Sonic Snapshots: further tastes of the fruits from the independent scene.

The RingMaster Review brings further snapshots of some of the best offerings from the independent scene.

TARLD – Trapped

Confirming or declaring, depending if new to the band or not, their potent place within the European hardcore scene, TARLD (The Amsterdam Red Light District) unleash their new album this May, a record which with its melodic and sonic blaze ignited and accosted the senses with relish.

The French melodic hardcore quartet is no stranger to attention and high praise since emerging in 2005 but with Trapped is surely destined to a new wealth and height of acclaim. The album is a 12 song strong tempest of melodic hardcore confrontation and impassioned energy looking at and supporting those feeling on the outside of life, a record which rips through ears from pretty much its first breath with opener Threatened Generation. Featuring Yukina from Japanese outfit HANABIE, the song looms in from the distance bringing turbulence and discontent with it yet equally a defiance in heart and sound which, fuelled by Elio Sxone impassioned vocals and the invasive rhythmic incitement of bassist Gregory Clert and drummer Julien Chanel, surges across the senses. Further churned up and enriched by the tempestuous exploits of guitarist Maxime Comby it is a mighty start which is only built upon there on in.

The rich flavouring to the band’s sound is equally pushed across the album without diluting their hardcore dispute, melodic flaming and sonic ferocity not forgetting emotive fire, the quickly Good Intentions which sees Drew York from STRAY FROM THE PATH guesting epitomising their raw force of power and temptation within Trapped.

With the likes of the voracious rocker Not The Only One, the rigorously galvanic Born To Be Great which sees Mat Bastard From SKIP THE USE adding his prowess, and the outstanding Freedom Is A Movement with its predacious basslines and virulent and resourceful trespasses proving particular favourite moments, Trapped exploded upon and ignited ears and imagination, its contagion loaded title track just as compelling with its drama of thought, deed, and emotional causticity.

Every track within the release though is a tempest and turbulence of reward and pleasure, Fair Weather Friends the purest example of both with its uncompromising confrontation and barbarously infectious persuasion and of the band’s skilled web of sonic and melodic insurgency and rhythmic incitement.

Trapped is a new marker for hardcore incitement and the continuing rise of TARLD and is out now via Blood Blast.

www.tarldtheband.com https://www.facebook.com/tarldtheband https://twitter.com/tarld

Pete RingMaster 19/05/2022

thrown – extended pain

Giving vent to a rage and discontent within can never be a bad thing if unleashed constructively and it is that sense of release of primal anger and a self-hatred which can fester within which fuels the ferocious roar and confrontation of extended pain, the debut EP from Swedish hardcore outfit thrown. It is an animus of anger and dispute bred in flames of craft and the furies of invention, a ferocity of antagonism and emotion breeding one striking and welcomingly challenging proposal.

Made up of renowned tattoo artist and vocalist Marcus Lundqvist, guitarists Johan Liljeblad and Andreas Malm and drummer Buster Odeholme (Humanity’s Last Breath), Stockholm-based thrown breed their sound in a fusion of metalcore and hardcore. As EP opening grayout quickly announces, it is a proposition which takes no prisoners and is merciless in its engagement but also violently contagious, the song also evidence to the predacious manipulative rhythms which stake out the canvas of feral orchestration to come.

They are ingredients which inflame each track within extended pain as too the dextrous trespass and feral temptation of guitar and Lundqvist’s scathing and bracingly abusing tones, the following fast forward within its predatory prowl and voracious uproar ferocious confirmation. The resentment bearing snarl of bass is equally as compelling in the creative blizzards each track uncages, the band open in their individual and united skills despite the consumptive nature of their sound.

As new low and dwell came and invaded so the fury of invention expanded, the first a guitar spiralling encroachment with eruptions of primal infringement led by another fine rhythmic orchestration from Odeholme and Lundqvist’s ire brunt tones with its successor equally as hellacious in its assault and dynamic in its rhythmic and sonic manoeuvring. Both tracks within their own corruptive design offer glimpses of deceitful relief, the latter especially but always with new threat and stalking enmity.

