Motörhead have been in the press a lot recently and rightly so. The release of their twenty second studio album is a major accomplishment and cause for celebration. Few bands management such a feat and fewer still can still put out a record of this calibre but the unyielding force that is Motörhead have prevailed. Recently, some have dared to suggest that the God-King Lemmy may not actually be as unstoppable as we all thought! Of course, that is all nonsense and this album proves it.
Bad Magic is a blistering forty three minute display of Motörhead’s powerful song writing abilities and ability to hammer out great rock ‘n’ roll. There are moments on this record that’ll make you question if this is actually the finest collection of songs they’ve ever produced. ‘Victory or Death’ and ‘Thunder & Lightening’ set a bar so high few bands could level up for Lemmy and co just keep knocking them out on this album. While there’s little variety in style, there’s more than enough bad ass, whiskey sippin’ saloon rock ‘n’ roll for everyone.
This is an album to really bask in. Songs like ‘The Devil’, ‘Chocking on Your Screams’, Fire Storm Hotel’ and ‘Tell Me Who To Kill’ put it up there as one of the strongest hard rock albums you’re likely to hear for some time. Other moments on the album give a different perspective to the band. ‘Till the End’ is Lemmy at his most honest. The flawed, sometimes tragic hero bares his soul but assures us from the go, he’s not changing. Another nice surprised is the band’s cover of The Rolling Stones‘Sympathy for the Devil’. Lemmy reckons it’s better than the original recording and he might just be right. After all,
Simply put, Bad Magic is a terrific album. Exactly what you want from the hard rock legends and more. This is a firm statement from the band that they’re not going anywhere and there’s still a hell of a lot to offer. Well done guys!
It’s been a long wait, but Iron Maidenare finally ready to unleash their Sixteenth studio album on the world. Book of Soulsis the first Maiden record since 2010’s The Final Frontierand fans are chomping at the bit to get a taste of this double disc behemoth. Like Judas Priest with Redeemer of Souls, it’s expected that this album is Maiden back on form and ready to enthral fans with a resurging comeback. We know Maiden have the 747 jumbo jet ready for a tour that’ll visit 35 countries – but does the music stand up to all the fanfare and hype?
Yes, yes it does. Opening with ‘Eternity Should Fall’, there’s a real sense Maiden have gone back to their golden age to pull out their core sound and lather it up with some modernisations. It’s a safe opening and it only gets better from here. ‘Speed of Light’ and ‘The Great Unknown’ follow and both increase the nostalgia, as well as faith in this new record. Fast, fun and full of catchy guitar hooks. ‘The Red and Black’ is a culmination of the best parts from the openers as it delivers the full frontal Maiden sing along we’ve (me) been waiting for. This track is solely written by Steve Harris and it’s a bit of a marathon at thirteen minutes, but who am I to question it? No-one, that’s who! Good work Steve, we’ll share a Trooper.
‘When the River Runs’ continues the up-tempo feel and even ups the guitars and pace. This will be a little beauty played live, with it’s pure head banging built riffs and crashing drums. Maiden at their finest. The record’s title track starts with a more sombre tone before a punishing riff breaks through, casting you back to the Powerslave era for a healthy mix of intimidation and awe. In the song’s first half, the extended chorus seems to dominate a little bit too much and does not provide a catalyst for fans to really rally behind, but half way through the anty is upped and Maiden plough through with ferocity as the second half becomes dominated with power riffs, electrifying solos and all round epicness[ . Well done sirs – fills the 10 minutes nicely.
Ballad time? Not on your life as ‘Death or Glory’ opens with everything you could ever want, expect or ask from a Maiden tune. It’s almost like every song sees them get stronger and stronger on Book of Souls and the excitement of Speed of Light’s classic era sound becomes slightly faded as better and better tunes are propelled forward, Death or Glory has everything for everyone. Love it – no more reviewing, time to re-listen. “Like a monkey climbing out of hell”? Ok, Maiden \,,/.
‘Shadows of the Valley’, and I apologise for doing this tune by tune – but how often do you get a new Maiden album to praise? Every five years or so? Yeah, exactly – keep reading. Shadows is probably the first dip in quality, but that’s due to the repetitive style and it lacks the bite of the previous few tunes. I wonder if Maiden thought the same because the next song, ‘Tears of a Clown’ changes things completely and offers more of a nineties-era rock anthem. Thoughtful, hooky, fun and a re-affirmance that Book of Souls is probably the most exciting Maiden album in a very long time.
It all culminates with the reflective ‘The Man of Sorrows’ and the much talked about, eighteen minute ‘Empire of the Clouds’. Both display a mesh of classic Maiden styles and deliveries, but continuing the unique themes that have steadily built up over this record. Maiden are taking stock. Lyrically, they’re looking around them at what’s come before and what the future could hold and musically is no different. Songs about everything from the dawn of creation to historical incidents are baked by a collage of previous Maiden styles all collected under an umbrella that makes Book of Souls distinctive and full.
This is an Iron Maiden album in every way, not merely a carrier for a few treats. Double albums are not easy to pull off and even when they’re done well, they can struggle to keep the listener engaged right to the end. That is fortunately not the case on Book of Souls. While some songs, like this review, could have benefited from some trimming – everything works and as the final notes of Empire of the Clouds come to a close, you sit back and truly recognize the colossal achievement this record is. This is an album Iron Maiden fans and band alike can forever be proud of.
You can call him Self-righteous, egotistical, a genius or just absolutely terrifying. Whatever your view, Marilyn Manson has captured several generations’ attention since he sneered his way into popular culture almost twenty years ago. While music has always had its fair share of villains over the years, few have ever inspired such fear and hate in parents, bible bashers and politicians as the self-proclaimed “God of Fuck”. It wasn’t just Manson’s make-up clad, cross-dressing, bible tearing performances that caused so much outrage – although that made for an easy target for society’s great heard to mock at. Instead it was Manson’s disturbing insights, commentary and criticism of the hypocritical ‘norms’ in society that made him public enemy number 1 for many years. From his first album, Manson had sunk his teeth into those around us who preach one way of life and live another and he has never let go.
