16 « August « 2018 « The RingMaster Review

Pic DannyDonnovan @bucketlistmr

This month sees the new romping stomping album from Canadian outfit K-Man & The 45s uncaged, a release which had the body bouncing and spirit roaring like a teenage boy after his first sexual adventure. The band creates a contagious proposition from a fusion of ska and rockabilly spiced classic rock ‘n’ roll with plenty more involved, a recipe providing their finest feast of sound yet within their self-titled full-length.

Hailing from Montreal, K-Man & The 45s has been a constant and acclaimed presence on the Canadian music scene; their records luring keen praise and support and live presence just as rich plaudits and a matching reputation. The band has shared stages with the likes of The Slackers, Big D and The Kids Table, The Satellites, The Original Wailers , The Planet Smashers, The Brains and so many more as well as graced and ignite a host of festivals across their homeland over the years. It is easy to suggest that their new album is their greatest moment yet and even easier to eagerly push it towards the attention of ska, punk and rock ‘n’ roll fans alike with the band embracing the inspirations of bands such as The Specials, The Beat, The Ramones, and The Cramps among their influences though it is fair to say K-Man and co have successfully nurtured their own individual character of sound as in thick evidence across the new record now getting its deserved push via Stomp Records.

Opener They Gotta Know had us hooked with its first breath, a classic rock ‘n roll guitar lure entangling ears and appetite before the song leaps into its punk rock swing. The jangle of Kman’s guitar flirts as the beats of Brian Smith arouse against the melodic dance of an organ; a potent enticement only enhanced by the dancing flames of Josh Michaud’s trombone and the trumpet of Seb Fournier. Bouncing along to the track’s body and stroll is inevitable, we can testify to that, as the song gets the album off to a rousing start.

The following Poppy’s Back In Town is just as manipulative, its rowdier rock colluding with the animated canter of keys and guitar with, as in its predecessor and every song, Kman’s vocal mischief leading the fun. Lively melodies and lustful hooks line its boisterous stroll before I Don’t Mind wheels in with an instantly appealing breeze easily reminding of The Beat. The band soon adds its own distinct colour to the song, adding a vocal backing in which participation is simply unavoidable. Smith’s clipping beats just get under the skin too, the brass n turn into the passions as the track lustily manipulates body and spirit.

Rudy Don’t Smoke equally had the body dangling from its virulent strands of sound and enterprise; its ska and punk collusion a devilish puppeteer with a glint in the eye of its imagination before Piece Of The Action bursts in with drama and intrigue which would not be out of place in the theme to a sixties TV spy/private detective show. With a Department S-esque hue to its theatre, the song is more than a match for the lofty heights of its predecessors as too the cosmic adventure of Space Thriller. Bringing the atmospheric prowess of The Specials into a surf rock spiced ska saunter the track has the same level of drama and intimation as the last song, its story a sultry seduction of lust and danger descriptively shaped by brass led enterprise.

Through the punk ‘n’ roll/ska bred stomp of Road Rage Randy and the fifties rock ‘n’ roll seeded ska spin of This Moment, pleasure only escalates with the album, each adding a new shade of sound and mischief to its party before a great cover of The Kingpins’ Party in Ja joins the fun. Giving its reggae nurtured catchiness a Ruts like dub makeover the track pulsates on the senses as again the body is lost to an instinctive bounce.

Next up is Johnny Thumbs a track which maybe did not inflame the passions as others around it but still made for the most enjoyable playmate before the outstanding Far Away Eyes Come Home simply became a love affair with ears. From its revolving hooks and melodic enticement to vocal and rhythmic invitation, the song devoured inhibitions.

The album finishes with another gem in What’s Inside A Girl, a glorious garage punk and rockabilly spun tease with a healthy psychobilly and surf rock glaze led by yet another delicious bassline among so many across the album from Frankie amidst the perpetual rhythmic incitement of Smith. The song epitomises the craft, sound, and contagious exploits of K-Man & The 45s perfectly whilst at the same time sealing its best track moment though that is debated with each and every listen.