With parasite sucking the senses dry and evoking keener appetite for the punishing contagion, thrown left ears ringing, body bruised and appetite greedy for more.

extended pain is out now via Arising Empire.

https://www.facebook.com/thrownband https://twitter.com/thrownsthlm https://www.instagram.com/thrownband/

Pete RingMaster 21/04/2022

Canavar – Living After

This past March saw the release of Living After, the second album from UK punks CANAVAR, and offering thirteen energy rapacious and sonically fiery tracks, the encounter has revealed a dexterous ability to lure us back time and time again.

Originally emerging back in Southampton as The Bitter-Town Hounds, the quartet reinvented themselves and stepped forth as CANAVAR in 2018 as they prepared to unveil a debut album recorded with producer Dan Precision (Rise Against, 88 Fingers Louie). The foursome of brothers Rowan and Toby Rashley, they springing the rhythm section of the band upon ears, guitarist Jack Bowden, and vocalist/guitarist Deklan Webb have now backed up that well-received opener with a new cyclone of metal infused punk rock revealing a potent evolution in their attention demanding craft and sound.

From the moment album opener, Verdant Season, leaps upon ears there is an open individuality to the band and its sound which hooked ears and curiosity even more than the more familiar essences the band teases with. There is a sniff of Green Day and indeed Misfits to the song, spices that reoccur across the album but more hints than full flavours in the raucous and spirited enterprise on offer.

Keen imagination and creative mischief equally shapes the release, its title track a predacious yet welcomingly contagious trespass and the following Call To Arms a melodically charming soon to be rapacious uproar with delicious sonic nagging both swiftly revealing and reveling in that adventure.

Personal highlights come with the frenetic unpredictability and shuffle of Atlas, the hellacious onslaught and atypical wiring of our favourite track Television Generation, and the serenading holler of By All Means though fair to say never a moment passed with Living After where it left attention looking elsewhere.

With the rousing croon of Timber and the heavy metal cultured Turncoat adding greater variety to the body and sound of the album, Living After had burrowed under the skin, more than initially realized, drawing us back and back again; so the question is can your punk urges resist?

Living After is out now.

https://www.facebook.com/canavarband/ https://www.instagram.com/canavarband /

Pete RingMaster 21/04/2022

Defences – In The Balance

In The Balance is the new album from UK metallers Defences, a raw emotive journey into a realm of the darkest, most life imposing experiences anyone may come up against in their lives whether beneficial, life changing, or destructive. The band describes it as, “A time capsule of a life, hanging in the balance.” and in its tempest it proved one striking and compelling encounter from a band which continues to grow and impress.

It is also a release which is bred in and reflects the band’s own creative process and experiences in making it in this pandemic gripped time, the frustrations and pent up emotions felt feeling like further fuel to its rapacious fire. In The Balance unleashes a voracious roar of contemplation and disagreement across its eleven tracks within a cyclone of sound embracing the instinctive essences of alternative metal, melodic metalcore and plenty more. Driven by the magnet tones of Cherry Duesbury aligned to the throat abrasing screams of Will Young, it is a proposition that demanded and commanded attention whilst capturing the imagination with individual and united craft.

As opener Something More quickly establishes, the album is a heavy at times merciless trespass but woven with a melodic and sonic enterprise that equally captured and ignited the imagination. The track itself is a eddy of grooves and invasive rhythmic incitement fired by Young’s discontent loaded roars and impassioned by Duesbury’s warm but still forceful attention grabbing voice.

The combined energy and dexterity of bassist Ian Harrington and drummer Kyle Parke is threat and manipulation throughout the release, predators with inclinations to engage rather than destroy but brutal all the same as proven in all tracks with False Gods and Blue Candour especially barbarous. Equally guitarist Calum Wilmot regularly goes for the jugular with his antagonistic riffs and equally irritable grooves yet also weaves melodic temptation that seduced and haunted with matching prowess as notably cast in tracks such as In The Black and The Heart; its fertility and intimation matched in the atmospheric electronic layers the band also casts.