After Portrait of American Family, Manson offered an almost biographical commentary on his follow up albums. Building on the early success of Portrait and an ever growing following, Manson went straight for society’s jugular – religion. Antichrist Superstar was a chance for Manson to express his blind rage at religious zealots, jock/beautiful culture and showcase the seedy underbelly and false prophesying and smiles of the world. This was quickly followed with a similarly unsettling insight into the lonely isolation , highs and lows lifestyle associated with fame on Mechanical Animals. The album was a perfect mix of style, pop and bleak emptiness – not in terms of content, but in its message. It’s singles further launched Manson and made him a household name. Its release also brought Manson up to his highest level of infamy – so much so that less than a year after its release, he became the focal point of blame for the Columbine High School massacre.
For many months Manson suffered the full wrath of America’s guardians of the peace and all things ‘normal’. His career was stalled and his fans attacked simply for the way they dressed and music they liked. It wasn’t until Manson appeared in Michael Moore’s film, Bowling for Columbinein 2002 and spoke with such sense and undeniable truth about that massacre that society finally accepted defeat and moved on from trying to sacrifice Manson to the lord. His simple comment that the people of Columbine had failed the kids and had failed to hear their problems was a summary of everything Manson had spoken about through his music for the preceding years.
After Columbine, Manson was both famous and infamous. His next album, Holy Woodcapitalized on his reputation and brought him more fame and fans than ever before with anthems such as ‘The Fight Song’ and ‘The Nobodies’ reaching brand new audiences. Unfortunately, some of the raw anger started to disappear and it wasn’t until 2007, when Manson and his wife, Dita von Teese, broke up that we once again heard something that seemed truly from the heart.
Eat Me, DrinkMe is not technically a release by the band, but more of a solo album Manson wrote/recorded and produced with Tim Sköld which saw the singer return from semi-retirement. For the first time in several years we got to hear a god’s honest album from Manson’s heart. There was no attempted ‘Beautiful People’ / ‘Rock is Dead’ style anthems. Just straight forward honesty with Manson’s usual unique take on life. Since then, Manson has released two further albums and while both held some promise, they delivered little more than the singer’s own effort in gaining ground with the emo fans who had come of age to the less frightening, style over substance groups like… well, I won’t badmouth any bands here. Onwards!
2015 will now be entered as one of those massively important chapters in Manson’s career. After years of reported drink and drug problems, almost scandal-less obscurity, line-up changes and presented with a very different, far less aggressive world than his sound had originally found a home in – Manson has changed styles, modernized and heralded his return with an absolute classic of an album..
The Pale Emperoris without a doubt the most exciting record MM has released as a group since Mechanical Animals. They have recaptured everything that made their music great on those early records, while still managing to overhaul their style and delivery. It’s still undeniably them, but they have modernized successfully, giving their songs a more relevant and fresh platform from which they can dispense the much loved cynical truths fans have wanted to hear again. Like Eat Me, Drink Me – there are no attempts and peddling out major anthems or angry for the sale of it former glory re-hashes. Instead, you have an extremely melodic, atmospheric and enjoyable collection of songs that will fulfil every hope fans could have for a new album – and more.
Marilyn Manson may never again relive the infamy of his earlier years, but his despise for ‘society’ is unabated. While many of his fans will love this record, the ones who really need to hear and understand his message will hardly blink an eyelid and carry on with their torches and pitchforks to demonize the next person who tries to act improper. Let’s just hope Manson continues to keep them in check.
Coldwar are a scary fucking band. Pantheisthas been screaming over my headset the last couple of weeks and I am no so shit scared I can’t leave my house for fear of bumping into then, being verbally beaten to a pulp and then properly killed in a beautiful violent display of gore, terror, new age beliefs and thoughtful insights into human philosophy, anthropology and theology. Basically the three ology’s I actually understand, please add more at your pleasure.
The albumis a brutal piece of work. Nine songs of unrelenting ferocity that you imagine were written to scare velociraptors away from farms and captured terrorists into submission. What am I talking about? Who knows when Trevor LcLave (singers always get called out on this site because we don’t believe in other musicians) is screaming down the house and trampling your brain into the crevasses of your skull.
I’m not going through it track by track. Pantheist is so incredibly intensely dense that calling out subtle differences, the heavier tracks and trying in anyway to breakdown this is beyond the powers of yours truly. It’s just one of those albums that means serious business. The Serious business of Coldwar and Pantheist. I’m going back to listen, I advise you to do the same.
Tickets There pretends to be reviewers from time to time. Discernible readers will notice what a crock of shit this is. You should note that you are not our core market focus. We aim for the slow folks and not so well read….
I was initially going to avoid reviewing this and just enjoy it, but after several spins of the Slangre-issue this week and it being Valentines days and all, I figured my first love in music deserved my attention. Sending the actual members of Def Leppard a card is considered ‘psychotic’ by those around me so I hope a review will suffice.
Slang came our four years after I had first heard Def Leppard. Up till the point their previous albums, On Through The Night, High ‘N’ Dry, Pyromania, Hysteria and Adrenalizehad all pushed their sound further and further towards a standardized, polished pop direction with layer upon layer of vocals, guitar fiddly bits, synths and all things eighties. Unfortunately for Def Leppard and many, many other colossal bands of that era, the sher volume of hack amateurs in the genre and grunge movement shifted people’s attention towards a more solemn, displaced sound. Plaid shirts, problems and anger replaced the mullets, spandex and sing along fun that came before it. Where to go?
Leppard served out the early wave of Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden hysteria (no pun intended… well maybe just a little) by touring the Adrenalize album to packed arenas and keeping fans interested with the Retro ActiveB-sides albums which sparked the massively successful ‘Two Steps Behind You’. It would be three years before Leppard would remerge and like Metallica, they were barely recognizable when they did.
Slang was a kick in the ass to Leppard. The way they recorded, the sound, the style were all massively different to their tried and tested formula. No more years of recording and time apart. Leppard hit the studio and wrote/recorded like never before. The layers of production that had grown and grown over the previous three albums was replaced by a more raw sound that exposed Leppard to their audience in a way that hadn’t been heard since On Through The Night. The giant guitar riffs, duelling solos and plunges were replaced by melodic leads that allowed the matured lyrics and themes to hit the surface.
Songs like ‘Work It Out’, ‘Breath A Sigh’, ‘All I Want is Everything’ and ‘Where Does Love Go When It Dies’ brought a level of seriousness and reflection that was rarely heard before. No attempt was made to turn each song into a pop single, instead the band weren’t afraid to make a stamp with these tracks and open themselves up to a new direction. Turn To Dust, Truth, Slang and Gift of Flesh brought some of the rock back into the picture and but again showed Leppard were not rehashing their glory days by peddling out copies of ‘Animal’, ‘Rock of Ages’ and ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’. The songs were darker, more blunt and perfect.
