Category: Heavy Metal

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Austin-based doom metal outfit Slumbering Sun — Monte Luna’s James Clarke (vocals), Destroyer of Light’s Keegan Kjeldsen (guitar), Temptress‘ Kelsey Wilson (guitar), Monte Luna‘s and Scorpion Child‘s Garth Condit (bass) and Destroyer of Light’s Penny Turner (drums) — is an All-Star band featuring members of Texas’ underground metal scene.

As the story goes, after the breakup of their previous band, James Clarke and Keegan Kjeldsen resolved to forget the pain of an album that would never be released, by creating something new. They decided to start a new band — and with an album that Kjeldsen wrote between work on other projects. The pair continued the creative process at their rehearsal space with a few songs strummed on a clean, electric guitar: Clarke began to write melodies with the pair finishing lyrics.

Clarke and Kjeldsen recruited Temptress’ Kelsey Wilson, who made the commute from Dallas for writing and recruiting process. Scorpion Child’s Garth Condit and Destroyer of Light’s Penny Turner. who played in other bands with Clarke and Kjeldsen respectively were recruited to be the band’s rhythm section — and from that point on, Slumbering Sun was a full-fledged band.

Slated for a February 24, 2023 CD, cassette and digital release with a vinyl release over the summer, because of pressing plant delays, the Austin-based doom metal outfit’s full-length debut The Ever-Living Fire was recorded in a week-long recording session this past summer. Sonically, The Ever-Living Fire sees the members of Slumbering Sun exploring broader melodies while being inspired by Celtic folk, doom metal like Warning, as well as beloved 90s classics like Soundgarden and Alice In Chains.

The Ever-Living Fire‘s first single “Liminal Bridges” is an expansive and towering song centered around three distinct segments — an atmospheric introduction featuring swirling, shoegazer-like textures followed by stormy power chord-driven riffage, thunderous drumming paired with Clarke’s melodic crooning and some enormous, arena rock friendly hooks. “Liminal Bridges” sonically brings The Sword and others to mind — but with a prog rock-leaning sensibility.

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Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Founded by drummer Rip Ryder in 2019, and split between Brisbane and Australia’s Gold Coast, Aussie hard rock outfit Scandal Tree‘s original lineup featured Ryder, along with Flaky, Jase and Adam. Back in 2020, the quartet recorded their debut, self-titled EP with Cian Warbrick at Smooth Edge Recording.

After the departure of longtime members Jase and Adam, the remaining members of the band asked themselves whether it was time to close up shop and move on — or to go all in. “We felt that Scandal Tree was more than just the sum of its parts, but a more encompassing vision. There was something more there musically that we (Rip and Flaky) wanted to explore. A creative potential still yet to be untapped and unleashed upon the world,” the band’s founding member explains,

After searching for members for the band’s second lineup, the band’s remaining members found Matty (vocals), Joe (bass) and Wayne (guitar), which expanded the band from their original quartet to a quintet. In late 2021, the band recorded “Nothin’ to Lose” with Nik Carpenter at Core Studios and was released earlier this year to critical applause from broadcasters, playlist curators, critics and even publicists.

The Aussie rockers sophomore EP Layin’ Down Your Cards is rooted in everyday realties — with the EP’s material seeing the band navigating life as best as they can, and at full throttle paired with high-energy riffage. The EP’s latest single, the brash “One Way Home” is a big power chord-driven ripper, full of rousing, arena rock friendly choruses and hooks that brings Headbanger’s Ball, AC/DC and Amyl and the Sniffers to mind. In other words, nasty, gritty rock meant to be played loudly — and to raise your beer while shouting along.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

Rising Kent, UK-based quartet Pryma blends heavy rock with heavy metal influences paired with meaningful lyricism and melodic vocals with a darker, menacing edge. The band prides themselves on a honest approach to their music, and an energetic live show, which has helped them gain a loyal fanbase — while earning them regular gigs across their native UK.

The British metal outfit has released a nubmer of singles, which has led to radio airplay and attention from the press and across social media. Building upon a growing profile, the band’s debut EP UNCAGED is slated for a November 25, 2022 release. The EP’s lead single “1:23:45” begins with an acoustic guitar-based intro before quickly morphing into a mosh pit friendly ripper centered around enormous power chord-driven riffage that will bring Headbanger’s Ball to mind. But the song is given a modern feel with a feral and unhinged vocal performance that sees Pyrma’s frontperson alternating between melodic verses, guttural howled choruses and hooks. Play this one very loud!

