodic enticing too. Across the song and indeed release, thoughts grab hints of the bands ranging from Motorhead to Face Down, White Zombie to King Hiss, Black Tusk to Pigs and more, but perpetually the tempest emerges as its own distinctive beast.

   The excellent start is straight away eclipsed by The Campaign, the track crawling over the listener from its breath, carrying an intimidation soon realised in vocals and the thumping roll of beats too. They are in turn aligned to a predacious intent in the bass and guitars, all continuing to stalk until building to a rabid onslaught led by again a great vocal variety acting as one. Track and band are unrelenting in their infesting and bullying of the senses, creating a virulent energy and infectiousness within a barbarous badgering of sound that simply stirs one’s own energy and appetite. There is a definite Killing Joke feel to the song also but again a colour in the rabid tapestry spawned by the band.

Jugular steps up next, launching from a sonic lancing of the senses with a rugged swagger and great entanglement of swinging beats and carnivorous bass predation. Once more that Jaz Coleman and co scent makes a potent and gripping additive in the mix of classic metal tenacity, heavily boned rock ‘n’ roll adventure, and the blackened invasiveness which courts some of the vocals and shadows of the outstanding encounter. Many of those flavours emerge again in the abrasive hostility of Acolytes (Nightsmoke – Don Coco), traits woven perfectly into the ridiculously captivating and enslaving primal stomp. Again you can argue that many aspects of the track are recognisable textures and temptations but with grooves a salacious web as both Nightsmoke and Coco weave a trap of addiction stoking rhythms and Raptor V’s at times reptilian vocals as magnetic as his growling prowess, the track as the EP, provides easily one of most enjoyable and invigorating riots this year.

Dinocracy is brought to a close by In Your Face, a storm of heavy metal and heftily imposing rock ‘n’ roll built on a frame of bone shuddering beats and grumpy antagonism. It is the least impacting song on the EP but due to the carnal and imaginative brilliance of its companions more than anything it might lack. Fair to say with another great blend of vocals, cutting rhythms, and instinctively enslaving grooves, all wrapped in the constant unpredictability that Raptor King work with, the song only excites, impresses, and grows more controlling over time.

A smile is never far from the face across Dinocracy, the lyrical fun as ripe as the invention and resourcefulness of their mighty sound. As suggested it might not be your choice of original release of 2015 but as the most thrilling and creatively anthemic it is in with a mighty shout.

The Dinocracy EP is available now via http://raptorking.bigcartel.com/product/dinocracy-ep

http://www.raptorkingrocks.com/   https://www.facebook.com/raptorkingrocks   https://twitter.com/raptorkingrocks

Pete RingMaster 14/12/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/

Hills N’ Pills – Delicious Nourriture

Some bands breed their sound on one style of music adding their own twists and tweaks, others by crossing over genres, whilst there are some which create a kaleidoscope of diverse flavours and textures for their own creative instincts and imagination to explore. French metallers Hills N’ Pills definitely belong in the latter, turning familiar inspirations and essences into something torn and twisted with its own uniqueness. It is a fluid invention which goes to make their new EP Delicious Nourriture one of the most fascinating and thrilling encounters of 2015.

Hailing from Montpellier, Hills N’ Pills emerged in 2009 from the creative union of vocalist/keyboardist Salim Smili and guitarist Tricot Adrien. Subsequent years saw the release of the Extended Pourriture EP and its successor Experience Fioritures, as well as a number of line-up changes including the departure of Adrien. Equally a constant evolution in the band’s music emerged as more imagination, flavours, and boldness grew and drove their creative adventure. It has all led to a major triumph going under the name Delicious Nourriture. Like a deranged merger of System Of A Down, Skindred, Trepalium, and Hardcore Anal Hydrogen, to try and simplify things, the four track incitement is an epidemic of bedlamic alchemy which insists that Hills N’ Pills is to be seriously taken notice of.

The intoxicating drama begins with Decaled, vocals an instant coaxing quickly joined by intimidating rhythms and just as cantankerous scythes of guitar. The song’s first breath offers up that Skindred reference, ragga tenacity and provocation fuelling the brewing muscle and aggression of a rapidly gripping confrontation. The guitar of Nene Nihaw casts thick lures and spiky grooves on the senses whilst the dual vocal attack of Smili and Thibaud Van Den Berghe offer a perfectly balanced mix of raw, grouchy, and antagonistic variety. It needs little time for the song to also show the unpredictability in a Hills N’ Pills song, a Rage Against The Machine like expulsion leading to an electronic revelry led by the korg of Smili, which in turn opens up a canvas for the blues expression of Nihaw’s invention on strings to enthral from. Perpetually driven by the rousing and bruising swings of drummer Po Niaow and the throaty predation of Nico Diiiou’s bass, not forgetting sheer imagination across the band, the track provides an immense and thrilling start to the EP.