Musically the grouped changed as well. Eastern and meditranian includeces can be heard all over the record. Styles similar to R&B, alternative rock and even some grunge can be heard throughput giving additional depth and diversity.
Slang initially divided fans. While critics worldwide applauded Def Leppard, their followers missed the larger than life anthems. However the years have been kind to Slang, even from some of the most ardent corners of the Lepp base. It’s endearing credibility, it’s ecliptic mix of styles and warm collection of songs make it an interesting journey to bask in. After Slang, the band reverted temporarily to their older sound for the Euphoria album and the Slang sound was never explored further. Who knows where it could have gone, whether it would have improved or lost its meaning; but for one point in the middle of the nineties, Def Leppard shook things up in a way that would have terrified most established bands. They braved a committed, but traditional fan base, a hostile world of peers and a new youthful energy that’s primary aim was to destroy everything Leppard had championed in the previous decade and they came out swinging. Slang has stood the time and every fan should take the time to remind themselves of that.
In typical Tickets There fashion, we found an album we loved. We listed to the hell out of it and never bothered for one second to put a word down on paper. For years we’ve struggled to express the excitement about albums we love, but that stops now because Animator’sBlacklisted deserves the attention of every metal fan in Ireland.
In Blacklisted, the Wexford lads have accomplished a truly memorable album, perfectly mixing writing quality, tight musicianship; all densely ground together to create something very special. Their diverse musical backgrounds fully complement each other as their sound screams through and you’re confronted with a thrash / hardcore assault of riffs, political angst and speed. First up to get the hearts racing, ‘State of Emergency’. Sirens, a brooding build-up; composed of John F. Kennedy’s 1961 ANPA address, breaking new stores snippets and James’s scream, “The shit has hit the fan this time, our nations on the brink” sets the tone for this entire record. ‘Death From Above’strikes hard and fast, but its allure begins to pale when listed before the epic ‘In God We Trust’. A magnificent masterpiece of thrash metal. In God We Trust is reason enough to own this album, but it’s just one of several prime cuts.
‘Ultra 53’ 🙂 begins to express more personal anguish through a mix of swooping riffs, spiralling leads and surprise turns before ‘Dreadweb’ knuckles it’s way in to deliver some of the most balls out riffs and screaming solos of the whole album. ‘Taking the Liberty’ and ‘Electric Armageddon’ continues the punishing and lands yet another quality tune from this record. ‘Western Shadow’ adds little unfortunately for this review, the breakdown into scratchy bridges leads us astray, but the closing anthem of anthems (since In God We Trust), ‘When Duty Calls’ is the closing crown jewel on this incredible debut.
After months of listening, it’s hard to pretend there’s no prior judgements here. But six months ago I knew Animator as a name only. However, one or two listens of this album will turn any fans of thrash metal into Animatoriacs. This is a band with the talent, power and hunger to go far and all you need to do is press play. Well done lads!
No matter how much metal you’re into, you still need something anthematic for those Friday and Saturday nights. Vader and Deicide are great and all, but they won’t have your singling along with fists raised on the dance floor when the thirteenth Jägerbomb. No, in times like that you need to turn to something else and Reckless Love are increasingly becoming that band for yours truly.
Their third album, Spirit, hits shelves in the UK today and if you had any expectations about what the band was aiming for this time – you’re probably right on the nose. Spirit is chock full of anthems, hair-metal riffs, solos and great fun. Opening with the first single, ‘Night On Fire’, the album is set up for quality sing along fun, which wanes just a little bit on ‘Bad Lovin’. Not an awful song, but as Pierre said – probably should have stayed in Finnish. ‘I Love Heavy Metal’ pays homage to the classic Def Leppard Hysteria sound and tips its hat at just about every major band from the genre. Great tune and you know what? I love heavy metal too lads!
‘Favourite Flavour’ is fast, chorus filled and fun before ‘Edge of Our Dreams’ goes further down that old pop rock ballad road. Not something that would light my fire, maybe it’ll light yours. Everything gets firmly back on track for the classic ‘Sex, Drugs and Reckless Love’. Great 80’s KISS guitar up front, smashing chorus; a wonderful little number from the boys. ‘Dying to Live’ hints back at Mighty Leppard and ballad territory but avoids the overly poppy feel of ‘Edge of Our Dreams’. On repeat spins, the appeal only grows and you find yourself a cracking new RL tune to enjoy.
Here at TT we’re trying to move away from these song by song reviews so let’s cut through the red tape and say one thing – the second half of Spirit kicks ass! ‘Metal Ass’ is just brilliant for reasons that will become apparent when you hear it (damn heavy for RL), ‘Runaway Love’ is another attempt at pop ballad world and delivers another success for the band. Not a standout track, but enjoyable. The licked up ‘So Happy I Could Die’ is another winner before ‘Hot Rain’ stands up to become numero uno ballad of the album. For the first real time on Spirit the band deliver a soulful, passionate ballad and round Spirit off on a high.
Call them pop, call them wuss rock or a guilty pleasure, Reckless Love know how to write fun filled catchy tunes. If you’re too uptight, too serious or generally can’t acknowledge good fun music – then you need these guys more than anyone else. As for fans, Spirit is a winner. It’ll put a smile on your face, a beat in your heart and give you another reason to treat Reckless Love with some well earned respect.
Overoth have been kind enough to re-release their debut album, Kingdom of Shadowsand being black hearted megalomaniacs, we felt TT should have a say. If you’ve seen Overoth at any time over the past two years since Kingdom of Shadow’s release, you’ll know they are a powerful force to be reckoned with. Lead singer, Andy Ennis cuts an imposing figure on stage and commands a dominant presence; supported by an intensely dense, doom/death metal bellowing backline(I know what backline means, but it suited the moment).
‘Kingdom of Shadows’ and ‘I Am One, I Am All’ crack the lid on a treasure trove of isolated darkness, carnage and aggression. The title track is fast paced, classic death metal while I Am One, I Am All injects the band’s heavier, doom, sound made stronger by Andy’s reverbing growls. ‘Summon the Cursed’ is flanked by thick echoing riffs that sway with the song before bursts of extremity explode out of nowhere. `The Serpent of Old’ and ‘Led to the Slaughter’ are two of the strongest pieces on the album. Face slapping metal in its finest form. At times the impact is a little muddled, but raw with power and both songs show the ability this band has and boasts potential for their next record.