In truth though, every song within In The Balance enthralled and thickly pleased, that unity of physical power, resourceful craft, and emotional tempestuousness compelling. There are essences of familiar genre traits to the release throughout but spun with unpredictability to escalate the success of every second of an album declaring Defences one truly fascinating proposition.

In The Balance is out now

https://www.defencesofficial.com/ https://www.facebook.com/Defences https://twitter.com/defencesuk https://www.instagram.com/defencesuk

Pete RingMaster 12/11/2021

The Breathing Process – Labyrinthian

Though running the line between devouring its glory or fleeing in haste from its nightmare, the new album from The Breathing Process is the kind of dilemma easily embraced. Inevitably then, there proved no real decision to be made with Labyrinthian one compelling and increasingly enthralling confrontation of craft cast, hellacious blackened death metal; an encounter weaving a landscape living up to the suggestion of title and drawing the imagination and emotions into the darkest depths of creative incitement.

The fourth full-length from the Pittsburgh hailing six-piece, Labyrinthian is a vast web of intimation and tempest of sound united, together weaving a magisterial realm of unspeakable darkness and spine-chilling inference. It is a Tartarean realm open to interpretation whilst venturing through its own varied experiences too, a fearsome adventure echoed in the sounds the band weave its majesty in but equally at times the most seductive proposal heard this year with every track and moment providing the richest unpredictable exploration.

Immediately album opener, Terminal, courted the richest intrigue, its initial holding place the doorway to the most compelling tempest driven by Bryan Bever’s voracious rhythms and the gnarly pleasure that is Dan Patton’s bass. Simultaneously the guitars of Jordan Milner and Sara Loerlein spin a web and turbulence of enticement, every groove a lethal lure and riff a rabid incursion honed into a voracious invitation. With the vocals of Chris Rabideau as magnetic as they are varied and emotionally rabid and the keys of Alexander Verschoor a majestic swarm of suggestion across it all, the track simply gripped and enthralled as it devoured.

It is a template which seed all tracks though all cast their own unique proposal and nightmare of sunless captivation, the following Shadow Self and in turn Wilt as examples immersing the senses and imagination in their respective caliginous waltz and tempestuous opulence. Each startling encounter evolves and breeds unique turns in their creative landscapes and twists upon the imagination, the latter which features David John Simonich from Signs of the Swarm a symphony of corrosion and beauty.

To be honest it is hard to describe the true nature and adventure of Labyrinthian such the perpetual evolution in every track let alone its whole body and journey but true to say every second was a riveting threat from the grace of keys to the barbarous intent of rhythms and voice, it all epitomised yet again in the startling bodies of A Savage Plea, the album’s title track and I Sleep, I Wake; the middle incitement featuring the magnetic tones of Viscera vocalist Jamie Graham.

With maybe its finest moment coming within Heir To None, a ballad that torments the imagination as greedily as it ignites it though that is fair to say every track ensured favourite song was impossible to settle upon, Labyrinthian gripped with every second shared in its presence only evoking an inherent instinct to delve deeper with songs like Shroud, Atlas and the closing We, The Drowned leaving us rooted in fascination and immersed in pleasure.

Labyrinthian is out now via Unique Leader Records; available @ https://uniqueleaderrecords.bandcamp.com/album/labyrinthian

https://www.facebook.com/thebreathingprocessusa https://www.instagram.com/thebreathingprocess https://thebreathingprocess.bandcamp.com

Pete RingMaster 14/10/2021

Toxicrose – In For The Kill

Just uncaged, In For The Kill is the new album from Swedish dark sleaze metallers ToxicRose; their sophomore album which more than lives up to the hope fuelled anticipation that preceded it.

Unsurprisingly for fans, In For The Kill is a powerhouse tempest of the Stockholm band’s sleaze soaked heavy metal but a proposal bold in its embracing of other favours and styles to accentuate its instinctive anthemic holler. Barely a moment passes that it is not manipulating the need for air punching fists and neck muscle stretching to be shared with vigorous uproars; genre familiarity and individual imagination in eager collusion to create, if not wholly unique, truly individual and galvanic incitements.