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: JOVM Mainstays LohArano Performs “Mangina” at Le Club Rodez

Antananarivo, Madagascar-based JOVM mainstays LohArano — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — formed over seven years ago. And since their formation they’ve developed a unique, boundary pushing sound that sees the band pairing elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

LohArano’s sound and approach represents a bold generation of Malagasy young people that honors and respects the traditions and practices of their elders – but are also inspired by contemporary Western genres and styles.

Over the past few years, the Malagasy metal trio have been extremely busy:

  • Their self-titled EP featured “Tandrroka,” a mosh pit friendly ripper, featuring rumbling, down-tuned bass lines, thunderous drumming, scorching guitar riffs and Ravoajanahary’s feral Karen O-like vocals. 

  • They quickly followed up with their full-length debut LohAmboto, which featured the System of a Down-like album title track “LohAmboto,” another mosh-pit friendly ripper that saw the band gently refining and honing their sound.

  • The JOVM mainstays closed out last year with their first European tour — and it included a set at  Trans Musicales in Rennes, France, which the band filmed and released as a concert film. The concert film features their debut single Andrambavitany,” the aforementioned “Tandrroka” and “LohAmboto,” as well as material off their full-length debut performed with a feral intensity. 

  • This year, the Malagasy JOVM mainstays along with their label Libertalia Music released a five-song live EP recorded from their Trans Musicales set last year. The EP featured “Ts’Izy,” an explosive synthesis of metal, nu-metal and hip-hop that channeled Rage Against the Machine — but while being decidedly African.

During the band’s headlining European tour last year, the band stopped at Rodez, France-based Le Club Rodez, where they filmed live footage of the band performing “Mangina,” an expansive song centered around alternating quiet and loud sections. The quiet, dream-like sections featuring glistening guitars and Ravoajanahary’s plaintive delivery. The loud sections sees the band at their furious, mosh pit friendly ripping best. Structurally and sonically, “Mangina” sees the trio pairing shoegazer-influenced textures with Metallica-meets-punk rock riffage.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 75th Birthday, Brian Johnson!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Brian Johnson’s 75th birthday.

women who kick ass by William Ruben Helms

Antananarivo, Madagascar-based trio LohArano — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — formed over seven years ago, and in that time, they’ve developed a unique, forward-thinking and boundary pushing sound that sees them pairing elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal. 

The band’s sound and approach represents a bold, young generation of Malagasy young people that honors and respects the traditions and practices of their elders but are also inspired by contemporary Western music genres and styles.

Over the past handful of years, the Malagasy metal outfit has been very busy: They released a self-titled EP, which fueaterd “Tandrroka,” a mosh pit friendly ripper, featuring rumbling, down-tuned bass lines, thunderous drumming, scorching guitar riffs and Ravoajanahary’s feral Karen O-like vocals. 

They quickly followed up with their full-length debut LohAmboto, which featured the System of a Down-like album title track “LohAmboto,” another mosh-pit friendly ripper that sees the band refining and honing their unique, global take on metal. 

The JOVM mainstays closed out last year with their first European tour — and it included a set at  Trans Musicales in Rennes, France, which the band filmed and released as a concert film. The concert film features their debut single Andrambavitany,” the aforementioned “Tandrroka” and “LohAmboto,” as well as material off their full-length debut performed with a feral intensity.

The Malagasy JOVM mainstays and their label Libertalia Music will be releasing a five song live EP from their Trans Musicales set. “Ts’Izy,” the live EP’s first single, is one explosive synthesis of metal, nu metal and hip-hop that channels Rage Against the Machine — but while being decidedly African.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher”/Happy First Day of School!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the first day back in school for NYC public schoolers — with the annual posting of Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 74th Birthday, Robert Plant!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates Robert Plant’s 74th birthday.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Boris Shares a Frenzied “Headbanger’s Ball”-Like Ripper

Formed back in 1992, Japanese, experimental heavy rock outfit Boris ((ボリス, Borisu) — currently core members Takeshi (vocals, bass, guitar), Wata (vocals, guitar, keys, accordion and echo) Atsuo (vocals, drums, percussion and electronics) with Mucho (drums) — settled on their current lineup in 1996. Since then, the members of Boris have tirelessly explored their own genre-defying take on heavy music.

In an effort to sublimate the negative energy surrounding everyone and everything in 2020, Boris wrote and recorded NO, one of the most extreme albums of their widely celebrated and lengthy career. The band self-released the album during the heigh of pandemic-related lockdowns, desiring to get the album out as quickly as possible. But interestingly enough, they intentionally titled NO‘s closing track “Interlude,” while planning the album’s follow-up. 