‘Pathway to Demise’ and ‘Obsidian Blade’ continue to reinforce the bands power, but offer little in the way of real originality. They pale even further when the show stealing, ‘Upon The Alar’ awakens. A heaving brute of a tune that perfectly captures each band member falling into place, allowing them to deliver the song they’ve hinted at throughout the record. Haunting guitars, sparse echoes and militaristic force. ‘The Forbidden Realm’ builds on the revamped interest Upon The Altar gives in dramatic fashion. While not as forceful, it’s complexity, speed and focus drive the song and the album home.
Kingdom of Shadows may not have the most life changing songs in its ranks, but it does an excellent job at relaying the bands live sound and brute strength. At the same time it manages to drop a few regulars into your playlist and build anticipation for Overoth’s next release. If Kingdom of Shadows is anything to go by, Overoth will be a death metal household name in no time.
We promised you’d hear more about these guys and it’s time to deliver. Since we last checked in on them, Adlerhave gone and released this perfectly excellent debut album – how dare they?. For those of you who aren’t up to speed (like us insanely super sexy glam rock fanatics), Adler is made up of former Guns N’ Roses/Adler’s Appetite sticksman, Steven Adler, Jacob Bunton (x- Mars Electric – lead vocals), Lonny Paul (x- Lynam guitar/vocals) and Johnny Martin (Bass/vocals). Anyone with any pre-notions about this album should get ready to leave them at the door.
Back From The Dead is one of the best glam rock records we’ve heard in years. Steven hasn’t tried to steer the band towards Appetite for DestructionIsland in search of some remaining buried treasure they can capitalize on. Instead, Jackob Bunton and Lonny Paul have written a very impressive collection of punchy hits that deliver the perfect mix of heaviness, attitude, punk rock and hair sprayed appeal. There’s scarcely a moment to breathe on Back from the Dead as you’re pounded with one guitar driven assault after another.
Opening with the title track, you’re immediately cast into seedy California as the song attempts to convey a message Steven wants to make very clear – he is back. ‘Own Worst Enemy’ and ‘Another Version of the Truth’ continue with the ass kicking style. The album’s first single, ‘The One That You Hated’ still sounds as fresh and exhilarating as it did last year and all fears are gone when it isn’t the only stand out moment on this release. Former Marilyn Manson / current Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 adds his unique touch on ‘Good to be Bad’ (and someone adds an excellent ‘should have been Axl’ backing to the chorus). While former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash lends a hand on ‘Just Don’t Ask’ (we’re assuming the wonderful Spanish guitar intro and of course his signature style solo).
‘Blown Away’ brings us well into the second half with another ballsy hard rock anthem before Adler attempt ballad territory with ‘Waterfall’. I’ll leave you to make your own minds up on that one, it will not be mentioned again here. ‘Habit’ sends us rocketing back on course followed swiftly by another ballad attempt, ‘Your Diamonds’ which is a drastic improvement on the previously mentioned effort. Finally we come to ‘Dead Wrong’, an all out warrior of wall shaking bass lines and ravenous guitar riffs and solos. An excellent closer for Back from the Dead, so good in fact you’ll just want to start all over again.
Whatever about the last twenty off years of Steven’s life, there’s no denying he has something real to hold onto here. Adler could probably have chosen another name if they wanted to be completely removed from their most famous member’s previous associations, but the name be damned. There are almost no traces of GN’R on this record. Instead you have a new band with experience behind them and an albums worth of absolute mind blowers for you. Go to Spotify, find it, listen and enjoy.
Sleaze/glam metal is enjoying a well-deserved comeback in Europe with the likes of Hardcore Superstar, Reckless Love, H.E.A.T. and many more all pushing to re-create an eighties bad boy ballad paradise. One such band is grime, booze ‘n’ blood kings, Crashdïet.
Hailing from Sweden, Crashdïet have been a name to contend with since the release of their debut album, Rest In Sleazein 2005. Their 2010 album, Generation Wild, propelled them to the world and the buzz has been growing ever since. Getting banned from MTV and touring with Ozzy Osbourne didn’t hurt much either. Now they’ve released their fourth studio album, The Savage Playgroundand they’re ready to take off where they left things last year – on a high! Going into this`, Crashdïet must have known there was a lot to live up to. Generation Wild is a tough record to beat but Tickets There thinks they’ve done it, or come damn close.
‘Change the World’ is a brutal slice of rock, opening the record with thundering power that’ll have you thrashing about in no time. After that the band drowns you in more radio friendly anthems such as ‘Cocaine Cowboys’, ‘Anarchy’ and ‘California’. After a few of these offerings, any discernible rock fan is left with a ‘where’s the oomph?’ feeling (and rightly so), but Crashdïet have to make their money as well and there’s still a long way to go.
‘Circus’, ‘Sin City’ and ‘Snakes in Paradise’ bounce a little attitude back into the album with forceful guitars, drums and excess fuelled excitement. The end of the album continues to push some of their darker / melodic outputs. ‘Damaged Kid’ is a notch in the bands belt and stands out as one of the catchiest, yet still bad ass tunes on the album. ‘Excited’ is another choice cut before the grandiose ‘Garden of Babylon’ comes tumbling down with the air of a song that’s destined for clichéd tackiness. Fortunately, destiny will just have to wait as GOB turns out to be a pretty terrific piece of work with Middle Eastern guitars, snarling vocals, shredding solos and a great package of music. Bonus track – ‘Liquid Jesus’ is a great blues glam rock finisher that sends you out in party mood.
There are moments on this album where things wane and you’ll find your attention span running out, but it’s saved by some absolute Classic kick around anthems and growth in the band’s overall sound. A few less tracks may have placed this in first place for their own discography, but for those of you who think their glass is half full, here are 14 new Crashdïet songs to enjoy.
The kings of the night time world are back with screaming glory ‘n’ a vengeance! MONSTER is the twentieth studio album by iconic rockers KISS and it looks like 19 previous records, countless live shows and 39 years in the business haven’t slowed down the guys one bit. Monster is one of the biggest releases in the band’s history and it comes hot on the tails of their 2009 record, Sonic Boom (at that time, their first album in ten years) which saw the band achieve the highest US chart success of their entire career. Now the task falls on Monster to satisfy the mighty KISS army, continue their never ending – steamrolling success, fuel the ship on their second and sold out KISS KRUISE and most importantly of all, add a few more hits to the indestructible KISS KATALOGUE (yes, everything KISS related must, when possible, begin with a K).