From the moment album opener Blood on Blood attacks with deliberate intent and crafty dexterity, it is fair to say that ears and appetite were finding eager attention and consumption of the release. The track is a clamour of classic heavy metal caught in the enterprise of bolder and more barbarous intent; a proposal erupting in sonic flames amidst melodic intensity. It epitomises the adventure to come, twists and turns bred in new flavours adding to the unpredictable presence of familiar ingredients.

There is no doubting that every track had their part in drawing real attention and involvement but some were sparks to the boldest reactions; the likes of the drama building Heroes with its electronic coaxing and greedy rhythmic manipulation and the album’s inflammatory folk metal tinged title track leading the way.

Electronics again bring fine bait to the predacious Remedy, our favourite track within In For The Kill, while Domination rises from the darkest menace loaded shadows to invade the senses with almost carnal incitement before the following Open Up N’ Bleed weaved a varied metal tapestry of suspense and enterprise to further broaden the album’s creative landscape.

As suggested, though every track within the album is a cauldron of heavy metal temptation and each left us roaring and keen to go again, that epitomised by The Great Escape, the release’s closing song which from its relatively calm if senses prowling menace evolves in to a volcanic uproar of metal provocation.

In for The Kill is a hellacious proposal for classic/sleaze metal fans but with plenty for the more modern metal appetite to happily feast upon; thick enjoyment a given in both cases we would suggest.

In For The Kill is out now via Crusader Records on CD and digital, with the vinyl version slated to drop on Friday, 12th November, available for pre-order now @ https://store.goldenrobotrecords.com/shop-by-artist/categories/toxicrose

https://www.toxicrose.org/ https://www.facebook.com/TOXICROSE.Official https://twitter.com/ToxicRose_TXR

Pete RingMaster 14/10/2021

Venues – Solace

The release of Solace sees the next instalment in the rise of German metallers Venues, a fresh chapter which was maybe under threat when in the wake of acclaimed release of 2019 debut album, Aspire, vocalist Nyves quit the band mid-tour. It could have derailed the band but with defiance in their hearts, they began an extensive search for her successor. Step forward Daniela ‘Lela’ Gruber, who apparently was spotted by guitarist Constantin performing at a Steel Panther show. With also another new member in guitarist Valentin, Venues subsequently linked up with producer Christoph Wieczorek (Annisokay) for their second full-length, an encounter which quite simply leaves its striking predecessor in the shade.

With a sound classed as modern metal, though truthfully we are not sure what that means, Venues took little time to grip attention within their new offering. It uncages a tempest of sound drawing on all the ripe fruits of post hardcore, metalcore, melodic metal and alternative rock with more besides. As opener Razorblade Teeth also proves, it is a sound which has become richer in emotive tension and physical voracity but equally bred greater fire in its melodic prowess and compulsion in its virulence. The song alone also reveals Lela a new dynamic and compelling addition to the ranks, one that we could even suggest has sparked new energy and intensity in her band mate’s own open creativity.

aligning clean vocals with the throat grazing roars of Robin, Lela is soon a fiery sunspot in the gripping storm of the first track, the guitars of Constantin and Valentin casting a perpetually twisting and evolving tempest of enterprise driven and splintered by the intensive swings of drummer Dennis. It is an exhilarating attention enslaving start which the following pair of Whydah Gally and the outstanding Rite Of Passage continues, the first a cauldron of emotive tempestuousness and physical turbulence. Yet it is almost predatory in its infectious prowess, a trait taken to new levels of temptation and persuasion by its successor, the song like a siren within the track’s fierce sonic blizzard. At times it is a predatory beast with the wiles of feline grooves and in others a pop induced infection and throughout a major highlight of Solace.