K-Man & The 45s is a band which deserves the biggest attention within the ska, punk, and simply great rock ‘n’ roll world; all the reasons are in their new album so no hanging around go have fun.

Recently the sad news that drummer Brian Smith has terminal pancreatic cancer was announced and a Go Fund Me page set up to support him and his family. To help out this great musician and friend to so many go to https://gofundme.com/support-brian-our-brother

The K-Man & The 45s album is out digitally and on vinyl now @ https://k-manthe45s.bandcamp.com/album/k-man-the-45s

https://www.facebook.com/kman45/ https://twitter.com/kmanandthe45s

Pete RingMaster 14/08/2018

An introduction which is little short of striking, Existence Exiled is the debut album from German melodic death metallers From Ashes Reborn. Its eight dark yet sonically dynamic tracks is the announcement of a new emerging force in the extreme metal realm, a band which if surprisingly not now will surely lure major plaudits and attention whilst building on this richly potent first album.

With its members coming together from across Germany, the Wittlich based quintet emerged last year. Creating and honing their Scandinavian spiced melodic death metal bred sound, the band eventually entered Klangschmiede Studio E with producer Markus Stock (Empyrium, The Vision Bleak, Sun Of The Sleepless) to record Existence Exiled. They have come out with a release which embraces the familiar course of the genre from its early days but more so breeds its own invention and individuality within a rousing trespass further ignited by ravenous blastbeats within a rhythmic attack which savages as it incites. Add to that provocative melodic enterprise and intimation alongside a web of hooks which greedily linger and you have an encounter which commands attention.

Existence Exiled opens with the brief instrumental intro of The Onerous Truth, a piece from its initial lure of keys amidst a dark portentous air that easily lured anticipation and the imagination into its and the following depths of the release. With rich emotive strings adding to its lure, the track leads straight into the rapacious jaws of Fight For The Light. The guitars of Dirk and Sebastian create a wind of invasive temptation as the rhythmic touch of bassist Tobias and drummer Thomas growl and bite respectively. To this swiftly compelling surge, Ronni’s vocal growl provides its own invasive potency, his bearish tones a blend of persuasion and threat. Evolving its melodic and adventurous landscape, the song leaves predictability at the door, its calmer eye of the storm as magnetic as its surging inhospitable winds.

An array of varied flavours adds to the creative drama, blackened hues joining death and melodic endeavour; a feisty mix across the album which is just as compelling within next up Follow The Rising. Grooves spiral across its turbulence, their net of temptation easy bait for keen attention as too the melodic weave which shapes the track’s expanding invention. The craft of the individuals within From Ashes Reborn is also impressive magnetism with the solo touch of Dirk a rousing flame against the harsher but equally as potent draw of voice and rhythmic intrusion.

Across the stirring presence of The Essence Of Emptiness, with its opening melodic seduction as powerful a coaxing as anything within the album before voracious ferocity descends upon its engaging enterprise, and the carnal animus of Infected, the album strengthened its thick hold on ears and appetite. Both tracks are a captivating fusion of raw hostilities and melodically lined temptation with the second especially rampant in its blend of the familiar and new.

Suspense soaks every note and moment within the release and especially tracks like its title track which follows, the guitars stealing the adventurous limelight but skilfully and imaginatively backed by its rhythmic drama and the inhospitable yet enticing scourge of vocals while Homicidal Rampage has a bloodlust to its contagion which left us wondering whether to run or feverishly embrace its creative and emotional rancor; the latter winning out.

Completed by the melancholy fuelled, tension lined beauty of The Splendid Path, an instrumental which sets up a whole new adventure for the imagination whilst concluding the album’s own, Existence Exiled impresses from start to finish. At times it does not offer the most unique moments but among others which openly are, but every one, each twist and turn is an enthralling and challenging pleasure from a band which has all the weapons of imagination and craft to make a big impact.

Existence Exiled is out now @ https://thesplendidpath.bandcamp.com/releases

https://thesplendidpath https://www.facebook.com/thesplendidpath/ https://twitter.com/splendidpath

Pete RingMaster 14/08/2018