Monster delivers everything the band promised and more. No ballads, no outside song writers and a welcome return to the band’s classic seventies sound. Harder guitars, re-introduction of groove and balls to the wall rock ‘n’ roll. Opening track ‘Hell Or Hallelujah’ screams back to the days of Love Gun and Rock N Roll Over. Shredding guitars left right and centre, a pounding riff and Paul ‘Starchild’ Stanley standing firm at the forefront delivering the best song KISS have written in years. Fortunately, it’s not alone. ‘Take Me Down Below’, ‘Last Chance’ and ‘Freak’ are all stand out tracks, vocally endorsed by Mr. Stanley, each one making a case to outshine the others.
As with Sonic Boom, Gene’s tracks take a few more listens to really get to grips with. The demon seems to be on a quest for a pounding, thunder some anthem that correctly represents his larger than life character with all the dark coattails and demonic tendencies attributed to such a legend– with the obligatory sing along catchiness we all want from KISS of course. After three days of listening, we can happily agree ‘Back To The Stoneage’, ‘The Devil Is Me’ and ‘Wall of Sound’ achieve everything you’d want from a classic Gene track. However his work with Paul on ‘Take Me Down Below’ stands out as one of the true Monster gems.
Not forgetting Tommy Thayer or Eric Singer, both deliver the goods across the board on Monster. Once again they both get a shot at the spotlight handling vocals on ‘Outta This World’ and ‘All For the Love of Rock ‘N’ Roll’ respectively. Two feel good, sing along KISS tracks that fill their space nicely (of course, this writer is tipping his hat to Outta This World more so).
Well, Monster is everything you’d thought it would be. A solid KISS album with its fair share of tunes you’d happily invite into future live sets. The whole band put in a great performance and it’s a true credit to them, especially after so many years in the business. 37 years ago they preached about rocking and rolling every day and every night and unlike most of their contemporaries, they’re still doing it to the letter. Rock on KISS!
Earlier this year, House of Dollsasked their fans to help them make a record through a :fund:it campaign. Showing the DIY spirit is alive and well (with a little help from investors – Ed.) the band have finally completed and released their debut album, ‘Welcome To The Department of Nuclear Medicine’. Twelve songs that delve into the band’s defining melancholic, alt-rock core and further explores that infectious psychedelic sound first heard on ‘Gimmie Some Glory’ and ‘Before She Wakes’.
Opening with the full throttle ‘I Thought You Were My Friend’ and ‘Murder Machine’, the record refuses to pull it’s punches and sets you up for the ambient and wonderful ‘Photograph’ (sadly not a cover of the Def Leppard classic….next time – Ed.), ‘Prostitutes’ ups the tempo with its chunky guitars and vintage punk influence before the stellar ‘Into The Void’ shines through. Set on a basic bass line, Into the Void is wrapped it in both vastness and heavy, spiralling, soring leads and bewitching vocals. An excellent song if ever there was one.
Despite sticking closely to their formula sound, the band are able to diverse themselves into several different forms of attack. On heavier / rocking numbers such as ‘Light Starts to Fade’, ‘No Excuses’, ‘Ills’ and ‘American Dream’ House of Dolls put both feet forward, pounding you with guitars and solid vocals while the more radio friendly numbers like ‘Lovers & Clowns’, ‘Photograph’, ‘Into The Void’, and ‘All I Need’ maintain the same gritty overtone, but stay neatly wrapped in a polished, well thought out collision of instrumental leads and un-intruding vocals.
An excellent album from start to finish and one well worth buying if you’re looking for some new blood on the scene.
If there’s one thing The Walls can never be accused of, it’s rushing things. It’s been a seven long years since the release of their last album, ‘New Dawn Breaking’, but the brothers haven’t been hanging on their laurels. They’ve toured, both as the Walls and The Stunning, released singles, an EP; all the while working away on their third release. It’s been a long time coming and no easy feat to accomplish, but finally ‘Stop The Lights’ is ready.
People who’ve seen the band live over the past two years will be very familiar with some of the material on Stop The Lights, but it still manages to sound as fresh and enticing on record as it did on stage. ‘Bird In A Cage’ opens the album with it’s wonderful gentle rhetoric and infectious poppy groove. Advance singles ‘Phantom Power’, ‘Carrying the Fire’ and ‘Stop The Lights’ sound reinvigorated and inviting; but the real focus for Tickets is on the more unheard material.
‘The Great Escape’ and ‘It Goes Without Saying’ are excellent pieces of music. ‘The Great Escape’ is stripped back, lasting and lonely, while ‘It Goes Without Saying’ delivers one of those catchy as a cold choruses the Walls have built their reputation on. ‘Dead Flowers’ delivers a little rumpus into the room with heavier guitars and keyboards. Not quite ‘Drowning Pool’ but everything you could want. ‘All A Blur’ and ‘Doodlesque’ continue the positive flow before the album reaches its peak with ‘Thanks For The Photographs’ and ‘May The Road Rise’, which are both crowning achievements of the album. Equally they express the passion, honesty and incredible grasp the Wall brothers have for song writing.
Stop The Lights is out officially released on Friday, March 9th from retailers and online stores. It gets its release party in Whelan’s on March 29th before the lads hit the road for shows in Limerick and Galway. Stand by for more dates over the coming weeks.
Reviewer: Brian Mc Caul
Two years have passed since one of Britain’s biggest rock band of the last 30 years imploded in a flurry of flying plums and guitars. Oasis meant a lot of things to a lot of people, but most will admit the quality of albums after those first 2 dipped dramatically. Almost all those classic songs and B-sides were written by guitarist NoelGallagher before Oasis had a record deal. Songs about youth, good times and escape that connected to the masses through huge choruses, loud guitars and legendary gigs. Liam immediately went on to form Beady Eye with the other members of Oasis while Noel stayed out of the limelight, having nothing more to say on Oasis. This summer Noel announced details of 2 solo albums to be released under his new moniker, “Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds”. In 2012 a ‘far out’ collaboration with Amorphous Androgynous will appear, but for now we have the debut album.