This year we have been able to cover a host of encounters where every track within provides a mighty temptation and Solace is no exception, from first to last breath unbridled and rousing enthralment shared though a few moments especially ignited the passions. The ravenous rock ‘n’ roll of Down Below is one such enslavement, its body seizing on industrial essences initially before expanding its own individual cyclone of sound and emotional turmoil with a dextrous embracing of again numerous flavours while Our Destiny reveals rock pop can be as barbarous and incendiary as any metal bred harassment.

The track proved swift addiction but with the likes of Uncaged Birds and Deceptive Faces to name just two of many others arousing fascination and pleasure so in turn did Solace, an inescapable compulsion which should be the moment Venues stake their claim on the biggest attention.

Solace is out now; available through https://venues.bigcartel.com/

https://www.facebook.com/VENUESofficial/ https://twitter.com/venuesofficial https://www.instagram.com/venuesofficial/

Pete RingMaster 17/09/2021

Sober Truth – Laissez Faire, Lucifer!

Individual tumults within one hellacious tempest; that is Laissez Faire, Lucifer!, the new album from German metallers Sober Truth. They are storms and cyclones though which draw the listener into cauldrons of sonic diversity and creative confrontation, trespasses which proved bounty for the imagination.

Founded in Bonn in 2007, Sober Truth has evolved a sound across the years and four increasingly acclaimed albums which increasingly defies inning down. As the bands fifth full-length proves, in any moment groove and progressive metal could collide with industrial and gothic metal or thrash and death metal might merge with modern and alternative metal; in truth all can be involved in any given creative furore and track for something that, as we can attest to, grips ears and breeds lustful pleasure.

The quartet of vocalist/guitarist Torsten Schramm, bassist Jules RoCkwell, lead guitarist Aaron Vogelsberg, and drummer Paul Bendler never allow a second of Laissez Faire, Lucifer! to dismiss unpredictability and forceful enterprise. From the moment Distinctive descends on ears it was also obvious that there would be a continuing unveiling of fresh aspects to songs with every listen. As swiftly reinforced by the likes of Dizygotic Twins, the band’s sound nags and bullies throughout its intrusive company but equally fascinates and seduces as every passing passage of second reveals layers and twists to keep the senses and imagination busy.

Rhythms bite and voraciously invade as grooves singe and bewitch, melodic and sonic endeavour just as imposing yet invigorating; a template persistently twisted and expanded across the release around Schramm’s almost conductor like vocals. Every merciless scourge of turbulence unleashed though is a menace of infectiousness and drama as further epitomised by songs like Imperfection, the outstanding Hope, Enjoy & Death and our favourite Rebirth.

To be fair though every track within Laissez Faire, Lucifer! proved a riveting, ear grabbing arousal with all providing an individual twist and pleasure in its striking body so the only reality for us is that you really should immerse in the Sober Truth.

Laissez Faire, Lucifer! is out now via A Chance For Metal-Records; available @ https://sobertruth.bandcamp.com/album/laissez-faire-lucifer

http://sober-truth.com/ https://www.facebook.com/sobertruthband https://www.instagram.com/sobertruthband/?hl=de

Pete RingMaster 16/09/2021

UNDERBALL – THE BEST IS YET TO CUM

Forging an irreverent proposal through a salacious mix of thrash, glam metal, and hardcore with plenty more in its delinquency, Italian rockers Underball have just unleashed debut album The Best Is Yet To Cum. It is dirty, insatiable and a tempest of voracious sound and most of all a bad habit forming slab of raucous fun we can only recommend.

Like a mix of Suicidal Tendencies, Stormtroopers of Death and The Big Dirty, the band’s sound surges through ears with rapacious intent surfed by just as troublemaking vocals. It is a ravenous affair equipped with riffs that harass and rhythms that bite but equally with sonic enterprise that winds seductively round the imagination and hooks that feed inherent addictiveness. There are definitely many familiar traits and inspirations to its trespasses but it only adds to the temptation and pleasure we felt from opener John Von Lover onwards.