Released earlier this year through Sacred Bones Records W saw the band crafting material that stylistically ranged from noise to New Age, continuing their long-held reputation for dynamic and sonically adventurous work. While being disparate, the material is held together by a melodic deliberation through each song that helps the band accomplish their ultimate goal with the album — eliciting deep sensation. 

NO and W were conceived to weave together to form NOW, a pair of releases that respond to each other: The band followed one of their hardest albums with an effort that’s sensuous, lush yet thunderous. The result is a continuous circle of harshness and healing that seems more relevant — and necessary — now than ever. 

Throughout their 30-year history, the acclaimed Japanese outfit has a long-held reputation for being remarkably prolific. Their second album of this year, the 10-track Heavy Rocks (2022) is slated for an August 12, 2022 release through Relapse Records. The album, which is another installment of their Heavy Rocks series sees Boris channeling 70s proto-metal and glam rock through their own unique lens. 

“The world has changed over the last two years. Everyone’s thinking is simpler and pragmatic. Now, it is easier for everyone to grasp what is important to each of us,” the members of Boris say of the new album.

“We leave it to the future and pass it on. The soul of rock music is constantly evolving. A soul that transcends words and meaning to reach you – instinct, intuition, and fangs.

This is the heavy rock of Boris now.

As we land on our 30th anniversary, Boris continues to evolve, accelerating the latest and universal.

Boris does not lead anyone anywhere.

We just keep showing this attitude.”

So far I’ve written about two of the album’s previously released singles:

“She Is Burning,” a mosh pit friendly ripper that saw the Japanese outfit effortlessly mesh glam rock, punk and proto-metal while subtly hinting at hinting at early Soundgarden and Thin Lizzy.

and 

“Question 1,” a mind-bending and expansive track that features four distinct movements:

  • a furiously breakneck Headbanger’s Ball– meets D-beat punk-inspired metal introduction with screamo delivered lyrics for the song’s first 80 seconds or so. 
  • a lush post rock/post section featuring wailing guitars and layers of shoegazey feedback paired with thunderous drumming and a plaintive vocal delivery for the middle two minutes or so
  • a section that subtly meshes the Headbanger’s Ball-meets D-beat punk-inspired metal of the song’s introduction with a subtle bit of thrash metal
  • a dreamy acoustic guitar-driven coda that quickly fades out. 

The song manages to unapologetically kick ass and take names — while sending the listener into a mad frenzy. Play this one as loud as your ears can take. 

Heavy Rocks (2022)‘s third and latest single “My name is blank” is a decidedly Headbanger’s Ball-like ripper centered around dense layers of guitar pyrotechnic-fueled riffage, howled lyrics and thunderous drumming that’s meant to send the listener into a frenzy.

Directed by YUTARO (ART LOVE MUSIC), the accompanying visual for “My name is blank” features the band performing the song in an empty studio with flashing lights while a cape-wearing demon rocks out in the background. Also, there are a helluva lot of empty bottles of all kind — suggesting the demon may have drank a potion to become what they are, or some wild ritual.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: Malagasy JOVM Mainstays LohArano at Trans Musicales, Rennes, France

Antananarivo, Madagascar-based trio LohArano — Mahalia Ravoajanahary (vocals, guitar), Michael Raveloson (bass, vocals) and Natiana Randrianasoloson (drums, vocals) — formed over six years ago, and in that that time, they’ve developed a unique, boundary pushing sound that pairs elements of popular and beloved Malagasy musical styles like Tsapiky  and Salegy with heavy metal.

LohArano’s sound and approach representsa bold generation of Malagasy young that honors and respects the traditions of their elders yet are also inspired by Western music — while roaring with the fierce urgency of our moment.

Over the past couple of years, the Malagasy metal outfit has been very busy: They released their self-titled EP, which “Tandrroka,” a mosh pit friendly ripper, featuring rumbling, down-tuned bass lines, thunderous drumming, scorching guitar riffs and Ravoajanahary’s feral Karen O-like vocals.

They quickly followed up with their full-length debut LohAmboto, which featured the System of a Down-like album title track “LohAmboto,” another mosh-pit friendly ripper that sees the band refining and honing their unique, global take on metal.