What Noel has delivered is 10 tracks of catchy, melodic pop rock. It’s not exactly a radical departure from Oasis. The noisy guitars are gone and Liam’s inimitable vocals too. But this is Noel’s most sing-along album since Morning Glory The addition of banjo, musical saw, female vocals and ‘wine glasses’ show signs of experimentation. Two tracks have actually been online in various formats for a few years. The wonderful “(I Wanna Live In A Dream In My) Record Machine”, with soaring strings, a gospel choir and a guitar solo all merging together. “Stop The Clocks” closes the album with delicate acoustic strumming, before twice breaking into guitars, feedback and noise. It works brilliantly.
The singles ‘The Death Of You And Me’ and ‘AKA…What A life’ have received mixed reactions. ‘The Death Of You And Me’ is uncomfortably similar to Oasis’ ‘The Importance Of Being Idle’, but when the brass section kicks in you have to smile. ‘AKA…What A life’ is the most adventurous song on the album, with a thumping house beat, keyboards, mellotron and bursts of guitar. Noel has released his first dance track and it works fantastically. While ‘If I Had A Gun’ and ‘Everybody’s On The Run’ are beautiful tracks. They feature a full blown orchestra and choir and it appears Noel is no longer afraid to write loved up lyrics. The chorus line of “Excuse me if I spoke to soon, my eyes have always followed you around the room” is simple but affecting.
Everyone is aware of Noels ‘magpie’ gift for stealing melodies and ideas from past legendary bands and now it’s the turn of The Kinks. The jaunty ‘Soldier Boys and Jesus Freaks’ and ‘Dream On’ bounce along aided by some lovely trumpet. This is a more polished gentle affair than Beady Eye’s debut, with much more melody. ‘The Chief’ rings in the second stage of his career with a great album. If he can bring some of the wit and cleverness he shows in his interviews to his classic song writing, there will be even better records to come. Currently outselling some X Factor robot 2-1, Noel has proven that music still needs him.
Hard rock heroes Mastodon return with their fifth album, ‘The Hunter’. Named after Brent Hind’s brother who was killed in a hunting accident, it is not the morbid affair you would think. The band have described the album as “Like a Really Super-Heavy Led Zeppelin” and will make you want to “jump-on-your-bed, get naked, and go streaking”. Having resisted the urge so far to shed some clothing, I can confirm this is Mastodon’s most relaxed and loose recording yet. Unlike all their previous albums there is no theme or concept, just 13 rocking tracks. Gone too are the long, multi-part 12 minute epics. Almost every track here clocks in at less than 5 minutes.
Gaining more and more fans with every album release, expectations are high. Especially after the success of the stunning ‘Crack The Skye’ album, the bands biggest selling record to date. Tickets There doesn’t think The Hunter is going to bring Mastodon on to mainstream radio the way Metallica’s ‘Metallica’ (Black Album) did. There are no real ‘crossover’ hits like ‘Enter Sandman’ or ‘Nothing Else Matters’, but this is easily the bands most commercial work yet as shown on the first two singles and the opening tracks.
‘Black Tongue’ rolls in with riffs flying everywhere and crazy drum fills from Brann Dailor. A typically blistering twin guitar solo wraps it up abruptly. ‘Curl Of The burl’ is similarly short and catchy leaving diehard Mastodon fans to moan about the tracks being too poppy and the vocals being too clean. Since when did more melody mean lower quality? It’s a flying start to the album.
‘Blasteroid’ follows with pummeling riffs and the first screaming chorus of “I wanna drink some fucking blood. I wanna break some fucking glass”. As the album reaches its mid-section, things begin to get a bit trippier. “The Hunter” is slower and downbeat for a couple of minutes before another Hind’s squealing guitar solo lifts the track. “Creature Lives” comes in all Pink Floyd with its spacey keyboards and laughter and gentle bass line. The vocals here are clearer than ever before with a huge ‘aaaaah, aaaah, aaaaah’ chorus. Edit out the weird intro and this could make it onto mainstream radio, after midnight though.
“Spectrelight” and “Dry Bone Valley” bring back the fast and furious side of Mastodon… with more melody. Riffs and drums fly from your speakers and you will not be able to resist tuning on the air guitar for the kinetic guitar solos. Standout track and one of Mastodon’s greatest tunes “All The Heavy Lifting” is hard rock heaven. Powerful, catchy with another huge chorus, it rolls on like a steam train.“The Sparrow” brings things to a nice close. It’s dedicated to the wife of the band’s accountant, who recently passed away from stomach cancer; the song’s only lyrics “pursue happiness, with diligence” was her motto. Beginning slow and trippy the track builds, bringing in the riffs half way through. Another amazing guitar solo follows and the track gently winds down to a gentle finish.
So Mastodon has released an album that may divide fans. Those who cry it’s too commercial and the vocals are too clean’. And those who think it simply rocks. I know which side I’m on. Another couple of listens and I may give in to nudity.
Since picking up the Choice Award for their 2008 album, Ritual, Jape have seen a massive rise in their popularity both home and abroad. They’ve spent the last three years playing national and international tours as well as several high profile festival spots at Glastonbury, Electric Picnic and many more. Now the band is back with their fourth studio album, Ocean of Frequency and they’re in prime position to make the most of their celebrity as one of Ireland’s leading electro-pioneering pop groups and go all the way.
But do they want to?
Ocean of Frequency is the album Tickets There was anticipating a year ago when the band performed a mini-studio break show in the Button Factory. Sparse, quiet and extremely subdued in almost every way. All in all, a re-design of their classic tranquil sound with little or no attempts made to compete against live classics like ’I Was A Man’, ‘Strike Me Down’ and ‘Floating’ while at the same time it also lacks standout quieter moments like ‘At The Heart of all This Strangeness’, ‘Phil Lynott’ or ‘The Hardest Thing To Do’.
Oddly enough, Jape have chosen not include well received tasters ‘Hands of Fire’ and ‘Lying on a Deathbed’, which surfaced at the start of the summer or ‘The Worry Fades’ that was previewed last year and instead gone all out with a fresh spread for fans to enjoy. The new sound works well on tracks like ‘Please Don’t Turn the Record Off’, ’The Oldest Mind’ and ‘Too Many People’ – the albums opening tracks. However, as the record rolls on it becomes harder and harder to pull real excitement out of it and anyone hoping for a perfect musical assault, like that seen on Ritual, may be in for a let-down. Fans of the older sound will find a lot more to enjoy with songs like ‘You Make The Love’, ‘Scorpio’ and ‘Its Shadow Won’t Make Noise’ adding Jape’s signature writing style to the mix.