Crawling over the listener from its first moment, the first track soon erupts in a thrash driven, punk fuelled uproar. Setting the scene and character of the release, riffs devour and rhythms slap as all the while lead vocals and band shouts make for a rousing reprobate based incitement. Within the creative delinquency though, there is a craft and web of melodic enterprise which gives greater potency and invention to the tracks.

Majorly favourite moments regularly came with the likes of the edaciously nagging Squirt On My Face, the uproar pulling antics of Milf and the savagely virulent Infection leading the way, all three though submitting to the insidious rock ‘n’ roll of Deadland for best track, its incessant mix of horrorpunk/thrash punk filtered metal irresistible.

To be honest lyrical profoundness is as absent as uncivil disorder and titillation is keenly present in word and sound and it all goes to make one fiercely enjoyable proposition, maybe not one destined to be classed a classic but certainly pure devilry to swing your lead with so no complaints here.

The Best Is Yet To Cum is out now.

https://www.underballthrash.com https://www.facebook.com/underballthrash https://www.instagram.com/underballthrash/

Pete RingMaster 29/07/2021

SEEDS OF 77 – LOCKDOWN BREAKOUT

With this past May embracing its unveiling digitally and on CD and June welcoming a vinyl offering on Sounds of the Suburbs Records, Lockdown Breakout is the debut album from UK punksters Seeds Of 77. This is a band and release which unsurprisingly, going by the moniker, seeds its sounds and inspirations in the UK’s punk outbreak back in the seventies but equally takes the potent essences of sixties garage punk and psychedelia as well as other hues to its dextrous body and imagination.

Led by the vocal dexterity and fertility of Vince Mahon and Michi Sinn, Lockdown Breakout leaps from the speakers with a belligerent smile and rebellious heart; roaring like a fusion of The Tuesday Club, The Adicts, The Duel and The Cavemen. Across thirteen tracks it defies expectations and almost taunts with surprises and variety, revolving like a rapacious kaleidoscope.

Completed by guitarist Richard Sheldrake, bassist Finn Panton, keyboardist Simon Daniels and drummer Neil Harris, Seeds Of 77 uncage unscrupulous drama and enterprise along the DIY adventure and dexterity of their album. From start to finish, it is an encounter which leaves a striking mark with personal thickly favourite tracks ranging from the fiery old school canter of Kick It Out, the superb creatively animated antics of The Trickster as well as the romance reflection carrying Lost and Found and the sinisterly swinging Subterranean Homesick Beast. To be honest all songs deserve a mention and a rich moment of your time so go enjoy via the band’s Bandcamp profile.

Pete RingMaster 08/07/2021

The recent release of Lustful Sacraments saw dark electronic weaver Perturbator unleash his first album in five years; an encounter which took waiting anticipation of the British project’s next tenebrific exploration and rewarded it with a compelling demand on attention.

With a sound which has perpetually evolved since breaking through in 2012 within the likes of Terror 404 and I Am the Night, James “Perturbator” Kent embraces the inspirations of eighties post punk and gothic rock to his ever fertile dark electronics instincts for Lustful Sacraments. It is an encounter which is cinematically atmospheric, at times claustrophobic, and emotionally challenging yet reveals moments of stark but infectious melodic temptation with an inherent pop appetite. Each track is a wall of sound and intimation woven with precise and provocative intricacy, every moment an adventure for ears and imagination.

At times there are potent hints of bands such as DAF and Sisters Of Mercy across the release and in certain tracks like the outstanding Excess a rampaging March Violets hue with its melodic hooks and vocal uprising while within the equally striking Secret Devotion, which features the vocals of True Body, an early Mute Records meets Modern English-esque scent. Unsurprisingly, all tracks though simply absorb such essences in Perturbator uniqueness as epitomised by the irresistibly predacious Messalina, Messalina with its Leitmotiv/Crispy Ambulance like nagging, a track taking our top honours.

Perturbator is back with a bolder and more mature sound and in the Blood Music released Lustful Sacraments, his finest lure on ears, imagination and pleasure.