   Similar hues colour the opening of Atchoum, a mix of RATM and (Hed) PE teasing thoughts right away but soon evolving into a System Of A Down spiced infestation of ears and appetite within a rabid groove metal tempest. The different traits continue to twist into and entwine around each other as the song shows more of its character, that Trepalium like death metal ferocity a thick ravishing feeding from the off-kilter liquor flowing through the creative veins of the song.

This Thing swings in next, vocal doodling a tempting into the volatile and busy heart of the uninhibited incitement consuming the senses and passions. The song is arguably the most straight forward offering on the EP but still breeds a belligerently captivating and diversity infested savaging layered with rich strains of metal variation, all laced a persistent virulence which takes no prisoners.

The release closes with Funky Shit where electronic flirtation seeds a multi-flavoured trespass of ever changing and gripping enterprise. Once more there is no ignoring the Serj Tankian and company’s inspiration though it is more the frontman’s solo exploits which comes to mind as the song immerses the imagination in its outstanding…well madness is probably the best description.

Delicious Nourriture hits the sweet spot straight away but over further listens is where the depth of the Hills N’ Pills invention and sound really reveals its glory, and where the lust in your pleasure is likely to show its hungry head.

The Delicious Nourriture EP is out now and available through most online stores.

https://www.facebook.com/Hills-n-Pills-103993246327614   http://hills-n-pills.wix.com/musique

Pete RingMaster 14/12/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/

Astral Void – Blood from a Stone

The first thing which hits ears in the Blood from a Stone EP is the passion and at times fury driving the five boisterous tracks making up its body, that swiftly followed by the energy in the songwriting and music of UK rockers Astral Void. This is a band also unafraid to show echoes of some it’s inspirations in its strongly engaging sound; a proposition which could be described as Foo Fighters meets Sick Puppies meets Nirvana with a touch of Therapy? as a hint but one which invites attention as a fresh and thickly tenacious incitement.

From Norfolk, Astral Void’s seeds go back to 2007 and former Red Leaf front man Andy Martin who from performing solo wanted to put his ideas into a band format. After advertising online, Martin met and subsequently linked up with guitarist Chris Gedge (ex- Smoking Aces), the pair eventually finding further members to a band soon becoming a feature of the Norfolk and London live scene over the next couple of years before going on hiatus. That break ended in 2013, Martin and Gedge uniting again and pulling bassist Nathan Redgrave and drummer Liam Ramsker into the line-up. Soon new songs were forged as the band’s alternative/melodic rock fuelled enterprise began stirring things up again, the release of Blood from a Stone a potent poke on attention with its release a few weeks back.

The EP quickly entices ears and appetite with opener B.F.F, riffs almost stalking ears as rhythms rumble and grumble alongside. The harmonic vocals of Martin and Gedge soon after add an enticing temper to that confrontation, their presence in turn sparking fiery melodic enterprise from the guitar of Gedge; Martin’s craft on strings backing him as resourcefully as the former with his vocals for the latter. Emerging grooves have a Lost Prophets feel to their spiciness whilst the unpredictable twists and fluid changes within the landscape of the song simply captures the imagination to excite ears further.

It is a nature to the band’s songwriting which never misses a moment to impress, the following Bleed moving from an initial melodic caress accompanied by the great emotive tone in Martin’s voice and in turn warm harmonies, into a thicker proposal in sound and emotive weight as the band offer their bolder reflective essences. It never majorly breaks from its infectious croon, instead evolving it and giving it more fire in the belly with a touch of Jimmy Eat World coming to the fore. More of a grower than its predecessor, the song keeps a quickly bred appetite richly satisfied before the EP’s title track inflames it again with a similarly heated and angst lined proposal with a far more grungier heart, especially across its volatile chorus. The guitars border on flirtation throughout with their sonic craft and colour whilst rhythms make a moodier proposition matched by the instinctive snarl of Martin’s vocal delivery; all elements woven into an infectious canter and strain of temptation.

From one success to another as the excellent Dust soon establishes itself as a big favourite. Even from its first breath where a prowling bassline lures in discord equipped guitar teases and a vocal lure with a touch of the stalker to it too, the track has its claws into the passions, subsequently exploding into another grunge toned roar as its chorus demands full involvement. It’s galvanic success in turn seems to spark a feistier and more intensely energetic nature to the following verse and the gripping builds shaping the rest of the song’s contagion soaked blaze. Added joy within the tremendous encounter comes through the quirky slithers of guitar which get a major moment to shine just before the rousing finale, their Devo-esque revelry quite delicious.