The JOVM mainstays closed out last year with their first European tour — and it included a set at Trans Musicales in Rennes, France. The band filmed the set and released it as a concert film last week. While prominently featuring singles like “Andrambavitany” (their debut single), the aforementioned “Tandrroka” and “LohAmboto,” as well as material off their full-length debut. The live footage reveals a trio that plays their rippers with a feral intensity and the self-assuredness of old pros. Play this one loud and headbang your night away, y’all.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: happy 58th Birthday, Tom Morello!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms belatedly celebrates Tom Morello’s 58th birthday.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Swedish Heavy Outfit BESVÄRJELSEN Shares a Forceful Ripper

Deriving their name from the Swedish word for “conjuring,” the Dalarna, Sweden-based heavy metal/heavy psych outfit BESVÄRJELSEN — founding members Staffan Stensland Vinrot (guitar, vocals) and Andreas Baier (guitar, vocals) with Lea Amling Alazam (vocals), Erik Bäckwall (drums) and Johan Rockner (bass) was formed back in 2014 by its founding duo of Vinrot and Baier, with the clear vision of channelling the spirit and traditions of the Dalarna forests, a region famous for painted wooden horses and for being the meeting ground of ancient Norse and Finnish cultures , into contemporary heavy music.

Baier, who has a lengthy background in the region’s punk and hardcore scenes had come to realize that by slowing things down, BESVÄRJELSEN’s music would gain depth while allowing haunting melodies to exist alongside a cathartic heaviness.

When Baier and Vinrot met Lea Amling Alazam, who can trace her passion for punk and stoner rock to being a 13 year-old, hanging out at the local skate park, they happy relegated their shared vocal duties to a backing role. As a trio, the band released their first two self-financed and self-released EPs — 2015’s debut Villfarelser and 2016’s sophomore effort, Exil, which received critical praise and airplay on Swedish national radio with minimal promotion. Around that time, Erik Bäckwall, a former member of Dozer and Greenleaf joined the band as a permanent member.

Bäckwall then recruited his Dozer and Greenleaf bandmate Johan Rockner to join the band. And with the band’s lineup finalized, they wrote and recorded 2018’s full-length debut, Vallmo, an effort that saw the band pair crushing riffs and thunderous drumming with sophisticated melodies and thoughtful thematic concerns. The attention on the album, helped the band land a festival slot opening for the legendary Deep Purple.

Much like every other act across the globe, the Swedish quintet had plans to support 2019’s mini-album Frost with extensive touring across Europe — but the COVID-19 pandemic scuttled those plans for the next two years. The band used the unexpected spare time to compile a wealth of ideas amassed remotely and shared virtually, which would result in the material that would comprise their Karl Daniel Lidén-produced sophomore album Atlas.

Deriving its name from the Greek mythical character Atlas, who literally carries the weight of the world on his shoulders, the members of BESVÄRJELSEN boldly take a massive step forward with their sound and approach with the album’s material featuring elements of melodic doom, prog rock, punk, folk and classic rock. Along with that the band’s frontperson embraced the melodies and phrasing of the grunge and emo that she loved as a young person, as well as African and Middle Eastern music while retaining a bluesy undertone.

Atlas‘ latest single “The Cardinal Ride” is a breakneck yet melodic, arena rock friendly ripper centered around crunchy and enormous riffs, a scorching yet bluesy solo and thundering drums paired with Alazam’s powerhouse vocals and massive hooks. With “The Cardinal Ride,” the Swedish outfit seems poised to be both their homeland’s and the heavy scene’s next big thing — while crafting an empathetic portrayal of sin, uncertainty and ugliness.

“First time I heard the riff for this song I knew I wanted to go punk and messy with the melodies and lyrics,” Lea Amling Alazam says in press notes. “”I had been reading The Seven Deadly Sins by Karin Boye and the was book lying on the table as I was listening to the track.The first line that came to mind was ‘a rollercoaster of the seven deadly sins.’ Life is a fucked-up rollercoaster and you never know how the path will turn next, so I wanted to celebrate the ugly parts of life. We live in a glass house society, in which people want to portray themselves as if they have their shit together and be on the right side of life, while most of us are messed up, confused, horny bastards with no self control. It’s okay to be a fuck-up. It’s okay to run through life not knowing where the hell the road is going. But if you are the type of person, who always gets super drunk and cries at parties, maybe it’s time to go and see a shrink. Because chaos is fun, but taking mental health serious is even much cooler. See ya’ll in hell!”

“Well, ‘Cardinal Ride’ was the only song on the album that started as a jam and evolved from there”, BESVÄRJELSEN’s Erik Bäckwall adds. “It was faster at first and had the working name ‘Sendrag’, which means ‘Cramp’ due to the effect it had on my right leg. The track went through several iterations before Johan finally nailed the arrangement and Lea came up with the perfect vocal melody and lyrics for it.”

The accompanying, cinematic video for “The Cardinal Rule” is partially shot in the forests of Northern Sweden during golden hour paired with some sultry and decadent portrayals of sin.