Ocean of Frequency is by no means an objectionable record, in fact it perfectly sits in line with the direction Jape initially started off on, but veered away from when Floating became such a hit. Unfortunately though, it lacks a definitive flag ship song to rally around, enjoy and sell it. The band has proven they can go all the way if they want but with Richie Egan’s tendency to keep all eyes focused on the music– maybe this is his way of reverting back to his roots and keep Jape the way he wants it, rather than let fans and popularity dictate the direction his creation should go in. At the end of the day, there’s no arguing with that.
Ocean of Frequency is due release on new label, music/is/for/losers on the 30th September. The official album launch will take place at The Button Factory on Saturday 1 October.
One of the problems of living during a recession is that you are bombarded with negativity on a daily basis and so reality is hard to take at times. The news may leave you feeling somewhat empty and apathetic. I find a little dose of pure escapism is just what the doctor ordered. Le Galaxies’s new album Laserdisc Nights 2might just be the ticket. Building on the success of their Transworld EP and scooping an IMTV Best Dance Music Video Award in 2009 for You Feel The Fire!; the Dublin quartet has done itself proud. Their latest offering is an audacious electro pop rock trip that makes regular influential stops at Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Tron and all things science fiction.
Opener Earth and BeyondTransworld is where it all begins. Starting with simple synths and drum beats, they evolve into straight up dance floor epics.
What is so striking about these songs is that they time travel like a Back to the Future DeLorean car. They’re duly weighted in Kraftwerk, 1980s and 1900s dance and techno influences, but shot through with futurist tones and themes.
The first single to be released Midnight Midnight sounds like Gary Numan in robotic vocal mode. The machines have taken to the streets and are seeking vengeance in the form of simmering synths and signature keyboards. Like many of the songs it’s all held together with pounding drums and a chorus that might lead you to run amok on the nearest dance floor.
Without a doubt one of the strongest tracks on the album, Powers of Miami hears the human race ask ‘how much time has it got left?’ It starts out with tightly packed little beats, but things change gears with euphoric melodies and strong guitar work.
Dividing the album and slowing things for a moment is the floating in space dreamscape, Blood Beach. It is easy to imagine this accompanying those fascinating dystopian skyline images in the 1982 film Blade Runner.
The journey continues with Orion which strips away the dance grooves and turns up the guitar amps to give a more rounded electro pop sound. As it grows into a rock-out jam you might forget you’re listening to Le Galaxie. But not to worry – nobody does anything on this record unless a computer says so first. Computerised vocals are always there to keep things in check.
Similarly Police Department starts with a computerized voicereminiscent of the out of control computer HAL from the aforementioned 2001: A Space Odyssey film. However the results are less eerie as it’s a posh English gentleman computer pleading for clemency from its master. Personally I never thought I’d feel sorry for a computer, but I do! A simple drum beat drowned in a manic frenzy of pulsating synths are what it’s all about.
Victory and Paradising help to bring the magical mystery tour to an end. The former starts slow but ascends in typical Le Galaxie fashion with supernova style choruses and chunky bass lines. Things slow and drift into Paradising which provides the calm after the storm.
Providing good value for money Laserdisc Nights 2 is an album that will make you get off your seat and dance but it may also take you to far off distant places. It should also take Le Galaxie places too as it very well might be one of the best Irish electronica albums of 2011.
When drummer, Bill Berry left REM in 1997, lead singer Michael Stipe suggested the band was now ‘a three legged dog’. With Berry off driving a tractor on his Georgian farm the remaining three members motored on in their own right. They decided against recruiting a new drummer and instead hired session musicians for live shows and recordings. However the dynamic making REM such a tight unit in the 1980s and early 90s was lost. This was obvious on 1996s Up and subsequent releases to date. So does their new record Collapse into Now continue a poor run?
The album’s opener Discoverer is one of the bands best offerings of the last decade and is reminiscent of Finest Worksongfrom their 1989 album Document.
With Stipe’s biting delivery and Peter Bucks searing guitar, All The Best is in the same vein as 2008s Accelerate album.Having often been cast as the elder statesman of indie rock; Stipe chooses to embellish the role as he declares “Let’s give it one more time. Let’s show the kids how to do it”.
REM songs have often used mandolin to good effect e g. Losing My Religion. Oh My Heart capitalises on the successes of that 1991 hit single. With its memorable chorus and Peter Buck and MikeMills providing strong backing vocals this is probably the catchiest number of the album and is guaranteed to get good airplay.
Everyday Is Yours to Win is a slow tempo sweat number that drips of sentimentality and leaves a warm feeling in your chest with lines like “I cannot tell a lie it’s not all cherry pie but it’s all there waiting for you”.
Besides its strange title, Mine Smell Like Honey is straight out of the REM textbook, with jangling guitar and lyrics about the vicissitudes of life and our endeavors to overcome them with Stipe claiming we “Dig a hole, dig it deeper and deeper. Climb a mountain, steeper and steeper”.
Alligator Aviator Autopilot Antimatter sees REM in a playful mood. However the resultscould be passed off as album filler with the only notablepoint of interest being the addition of Patti Smith on vocals and Lenny Kaye on guitar. From this point onwards it feels as though the album drifts in B-side territory. Songs like That Someone is You and Me Marlon Brando, Marlon Brando and Me fail to stand out.
The album ends on a memorable note with Blue which follows the format that we heard on Belong from 1991’s Out of Time with Stipe delivering a rolling monologue over early 1990s guitar licks and Patti Smith playing her part on vocals.
For a band that was the first to be dubbed ‘alternative’ in the early 1980s this album doesn’t break any new ground. It sticks to the same generic REM formula that fans have become accustomed to over the last few decades. That said, with their pop sensibilities, enigmatic frontman and devoted fan base; REM will always do okay in the album stakes. However albums are so often judged by what preceeded them. Released twenty years ago at the height of the REM’s success, Collapse into Now would be cast as a failure, however in 2011 it’s a moderate success.
The Metal Pounder’s membership has been increasing in vast numbers since 2008’s massively acclaimed documentary, Anvil: The Story of Anvil and the release of the band’s fourteenth album, Juggernaut of Justice is sure to keep the fans rolling in. After some success in the early eighties, Anvil’s story took a well documented turn for the worst before a former fan, turned Hollywood screen writer captured the band’s misfortunes, loveable comedic moments and inner band tensions during the recording of their thirteenth album, This is Thirteen. The resulting film has been described as “the greatest film yet made about rock and roll “. Besides the comedy and mishaps, it captured their never say die attitude, hard working mentality and their genuine love for music, despite the numerous obstacles thrown in their path over the decades. Only a very cold, dead inside section of humanity wouldn’t warm to the band after viewing it but for the rest of us, we now have a new Anvil album to bask in!