There is no escaping the Nirvana like essence to the song either, a spice as enjoyable in closing track Pain for another big highlight of the release. A stirring blend of hard rock, grunge, and punk ‘n’ roll, the track reminds ears of fellow UK band Feud a little but is soon bawling at and stomping with the listener with its own raucousness, constantly inviting and receiving participation as shown by the office here.

It is a mighty end to a thoroughly satisfying and increasingly electrifying introduction to Astral Void. Having recently signed with Holier Than Thou Records, it is easy to expect good times in the future with a band that has all the attributes to impress and the imagination to be bigger and bolder ahead.

The Blood from a Stone EP is out now @ https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/blood-from-a-stone-ep/id1009403772

https://www.facebook.com/AstralVoidBand   https://twitter.com/astralvoidband

Pete RingMaster 14/12/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/

Raw Fun – Won’t Be Told

December is as good a time as any, maybe the best time with all the festive shenanigans, to get your teeth into something particularly tasty, and that is definitely what you get from Raw Fun. Their three track single Won’t Be Told gets its full release this month through Dirty Water Records/WTF, and fair to say it is a bracing and virulent slab of garage rock ‘n’ roll which strongly entices on the first bite, breeds intoxication with its second morsel, and tightens the grip on the taste buds with a third helping of contagion; it all living up to the band’s name.

     Formed in the September of 2014, Raw Fun is a London based trio with a potent pedigree between them. Vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Patrice Picard also plays in garage revival band The Cannibals, a band which since the early eighties has uncaged ten albums and a stock load of keenly devoured singles whilst live thrilling audiences all over Europe and further afield when touring Japan twice. Bassist Joaquín Gonzalez has been the guitarist in Las Aspiradoras, fronted low-fi garage band Dedrines, and currently also plays in the reformed Johnny Throttle whilst drummer Manuel Santos has been part of Thee Tombitas and punk band Michael Jackson. Drawing on inspirations from the likes of The Stooges, Link Wray, Wilko Johnson, Johnny Thunders, and Stiv Bators, the threesome upon uniting quickly found and nurtured their own sound, playing their first gig three weeks after their first rehearsal. Just as swiftly Raw Deal also set about recording their first release, Won’t Be Told recorded on an eight-track tape machine with its mixing done by Jim Diamond, formerly of The Dirtbombs who had heard the band on Facebook and offered his help. With shows across the UK, France, and Spain, it has been a busy twelve months for Raw Deal, culminating in the spotlight grabbing release of Won’t Be Told.

The single’s title track comes first, Won’t Be Told releasing an immediately alluring clang with its guitars aligned to just as enticing melodic bait. Rhythms are soon jabbing with relish as the voice of Picard swaggers into view, each colluding with the bass of Gonzalez which prowls the song with its deliciously throaty but welcoming tempting. Those punk and garage rock spices are a swift hue to the song, not necessarily providing anything majorly unique but certainly stirring up a keen appetite for the unpolished and mischievous revelry holding attention.

The best track on the release comes next, Shades a bewitching incitement merging fifties and sixties rock ‘n’ roll with garage punk/psychobilly devilment. The track has a prime irresistible hook which works away right from the song’s first breath, a coaxing which only increases in success with its Bone Orchard meets The Cramps like incitement. Around it though, garage rock spicing colludes with a dirtier punk air as sultry surf rock flirtation seduces and enthrals ears and imagination. The song is superb, easily the pinnacle of the single though more than backed by the other two protagonists of pleasure.

Til the End of the Song is an instant eruption of punk ‘n’ roll devilry with pop infectiousness to its swing and attitude to its rough and ready character. As its predecessor, there are plenty of flavours enrolled in the fiery body of the song, many slim and often subtle hues adding up to one easily accessible but equally uncompromising slice of, well raw fun to be honest.

There is really no better time to treat yourselves than now and if it is to be with some rousing rock ‘n’ roll then Raw Fun gives a very satisfying option.

Won’t Be Told is available from December 14^th via Dirty Water Records/WTF @ http://www.dirtywaterrecords.co.uk/shop/#!/Raw-Fun-Raw-Fun-EP-+-download/p/56898794/category=2749844 on 7” vinyl or download.

https://www.facebook.com/rawfunwontbetoldwhattodo   http://www.dirtywaterrecords.co.uk/rawfun/

Pete RingMaster 14/12/2015

Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright

For more exploration of the independent and promotional services check out http://www.zykotika.com/