Pete RingMaster 08/07/2021

all

Descending on the senses like an infernal plague but one set on inciting bodies and attitudes to kick ass is the debut album from Swedish Death´n´Roll outfit All Wasted. Uncaging thirteen slabs of voracious mayhem and sonic ferocity, Burn With Me is a suitor, predator and killer all rolled into one.

Hailing from Gothenburg, All Wasted features members from We Are The Catalyst, Arise, Reenact and others, the quintet emerging in 2020 after a couple of years jamming and preparing together. Their metal bred sound is just as forceful in its heavy rock and voracious punk instincts, an encounter which can just as easily hint at the likes of Carcass and Six Feet Under as Wednesday Thirteen and Rudimentary Peni as forge its own overriding individuality.

With tracks like opener Passion of Crime and its rapacious manipulation, the album’s carnally imposing title track and the venomously infectious I am the Pain as well as the insidiously contagious Rotten to the Core, a collection of rich incitements capped off by the ravenous war cry of This Means War, the swiftly addictive Burn With Me proved one furious pleasure. From its first breath riffs invade and rhythms harass, all wound in sonic hookery and melodic dexterity and fuelled by individual prowess and with its worldwide digital release via Wormholedeath Records is sure to make All Wasted one attention grabbing assault.

Pete RingMaster 08/07/2021

Portuguese thrashers Prayers of Sanity have become renowned for their old school thrash fuelled sound across three albums which have increasingly lured rich plaudits. Now the band have just set loose their fourth and in Doctrine of Misantropy unleashed their finest most naggingly addictive proposal yet.

Formed in 2005, Prayers of Sanity bred their sound in the 80’s thrash inspirations of bands such as Exodus, Nuclear Assault and Testament. The release of their 2009 debut Religion Blindness inescapably caught the imagination of fans and critics alike and the trio with the same influences continuing to drive their growing and maturing sound have only earned bigger attention and praise since. Doctrine of Misanthropy is fired from the same elements as its predecessors yet is a certain new growth in sound and enterprise as the band draw greater rapacious essences of punk and hardcore into their creativity. It makes the Rastilho Records released offering a proposal that is easily accessible, familiar in many ways but reveals a character and freshness which erupts with fresh prowess and temptation.

Riffs fly and nag as rhythms pounce and bully throughout the album, each track as the vocals a snarling incitement and trespass that proved impossible not to be manipulated by. From the moment its opening title track pounced through to the closing Machiavellian scheming and cunning of Destination: Hell, there was no escaping the esurient appetite and dextrous intrusion of Doctrine of Misanthropy, and through the ear ensnaring likes of Sons of Royal Blood and Path Sin within nothing but a full host of gripping tracks equipped with a craft to match, all attention was the band’s and theirs alone; so to Bandcamp you go we suggest.

Pete RingMaster 08/07/2021

The Never Prick my Pickles EP is our first introduction to French metallers Smokeheads and is sure not to be the last meeting given the captivating and fascinating nature of its four-track body.

The band has a sound unafraid to embrace the imaginative hues of melodic and heavy rock as well as electronic essences and infuse it into their alternative metal forged incitement. It means that their EP alone is an adventure as unpredictable as it is imaginative and as intrusive as it is seductive. The quartet are said to draw on inspirations from bands such as Toto, Gojira, Queen of the Stone Age, Mastodon, System of a Down, Tool, Porcupine Tree, Devin Townsend and many more and that goes some way to explain their release’s tapestry of sound but it is the quartet’s own invention and dexterity which shapes its compelling character and presence.

From the prowling entrance of opener In Between and its subsequent predacious stance through the emotive fire of Nothing is Random and the eclectic seeding and web of One Million Ways, band and EP had ears hooked with melodic and sonic fertility matched by vocal and rhythmic incitement. Each is a trespass and captivation and as unique to each other as their individual sounds are to most offered elsewhere as proven by the closing Hate and Love and its nagging lures and inflamed balladry, a track which may have had less pull than its predecessors but left us only hankering for more as that on offer from the Wormholedeath Records worldwide digital release.