Juggernaut of Justice is out, it’s loud and it’s as proud as punch. Pounding, ear bleeding heaviness mixed with furious, old skool riffs, solos and teeth grinding vocals. Opening with the monster gorging Juggernaut of Justice and When Hell breaks Loose, the album really hammers it’s point in quick. No messing, no muss – no fuss. The band sound strong, unrestrainable and on fire. While some may criticize the lack of diversity, actual metal fans will bask in the belting riffiage displayed on New Orleans Voo Doo, Fucken Eh!, On Fire and This Ride because they are killer.
In the middle there’s a few repetitions, but it’s all mighty! Not Afraid, Turn It Up and Conspiracy all follow suit to form. No major adventures, but saying that each one packs it’s own ‘hard as nails’ riff core, vengeance seeking lyrics and monster metal arrangements. Not too shabby for Tickets There. Running and Paranormal change the pace a little, adding some layers to the albums closing moments and leaves you with a few choice numbers not to be ignored on repeat plays. Swing Thing is an odd Swing / Metal arrangement that…still confuses us a little. Fun anways!
Anvil have worked to stay in the game and now it’s time for their efforts to come to fruition. Juggernaut of Justice is an excellent album and deserves the attention it’ll surely get from the worldwide metal community. Every song has its own raw intensity that repeatedly pounds the listener into a disillusioned state. Be warned kids, Juggernaut of Justice should not be tried at home without Lemmy supervision.
It’s hardly surprising that the Foo Fighters have become a band beloved by all. They’ve managed that always difficult task of appealing to fans from every cross section of music and country in the world. They’re so bloody savage that when ever you meet someone who doesn’t like them you’re left with a pity, shame and very obvious feeling of distrust towards the offending comments creator – the non-Foo Fighters fan. Tickets There has never been able to understand this rare breed of human but then again with all the Hitler’s, Gaddafi’s and Pol Pot’s we’ve produced it’s hardly surprising that evil does exist in the world. Fortunately they aren’t numerous enough to matter so the Foo’s love bludgeons on.
First and foremost, the band have produced some of the finest rock songs of the last two decades. How anyone could ever slate anything from The Colour and the Shape, their self-title début, There Is Nothing Left to Lose and One By One is a riddle that will plague philosophers for all the ages to come. Then there’s the videos! How can one band make so many savagely brilliant videos in such a short space of time? When Beavis and Butt-Head return we’re sure the Foo’s will be on regular rotation with respect showed by the little twits. Without going down the Nirvava connection, you have Dave Grohl – easily the most likeable man in the music industry. A man respected and admired by all; peers and fans alike. Not only does the man rule the roost when it comes to drumming but he’s proven himself one hell of an amazing song writer, singer and guitarist spanning everything from grunge to metal to rock to acoustic. He’s done it all and at the end of the day he’s still bowing to the likes of KISS, Motörhead and Kind Diamond. With all this together you can only imagine the excitement when they release a new album and Tickets There has returned just to tell you that they have delivered. Oh and of course let’s not forget to mention that Nirvana producer Butch Vig and former ‘Golden Age’ Foo Fighters guitarist Pat Smear have returned to the fold to help make this a pretty sweet record.
Bridge Burning kicks things off with plenty of riffage, a very restrained chorus but plenty of kick ass catchiness to slap a silly grin all over the puss. Rope, the albums first single falls back to an older Foo’s style that’s been slightly mixed with the In Your Honor grandiose vibe. Excellent song and proof that the Foo’s can pretty much try and accomplish anything they want in life! Dear Rosemary is a decent wee number but White Limo’s follow up has much more to offer. Oozing in screaming vocals, intimidating guitars and snake bite drums, the track is one of the heaviest the Foo Fighters have ever done and could be mistaken from a cut from their first record due to it’s raw, blistering energy. Also Lemmy Kilmister is in the video, can you get any more rock n’ roll than that?
Arlandria is more generic and bloated. There are very rare occasions when Foo Fighter’s choruses edge too close to the world of Nickelback and this is possibly one of them. Nice song that on repeat listens will probably see Tickets There becoming fonder and fonder of it. These Days is similar in structure and not one we’re currently going mad about but nothing offending here. Back & Forth is another momentarily impressive number with moments of excellence but an overall lack of amazo-balls. I’m not 100% sure but I think I hear some Bryan Adams influence in the chorus. C’est la vie. White Limo still rings string in the head so let’s move on.
A Matter of Time again has it’s moments but we’re feeling an overall lag at this point of the album. It’s all too close to what the lads have done before but offering the same quality in song writing and their promise that this is the heaviest album they’ve ever made are looking less and less creditable. Still not awful, still some Foo Fighter gems to make it more than worth your while but not looking like it’ll be remembered with the same esteem as their previous attempts.
Miss The Misery could be the changer though. Bellowing hard rock riffs, their classic dark overtones and a nice feeling to the song. Things are on the up as we reach the second last track, I Should Have Known which features a guest appearance by Dave’s former Nirvana band mate Krist Novoselic on accordion and bass which really kicks through towards the end of the song. Great number mixing different styles of rock and to some extent soul (we’ll explain when we’re sure). Final track Walk is an excellent number. More screaming vocals, belting drums and 100% Foo Fighter heaviness with better hooks than the New York Yankees golden pitchers could amass (saw this documentary about the Yankee’s a while ago…been trying to find out how to use it. Waste not want not).
Well the wait is over, we like it. There’s moment we’ll need to warm up but not too many to ignore completely. The albums strongest moments mostly happen within the first few songs but there are surprises at the end that’ll ensure full plays for a long time. It may not be remembered as their strongest but we’re sure some of these songs will live on happily within the Foo’s live set for a long time to come. If you want to hear for yourself, pop over and listen at the band’s Soundcloud page.
Motörhead have been in the press a lot recently and rightly so. The release of their twenty second studio album is a major accomplishment and cause for celebration. Few bands management such a feat and fewer still can still put out a record of this calibre but the unyielding force that is Motörhead have prevailed. Recently, some have dared to suggest that the God-King Lemmy may not actually be as unstoppable as we all thought! Of course, that is all nonsense and this album proves it.
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